“I’ve had a lot of patients who have been stable on their medications for their depression and anxiety for a long time all of a sudden say, ‘I’m just not doing well this year,‘” Dr. Josh Ordway of Premier Health’s Springboro Family Medicine said about patients experiencing seasonal affective disorder this winter.
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that has a seasonal pattern to it, he said.
It is more than just the “winter blues,” experts say. About 10% to 20% of people in America may get a milder form of the winter blues, according to the Cleveland Clinic, but about 5% of adults in the U.S. experience seasonal affective disorder, usually starting in young adulthood between the ages of 18 and 30.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
This type of depression is triggered by a change in seasons, usually when fall starts, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
There is a winter type and a summer type, but the winter type is much more predominant, Ordway said.
“We have so many days during the winter where the days are short, and the weather is cold, and it’s dreary,” Ordway said. Symptoms will typically alleviate when sunnier days of spring arrive.
Seasonal affective disorder can be separate from or in addition to major depressive disorder or clinical depression, he said.
Symptoms are similar to those of typical depression, such as sadness, a lack of interest in things, increased guilt, changes in appetite, changes in sleep habits and a generalized slowing of activity and speech, Ordway said.
“A lot of times with the seasonal affective disorder, you’ll have that overeating and oversleeping, so it is almost kind of like a hibernation type of state with the seasonal affective disorder that we see around here,” Ordway said.
For people who see their friends or coworkers struggling during the winter season or even saying things like, “I feel like a burden,” Ordway says to encourage them to get outside more often for fresh air and sunlight on good weather days.
“In the few hours of daylight that we have, getting some actual sunlight on your skin, in your eyes, and getting some fresh air is going to be very, very helpful,” Ordway said.
Treatments for seasonal affective disorder can include light therapy from using a bright light therapy box, cognitive behavioral therapy or talk therapy, antidepressant medication and/or vitamin D supplements, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Seasonal affective disorder can continue through March and April until the days start getting longer and the weather is sunnier, Ordway said.
People who may be struggling with seasonal affective disorder and/or depression can seek help from their primary care doctor or a trusted medical professional.
Accessing care for the uninsured and under-insured
For those who don’t have a regular doctor and/or don’t have insurance, federally qualified health centers (FQHC) serve patients with no insurance, along with patients with Medicaid, Medicare or traditional insurance. In the Dayton region, the Community Health Centers of Greater Dayton and Five Rivers Health Centers are two local options.
You can use the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) health center locator tool to find an FQHC by address, state, county or zip code at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.
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