Dealing With Winter Blues

It is only 3:45 p.m. and it is already nearly dark outside my office window.  When I leave the office tonight, it will be completely dark.  During most of the year, I look forward to leaving work at the end of the day because I enjoy the outdoors, but this is the time of the year, January and February in particular, that I go home and stay inside.  By 7:00 p.m., it feels like bedtime.

If you are like me, this is the season that can get pretty depressing.  Some people describe it as “the Winter Blues.”  However, it may be more than just “the blues.”  If you find that every year in the late Autumn and Winter, you get depressed, lethargic, irritable, hopeless, and want to isolate from others, it might be an indication of Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD.

Some people try to work through it on their own and end up overeating or using alcohol to regulate their mood. These are not good strategies. However, there are good therapies for SAD that can make a difference.  If you feel that you might be suffering from SAD, please see your primary care physician or talk to a mental health professional and get the help that you need.