Battling Winter Blues

Posted on: December 14, 2009 | musiclover | Comments Off | Print Article | Rate Post:

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(By Heidi Zemach for SCN)

If you are feeling blue, moody, and irritable, rejected, hostile, angry, tired or sluggish, you may be experiencing a mood disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder, (SAD). SAD is classified by the American Psychiatric Association as a sub-type of depression. If left untreated, it can lead to people experiencing many of the same symptoms of depression. Those with the condition tend to sleep longer, or wish to, and crave carbohydrates—and not just because holiday treats abound.

Psychologist J Craig Williamson

More people seek professional help for these types of symptoms during the wintertime, and visit SeaView Community Services, or visit him at his private practice, said Seward Psychologist J. Craig Williamson. Some, but not all of those visits are SAD-related. People with depression sometimes feel worse in winter, and people also may have a more difficult time handling stress or grief in the winter—depending on their own resiliency, or general outlook on life. For many Alaskans, emotional symptoms of the “Winter Blues” appear in the winter, but resolve naturally, or dissipate within a few days. But those who experience symptoms of depression for longer than two weeks, and do so seasonally for two consecutive years, may have the disorder, Williams said. He recently offered some practical advice to U.S. Forest Service employees on some of the simple things that can helpL: Exercise such as swimming, skiing, going to the gym, or even just walking 30 minutes a day often helps people significantly, Williamson said. Seward offers many such opportunities, and those who don’t want to walk outdoors on snow or ice, can walk indoors at Alaska Vocational Technology Education Center.

“I think humans, they need the light, the light energizes you, says Mark Kromrey, who lives in Moose Pass. “In summer, you can go 2-3 months on 5-6 hours of sleep and just feel fantastic, and then in the wintertime, you can sleep 9-10 hours, and you’re exhausted.” Although he’s lived in Alaska for 27 years, winter’s short daylight hours affect his moods more each year unless he actively works to prevent it. “To me it’s all about the light and how much exercise you get.” “What I’ve really noticed is the more you get out and exercise, the less it affects me.”

Moose Pass resident Mark Kromrey

Light therapy is a common method of treating Season Affective Disorder, considered extremely effective for some. The standard treatment is 30 minutes of 10,000 lux diffused white fluorescent light, preferably taken in the morning, Williamson said.  He has seen it work for those affected by the condition, and studies show that remission rates climb to 80% for some people, he said. Most Seward hardware store managers we contacted say they carry SAD lamps, or fluorescent light bulbs. But they said their winter sales are actually not noticeably higher than for the purchase of any other types of light bulbs or lamps.

Adjusting one’s sleep cycles also can benefit. Williamson advises people to understand how many hours of sleep they normally need in order to feel refreshed the next morning, and then stick to the same regular sleep schedule, said. Self-medication through alcohol use, while common around here, is not a very good idea as it hurts ones’ sleep patterns rather than helps.

Karen Kromrey, Mark’s wife, cooks different recipes for her family in the winter, with greater emphasis on protein, vitamins, and swears that it helps keep the winter blues away. Especially important, is eating fewer carbs, and fewer sweet goodies.

“It’s hard to do, as my family would attest lately, but eating right is really, really important,” she says. Vegetables rich in vitamins, especially vitamin D, with a lot of color like peppers, zucchini, and spinach, Kromrey said.

Kerry Romig, a registered holistic nutritionist who owns Frontier Healting Arts & Sciences, LLC just outside of Seward says the first thing she always considers when problems arise, also is nutrition. The vegetables and fruits you can buy at the grocery store in the Alaska winters especially often have traveled great distances, and have lost some of their nutritional value, and taste, Romig says. This means Alaskan’s must work harder to get the nutrients that their bodies need. The Alaska suicide rate is highest in February and March because bodies, steadily depleted of essential nutrients throughout the earlier part of winter, finally cause the person to finally snap, she believes.

“If a person is healthy, their body should be able to fix itself—if it has all the right tools. I mean, the body’s an extraordinary healer,” Romig says. But she admits that everyone responds differently. Years ago, when winter greatly affected both Kerry and her brother, they discovered that using SAD lamps did wonders. Now, Kerry finds that taking vitamin D supplements and focusing on good nutrition is all she needs to ward off the winter blues.

Kerry Romig of Frontier Healing Arts

Williamson is intrigued by the amount of variation among individuals in their response to SAD, and the fact that one method that greatly helps, or cures one person, may not help another at all. For some people, commonly prescribed anti-depressants, used alone or with light therapy, helps greatly. But then depression medications may take several weeks to kick in before the patient feels a benefit, Williamson said. Some longtime Alaskans say the Winter Equinox, Dec 21, seems to be a real turning point for them. It’s as if that extra few seconds of daylight, or perhaps just the thought that the days will become longer henceforth, seems to significantly lift some people’s spirits. It’s true for him, Williamson said. Or perhaps one’s bodies have had enough time by then to grow accustomed to the darkness?

Williamson recommends that everyone get a through physical exam, plus a complete lab (blood work) every year. This could help rule out physical conditions that share some of the same symptoms as SAD such as diabetes or hyperactive thyroid. Tests also are available to tell one’s vitamin D deficiency. But people experiencing feelings of helplessness or hopelessness, or suicidal thoughts definitely should visit a physician, Williamson said. The worst thing to do is to isolate oneself in bed or on the couch, he said. Getting involved in social activities, or spending time with friends or family often helps keep the winter blues at bay, he says. After that, talk (cognitive behavioral) therapy, can sometimes help people plan their individual strategies to deal with, or cope with the condition they are experiencing –at least until the daylight returns.

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