Why seasonal depression doesn’t always vanish in Spring

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– Even as winter leaves and daylight stretches longer, some people find that the emotional weight of the colder months doesn’t completely disappear. For those experiencing lingering symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the transition into spring feels like a slow, uneven climb back to normal.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression triggered by a change in seasons, usually when fall starts. This seasonal depression gets worse in late fall or early winter, before subsiding with the arrival of sunnier days in spring.

"Lack of motivation and accomplishing tasks that you would normally be able to do or difficulty sleeping or maybe sleeping too much, overeating or under eating. And it can actually worsen as the seasons change. So it can it can start really manageable and mild when the seasons first kind of start and then it can progress," Emily Smith, a licensed master social worker at Aspen Mental Health, said.

There’s also a lesser-known form of SAD that occurs in spring and summer, sometimes linked to anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia rather than fatigue.

Treatments for SAD include:

• Light therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Antidepressant medication
• Spending time outdoors
• Vitamin D

If you're experiencing lingering depression with persistent or severe symptoms, treatments such as light therapy, counseling, or medication may alleviate symptoms.

"If it doesn't feel like it's manageable on your own then it's then time to go in and see somebody and get a little extra help just because sometimes it is too hard to to handle on your own and you just need a little extra support," Smith said.