» Winter depression affects many

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — As daylight grows shorter, many are finding themselves affected by the darker days and cold weather.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, “seasonal affective disorder is a form of depression also known as SAD, seasonal depression or winter depression. People with SAD experience mood changes and symptoms similar to depression. The symptoms usually occur during the fall and winter months when there is less sunlight and usually improve with the arrival of spring.”

Doctors say here in Illinois, people with SAD tend to feel it from November to mid-March. Dr. Mary Dobbins, a psychiatrist with SIU School of Medicine said many people have been impacted by Daylight Saving Time ending.

“With the clock change, it may adjust the time that we actually are exposed to daylight,” said Dr. Dobbins. “Some people are getting up and going into work before the sun’s up and then they may work in windowless office, they may get home after dark, they’re not getting much sun and it changes the circadian rhythms of our body.”

The changing sunset and sunrise times means the body may not know when to produce melatonin, which means getting restful sleep may be difficult.

“There tends to be a lot of physical changes with this, where people may feel like they just don’t have the energy, they sleep more, but they still feel tired, they eat more, they may be craving more carbohydrates, kind of almost feeling like you’re getting ready for hibernation,” said Dr. Dobbins. “Mentally, it’s hard to concentrate, it may be harder to make decisions. You may have more slowed activity, or you may have more purposeless activities such as the need to pace or those kinds of things.”

Dr. Dobbins said many people experience trouble sleeping after Daylight Saving Time ends, but if you are consistently feeling these symptoms, it is best to consult your doctor. SAD is more common in women and those currently battling other mental illnesses.

“The difference between depressive disorders and seasonal affective disorder is seasonal affective disorder tends to be specifically related to those daylight changes, and then tends to last for four to five months until the season ends,” said Margaret Johnson, the Director of Outpatient Services for Heritage Behavioral Health Center.

There are a variety of ways to treat SAD, including antidepressant medications and therapy. Some providers also encourage light therapy or taking Vitamin D supplements. For most people, SAD happens every year. If you have experienced symptoms in the past, it can be good to seek care before symptoms get too bad.

“Hopefully, people can start to see some warning signs of ‘I know that I’m not getting out as much I know I’m feeling more down, and I’ve been through this before,’ and try to address it earlier, instead of waiting until they’ve gotten to the point where they just feel like they can’t get out of bed or where they’ve really gotten into kind of a pretty big rut with their depression,” said Kenny Dunn, the Manager of Memorial Behavioral Health.