WB

2023

Winter Blues Activities for You

2023 Winter Blues Activities for You

Dog days of Winter? Maybe your internal clock is off

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

When it’s grey, rainy, and cold for months on end, it can be easy to feel a little down. This is not uncommon and is often referred to as the “Winter Blues.”

In severe cases where one feels depression seasonally, the official medical classification is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). To better understand the Winter Blues, SAD, and why people may feel down during the colder months (and what they can do to help prevent it), Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) School of Medicine

Associate Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Jonathan Emens provided background on SAD and how it may differ from a more ordinary sense of melancholy during the winter months.

What is SAD?

“In terms of what causes the Winter Blues, it technically would be a major depressive episode with a seasonal pattern. And so, what that means is, in our definitions of psychiatric disorders, would mean that you would have to have it occur only during a particular time of the year. Typically, it’s the fall or the winter, although, less commonly, you do have folks who only have their depression episodes in the summer,” Emens said. “It

means that it also has to go away during certain times of the year as well, and you have to have it, by definition, have occurred over at least a twoyear period for us to say you have a seasonal depression.”

even longer; what’s interesting is that you find as you go further north, you have more Seasonal Affective Disorder in the winter, so that makes you suspicious. Could it be the light?”

Regardless of when a blue mood might strike, we know physical activity is good for mood. Which, of course, can be hard; it’s hard to go for that run or go for that walk when it’s dark outside, compared to when it’s still light at 8 o’clock or 9 o’clock at night. But that’s really key, to make sure we’re still getting that same level of physical activity.

~ Dr. Jonathan Emens, OHSU School of Medicine

Though it may be a component, there are some holes in the theory, according to Emens, as some native populations who live in the far north, like the Lapps in Finland, do not have high rates of SAD. One of the other theories on causes of SAD and the general worsening of mood during winter months goes back to the idea of longer nights.

Tuning your internal body clock

Knowing what SAD is, is one thing; however, tacking down the causes is something less known. There are a variety of hypotheses on the subject.

“The biggest clue, of course, is light, right? So, the nights get longer in the winter; they get a lot longer if you go farther north, in the northern hemisphere,” Emens said.

“In the winter, the winters get

“We don’t necessarily know, but we do think that as the nights get longer, one theory; these long nights, that our 24-hour body clock, that regulates the timing of not just when we’re awake and sleepy, but blood pressure, many other parts of our biology, our physiology are regulated by this 24-hour body clock and the hypothalamus of our brain, but it also controls the timing of mood,” Emens said.

“We actually have an intrinsic 24-hour rhythm to our mood even. So one theory of why these long nights make us feel worse, even if we don’t have SAD, there’s plenty of evidence showing that people of sub-syndromal levels of SAD, or even without meeting

the criteria for SAD, that you do tend to see worse mood, worse energy level, increases in appetite, that sort of thing, even in the normal population that tend to be worse in the winter months.”

Essentially, what is happening, According to Emens, is the lack of light during long nights is throwing off the internal body clock, moving it later, as we don’t have the morning light.

“So your clock might get set too late. And we have evidence from a bunch of research studies at OHSU that in both seasonal and the non-

seasonal depression, if your body clock is set later, your mood is worse,” Emens said.

In some cases, people’s body clocks can be set too early, which is a result of the dusk arriving earlier in the day. This theory is based on the idea that the availability of light changes how people’s body clock schedule looks.

“And, of course, when I’m saying the timing of your clock is moving earlier or later, it’s not necessarily relative to what time it is on the wall clock, as much as the timing of your clock is moving earlier or later relative to many other

things, the timing of sleep and other activities,” Emens said.

“That, in most people, your body clock moving too late, and in, perhaps, the minority, your body clock moving too early in the winter, might be the reason why we have the Winter Blues.”

An interesting parallel may be the idea of jet lag. These more significant time transitions that accompany daylight savings and the different seasons throw our body’s internal clocks out of wack.

The Chronicle and The Chief have partnered with our community businesses to present this special Winter Blues presentation. It offers insight into how the change of seasons affects our moods and wellbeing and what steps we can take to be happy during the often cold and dark winter. We also include games and puzzles for you and your family to enjoy.

Joe Warren Publisher Jeremy C. Ruark Regional Executive Editor Will Lohre Associate Editor Jon Campbell Marketing Consultant James Yang Graphic Designer Kelli Nicholson Office Manager Jon Lowrance Driver

Metro Creative Connection

Experts recommend walking, hiking and other physical activities to help overcome seasonal affective disorder.

BLUES

From Page 2

As far as the Pacific Northwest is concerned, Emens is not aware of any higher rates of SAD in the largely overcast region. However, data is relatively split on national rates of SAD.

“In terms of how common it is, this is the other thing; some studies say it’s anywhere from roughly 1.5% to almost 10% prevalence of Seasonal Affective Disorder. That’s a

pretty wide range,” Emens said.

Things to help alleviate the Winter Blues

If someone is experiencing more severe cases of SAD, they should seek help from a primary care provider or a mental health expert. One potential treatment would be “bright light therapy.” This treatment revolves around having light in the morning to readjust your body clock to an earlier time. Something similar may help those who find that

winters affect their energy levels and mood.

