Wintertime Blues

With winter’s gloomy weather, staying positive can be especially difficult for some people. This seasonal lull in happiness is officially called Seasonal Effective Depression and is something that doctors say should be taken just as seriously as a regular physical illness.

“It is a true illness and as a result of that, we don’t want people to feel they’re weak or that its a co-pout for them to seek medical attention,” says Dr. Derek Campbell, a family physician.

Campbell says people usually don’t come to him directly about their depression, but says most of the time it comes up in conversation, and he says that’s when the real conversation starts.

“I ask them if they’ve had any thoughts of suicide,” says Campbell “Ask them about their sleep habits, ask them if they’re finding happiness in things that they usually do, if they find themselves socially withdrawn, if they have any tendency towards substance abuse that has increased or have they developed issues of substance abuse.”

Regular family doctors who find that people need a little extra help will usually refer their patients to clinics who specialize in teaching people to cope with their seasonal challenge.

Eric Pettingill of Mental Wellness Centers says they often try to help people make small changes in their lives that will make a big difference.

Small things like opening the blinds, eating right, getting out of the house can help, says Pettingill. “Even if they went for a ride in their car, or drove to the mall, or went for breakfast in a restaurant with a sun room, little things like that can be helpful.”

Another thing Pettinghill says helps people is buying a sunlamp or happylamp as they’re sometimes called. The light that mimics the effects of sunlight can make a huge difference for someone who’s forced to be inside during most of the winter.

One nice thing for consumers is how the price of sunlamps has come down dramatically over the past few years. Pettinghill says five years ago they cost hundreds of dollars. Now several different models are selling online for around $40.