The Seasonal “Blues”
Hello and welcome back to the Center Street Psychology blog! I hope everyone is staying warm as we ease into the winter season and colder temperatures. In stride with the changing weather we have been experiencing, we thought it would be timely to talk about seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and some of the difficulties of being in Alberta during the winter. Feel free to also take a look at some of our previous topics on mental health in the workplace, suicide prevention and more!
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a term used to describe the onset of mood dysregulation (usually depression) that occurs during particular seasons in the year. We may often hear it called seasonal depression or the winter blues. Seasonal affective disorder is not actually a term we can find in the DSM-V, the diagnostic manual for psychiatric disorders, but depressive disorders can be specified with seasonal patterns. It is thought that less sunlight is a trigger in experiencing SAD, but winter also implies several other changes in our routine and lives that might be disruptive. For example, the transition into fall or winter can often be accompanied by the beginning of school or work winding down if you are unable to do work in the winter. Not to mention having to deal with all of the cold weather and bad roads!
What are ways we can deal with SAD? One popular intervention is light therapy which involves intentional exposure to a light via a light box. Essentially, this mimics sunlight when the natural sun isn’t available. There is evidence that this is an effective treatment for rapid symptom relief, but this shouldn’t be considered a magic bullet treatment for all. It can be used to reduce symptoms temporarily but does not have evidence to support that it puts SAD into remission (Nussbaumer-Streit et al., 2019).
Having psychotherapy for mood dysregulation can be effective (I’m biased, I know), particularly utilizing cognitive behavioural techniques such as cognitive restructuring, which involves taking apart thoughts that affect us and creating more balanced beliefs (Norton et al., 2022). Another way to play on this concept is by scheduling positive activities for yourself during the winter to build a positive association with the season (Rohan et al., 2023). This could be doing things like skiing or skating, getting hot chocolate, or any other enjoyable thing that comes out of winter. Bottom line is that it is helpful to find a way to own winter and make it yours, not the other way around. If it becomes something you can start to embrace instead of avoiding, then it might not have the same negative effects on your mood!
Of course, these things can be easier said than done, and not all these suggestions may be helpful for everyone. I have attached a link below to a blog that has some additional recommendations when it comes to self-care regarding this kind of disorder.
9 Self-Care Tips for Seasonal Affective Disorder I Psych Central
Most importantly, take care of yourself this season and remember that we are available if you need any additional support. Please reach out to us at Center Street Psychology if you would like to discuss more about our services. Call 403-399-5120 to speak with our Director of Client Care, Amy, who will gently guide you through the counselling process.
Stay warm!
References
Norton, R. J., Young, M. A., & Rohan, K. J. (2022). Lack of differential symptom change with cognitive-behavioral versus light therapy for winter depression: A network intervention analysis. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 46(5), 992-1005. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-022-10315-y
Nussbaumer-Streit, B., Forneris, C. A., Morgan, L. C., Van Noord, M. G., Gaynes, B. N., Greenblatt, A., Wipplinger, J., Lux, L. J., Winkler, D., & Gartlehner, G. (2019). Light therapy for preventing seasonal affective disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD0112
Rohan, K. J., Burt, K. B., Norton, R. J., Perez, J., Iyiewuare, P., & Terman, J. M. (2023). Change in seasonal beliefs mediates the durability advantage of cognitive-behavioral therapy over light therapy for winter depression. Behavior Therapy, 54(4), 682-695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2022.11.002