“For those of us who don’t have SAD, but maybe our energy level is a little bit off, yeah, having a consistent timing of lights on that is stable across the days is important, and this includes weekends,” Emens said. “We tend to stay up later, get a little bit of evening light, tend to sleep in, and don’t get a lot of morning light on the weekends. And there’s some great studies to show that when we do that, when we shift the timing of light, our body clock moves later, which

is the last thing we want in winter depression.”

Emens said that data shows that a consistent schedule throughout the week is better for your mood. Changing your schedule on the weekend can be “very bad” for your mood. This ties back to also maintaining a steady sleep schedule.

“Consistency is really going to be key, both in terms of not just sleeping and waking, but lights out and lights on,” Emens said.

On top of the change in light, winter times bring changes in physical activities

and eating habits. Maintaining a pattern of physical activity, good eating habits, and social connection is essential.

“Regardless of when a blue mood might strike, we know physical activity is good for mood,” Emens said. “Which, of course, can be hard; it’s hard to go for that run or go for that walk when it’s dark outside, compared to when it’s still light at 8 o’clock or 9 o’clock at night. But that’s really key, to make sure we’re still getting that same level of physical activity. And that we’re still eating right. And

then I would say the last piece would be social contacts; we know that’s so important for our mood. It’s much easier when it’s warm and light outside to do things with other people, and so really maintaining your social contacts in the winter months is really key.”

Resources

https://newsinhealth.nih. gov/2013/01/beat-winter-blues https://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/yourbest-weapons-against-thewinter-blues.aspx

What to know about the Winter Blues

Country Media, Inc.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year, according to the Mayo Clinic website.

“If you’re like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody,” the website states. “These symptoms often resolve during the spring and summer months. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer and resolves during the fall or winter months.”

Treatment for SAD may include light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy and medications.

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic urge people not to brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the “winter blues” or a seasonal funk that you have to tough out on your own. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year.

Symptoms

In most cases, seasonal affective disorder symptoms appear during late fall or early winter and go away during the sunnier days of spring

and summer. Less commonly, people with the opposite pattern have symptoms that begin in spring or summer. In either case, symptoms may start out mild and become more severe as the season progresses.

Signs and symptoms of SAD may include:

• Feeling listless, sad, or down most of the day, nearly every day

• Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed

• Having low energy and feeling sluggish

• Having problems with sleeping too much

• Experiencing carbohydrate cravings, overeating and weight gain

• Having difficulty concentrating

• Feeling hopeless, worthless, or guilty

• Having thoughts of not wanting to live

Fall and winter SAD

Symptoms specific to winter-onset SAD, sometimes called winter depression, may include:

• Oversleeping

• Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates

• Weight gain

• Tiredness or low energy

Spring and summer SAD

Symptoms specific to

summer-onset seasonal affective disorder, sometimes called summer depression, may include:

• Trouble sleeping (insomnia)

• Poor appetite

• Weight loss

• Agitation or anxiety

• Increased irritability

Seasonal changes and bipolar disorder

People who have bipolar disorder are at increased risk of seasonal affective disorder. In some people with bipolar disorder, episodes of mania may be linked to a specific season. For example, spring and summer can bring on symptoms of mania or a less intense form of mania (hypomania), anxiety, agitation, and irritability. They may also experience depression

during the fall and winter months.

When to see a doctor

It’s normal to have some days when you feel down. But if you feel down for days at a time and you can’t get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy, see your health care provider. This is especially important if your sleep patterns and appetite have changed, you turn to alcohol for comfort or relaxation, or you feel hopeless or think about suicide.

Causes

The specific cause of seasonal affective disorder remains unknown. Some factors that may come into play include:

• Your biological clock (circadian rhythm). The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter may cause winter-onset SAD. This decrease in sunlight may disrupt your body’s internal clock and lead to feelings of depression.

• Serotonin levels. A drop in serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that affects mood, might play a role in SAD. Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin that may trigger depression.

• Melatonin levels. The change in season can disrupt the balance of the body’s

level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.

Risk factors

Seasonal affective disorder is diagnosed more often in women than in men. And SAD occurs more frequently in younger adults than in older adults.

Factors that may increase your risk of seasonal affective disorder include:

• Family history. People with SAD may be more likely to have blood relatives with SAD or another form of depression.

• Having major depression or bipolar disorder. Symptoms of depression may worsen seasonally if you have one of these conditions.

• Living far from the equator. SAD appears to be more common among people who live far north or south of the equator. This may be due to decreased sunlight during the winter and longer days during the summer months.

• Low level of vitamin D. Some vitamin D is produced in the skin when it’s exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D can help to boost serotonin activity. Less sunlight and not getting enough vitamin D from foods and other sources may result in low levels of vitamin D in the body.

Complications

Take signs and symptoms of seasonal affective disorder seriously. As with other types of depression, SAD can get worse and lead to problems if it’s not treated. These can include:

• Social withdrawal

• School or work problems

• Substance abuse

• Other mental health disorders such as anxiety or eating disorders

• Suicidal thoughts or behavior Prevention

There’s no known way to prevent the development of seasonal affective disorder. However, if you take steps early on to manage symptoms, you may be able to prevent them from getting worse over time. You may be able to head off serious changes in mood, appetite, and energy levels, as you can predict the time of the year in which these symptoms may start. Treatment can help prevent complications, especially if SAD is diagnosed and treated before symptoms get bad. Some people find it helpful to begin treatment before symptoms would normally start in the fall or winter, and then continue treatment past the time symptoms would normally go away. Other people need continuous treatment to prevent symptoms from returning.

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