KENT COUNTY, Mich. — By now you may be tired of all this winter weather, or maybe you're feeling a little down with all the snow. But is it just the "winter blues" or something more serious?
"Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a form of depression with a seasonal pattern, so symptoms typically begin late in fall and they continue through winter," said Dr. Charletta Dennis, Medical Director of Behavioral Health at Priority Health. "This is actually a disorder that can require treatment on different levels."
It can be normal to want to stay warm and indoors as much as possible in the winter, but Dennis says SAD goes well beyond that.
"They can have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Sometimes their appetite changes, where you can see cravings of carbohydrates. Sometimes they can have mood impairments, where they feel irritable and anxious and angry, and it's difficult to cope with this because there's less sunlight," Dennis said.
Dennis says danger signs to watch for include being uninterested in daily life and feeling helpless or hopeless.
"Also, some people can have severe symptoms, which can include things like suicidal thoughts, or they can have thoughts of death wishes. So these are definite triggers to go seek professional help," Dennis said.
Being "frozen" in this cold pattern in Michigan, she says it's important to find healthy ways to cope until sunny weather and warmer days return.
"You want to try to expose yourself to as much natural light as possible. Open your blinds," Dennis said. "Also making sure that you're doing activities that you enjoy. You don't want to give up things that you enjoy doing this time. You want to make sure that you plan some winter activities so that you can stay healthy and active."
You can also try adding artificial light that mimics sunshine or supplementing with Vitamin D. Dennis also encourages sticking to a routine, especially when it comes to sleep and eating.
Exercise can help to boost your mood, and Dennis says so can booking a vacation someplace warm.
"When the clock springs forward, that's when you can see a change. You can see a change because the sunlight stays around longer and it begins to warm up, and people want to get more active. They want to get outside. So, yes, it can resolve during that time," Dennis said.
Therapy can help with mild symptoms, but if it's more serious, again you'll want to seek out help.
You can find resources from Priority Health here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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