While for some the New Year is celebrated as a time of renewal, this time of the year can also mean the start of feelings of fatigue, low energy, increased carbohydrate cravings, weight gain, sadness, and just feeling “bleh.” Known commonly as the Winter Blues, and in the medical field as Seasonal Affective Disorder, being able to understand this phenomenon and knowing what symptoms to look out for can help you or a loved one seek appropriate treatment.

At its core, depression and many other mental health related diagnoses have a common denominator which is an imbalance in one or more of the neurotransmitters in our brains. One of the most important ones is serotonin. This neurotransmitter plays a role in emotions, learning and memory, and sleep.

From a medical perspective, seasonal affective disorder is defined as recurrent episodes of unipolar major depression that begin in the fall to early winter. For mild seasonal affective disorder, light therapy  is recommended.* The best studied strength for bright light therapy is 10,000 lux light boxes that use fluorescent bulbs emitting white light. The light box should be positioned at a distance that allows 10,000 lux for 30 minutes a day while seated and facing the box. For the best results, it is best used in the early morning, soon after awakening and ideally at the same time each day, including weekends, holidays, and vacations. An alternative to light therapy is dawn simulation. This form of light therapy is administered during the final hours of sleep. It is often placed on a nightstand and emits a low level of light around 250 lux and gradually increases in brightness and is timed with your usual waking up time.

For severe seasonal affective disorder, medications such as SSRIs are often prescribed which increase the availability of serotonin. These may take time to show improvement, and changes in the kind of SSRI and dosage might be necessary. Generally, they are combined with light therapy and psychotherapy for an optimal result.

Luckily, there are things you can do that have been shown to help with symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Those include having good sleep hygiene, daily walks outside, and aerobic exercise. Good sleep hygiene entails sleeping only as much as you need to feel well rested and then getting out of bed, keeping a regular schedule even on the weekends, avoiding exercise 4-5 hours before bedtime, and avoiding alcohol near your bedtime. Daily walks outside, even on a cloudy day, have been shown to provide as much as 1000-5000 lux of light and up to 100,000 during the midday sun. Lastly, aerobic exercise promotes the release of endorphins which are our natural “feel good” neurotransmitters which improve our mood, help us regulate our emotions, and improve our quality of life. As always, consult your physician if you think you have seasonal affective disorder so they can tailor the best plan for you.

*The Grosse Pointe Public Library has 6 light therapy lamps available for check out:  https://grossepointelibrary.org/

Dr. Paramveer Swaich, DO, Family Medicine, Corewell Health East-Grosse Pointe. For more information, please visit: www.corewellhealth.org.