In the winter months, many people experience seasonal depression or the winter blues. The lack of sunlight and time spent indoors combined with shorter days can cause this problem to appear at the same time each year.
If you have a seasonal depression, which is also known as seasonal affective disorder, you might notice a few signs. These are the same signs that occur in depression, only they tend to show up just for a few months. However, the problem is still a serious one and can lead to major depression, which can last for months or years.
People who have seasonal affective disorder are less productive and lack the energy that they have at other times of the year. While many people notice these signs in the winter months, the symptoms will be significant for a person who has seasonal affective disorder. If a person is having trouble functioning normally or has increased stress due to the symptoms, it’s important to seek help.
These symptoms include:
- Withdrawing from friends, family, and social activities
- Feeling sad, pessimistic, or hopeless
- Lack of energy and concentration
- Difficulty waking up or a tendency to oversleep
- Eating more and gaining weight
If you think you might have seasonal depression, there are things that can help, like medications, counseling and light therapy. Beyond these treatments is recognizing that better self-care is essential. The winter months are the perfect time of the year to get help and treat yourself right.
If you need help for seasonal affective disorder or depression, get in touch.
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