PADUCAH — As the days get shorter and temperatures dip, winter can impact many people’s mental health.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression linked to the changing of the seasons, with winter affecting the largest number of people.
“We’re getting less sunlight out, so that affects our brain in a different way to where we’re getting less melatonin and serotonin, and that causes depression,” said Anthony Mikulskis, a clinical practitioner with Four Rivers Behavioral Health.
Anthony Mikulskis, a clinical practitioner with Four Rivers.
Anthony Mikulskis
According to Mikulskis, SAD doesn’t affect everyone, and not every person who has dealt with the disorder is affected by it every year. SAD can be subtle at first — Mikulskis said that some its signs can be feeling the desire to withdraw from others and isolate, as well as constantly feeling sleepy and potentially over-sleeping.
While Mikulskis said that it’s natural to want to go home and relax when the weather is particularly unpleasant, when that feeling becomes a habit that can be a warning sign. “When you start to isolate, less energy, you know, less socialization, things like that, that’s the warning signs you want to look for,” Mikulskis said.
“That depression can start getting worse and worse and worse, and we want to combat it immediately,” Mikulskis said. “We want to hit it head on.”
For some, SAD can contribute to substance misuse. “It’s really easy to decide to self medicate,” Mikulskis said. “So people unfortunately use maladaptive coping behaviors, which are negative coping skills, short term things that do not help you in the long run, like drinking, doing drugs, gambling, things like that. They’re hurtful for you, but they feel good because you get instant dopamine release, which helps you feel good about yourself.”
SAD can be treated in a few ways — one of which being light therapy. “That really helps people out during this time,” Mikulskis said. “You can buy light therapy pretty easily, pretty cheap, and it’s something that you can do yourself when you start to feel depression or warning signs.”
Mikulskis also recommended being around other people, exercising, and eating well.
“Lifestyle changes are a healthy way for any type of depression,” Mikulskis said. “Sometimes we have to fake it until we make it. We have to put ourselves around people. Human beings are a social species, and we need that human interaction. So it’s a really effective way to combat any type of depression.”
Even if you aren’t sure if you have SAD, Mikulskis encourages reaching out to a trained professional. “You don’t want to diagnose yourself with stuff,” Mikulskis said. “You always want to talk to professional and make sure that there’s no underlying reasons you know, and make sure that that’s the correct diagnosis.”