{"id":43638,"date":"2024-12-12T15:35:57","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T20:35:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=43638"},"modified":"2024-12-12T15:35:57","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T20:35:57","slug":"feeling-sad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/feeling-sad\/","title":{"rendered":"Feeling SAD?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-43640 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Feeling-sad-blog--300x300.png\" alt=\"woman walking away in snowy forest \" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Feeling-sad-blog--300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Feeling-sad-blog--800x800.png 800w, https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Feeling-sad-blog--200x200.png 200w, https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Feeling-sad-blog-.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Once we turn the clocks back in the fall and the hours of daylight get shorter, people might start to notice these concerning symptoms. See if any of this sounds like you starting in mid-November that gets better in the spring:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Depressed mood more often than not<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Increased appetite, especially for carbohydrates<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Increased time in bed<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">More <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/chronic-fatigue\">fatigue<\/a> despite extra sleep<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"6\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Increased restlessness or not wanting to move<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"7\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Worthlessness or feelings of guilt<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"8\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Difficulty concentrating or making decisions<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"9\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Thinking about dying or suicide<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You are not crazy, and you are not alone. There are biological reasons for why our moods get worse in the winter. And there are ways to lessen these symptoms.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you checked off several of these, you may be experiencing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/seasonal-affective-disorder\">Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD<\/a>). About two thirds of individuals that are diagnosed with depression will also experience SAD during the winter months. Some people without symptoms throughout the rest of the year experience this type of depression when it is darker outside. Symptoms typically get better starting in March with more hours of daylight, but you don\u2019t have to wait until then.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Why Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Happens<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There are several real reasons why SAD happens. One has to do with the overproduction of melatonin. This is a hormone that increases drowsiness<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> in response to darkness. In the winter months, there are less<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> daylight hours as well as decreased levels of sunlight because the sun is lower on the horizon. Sunlight helps our skin produce vitamin D which allows us to absorb calcium that aids bone growth. Low levels of vitamin D can make fatigue, muscle pain, ability to fight infection, and depression worsen. Additionally,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> people with SAD may have difficulty regulating serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter that affects our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/psychpedia\/mood\">mood<\/a>, appetite, and sleep. Studies have shown that sunlight keeps serotonin levels high by decreasing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/psychpedia\/serotonin\">serotonin<\/a> transporter (SERT) activity. Those who have<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> SAD are found to have higher levels of SERT in the winter, which also can lead to depressive symptoms and poor mood regulation. Medications known as anti-depressants work by blocking SERT. They enhance the effects of serotonin, which is believed to reduce symptoms of depression.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Less sunlight decreases serotonin activity which increases depression. The combination of these factors is a recipe for low mood, energy, and desire to take the very steps that make us feel better.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">If you or someone you love has a hard time in the winter, take action now. Being proactive can reduce the onset and impact that less sunlight has on us. Some people don\u2019t notice SAD\u2019s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> effects as much in December as we are distracted by the holiday season, setting up for a crash in January. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The following tools may help to reduce and cope with the symptoms of SAD:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong>Monitor your vitamin D levels.<\/strong> In the colder months, we spend less time outside, often becoming deficient. Try to get at least 15 minutes a day of natural sunlight. Do not put on sunscreen for this short time as sunscreen blocks the production of vitamin D. If your levels are low, your doctor can prescribe a high dose of it to bring levels back quickly. Vitamin D is a supplement that is available over the counter. You can also increase your levels by eating foods rich in vitamin D. These include fatty fish, almonds, cheese, egg yolks, mushrooms, and fortified foods like milk, yogurt, cereal, and orange juice.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong>Re-evaluate medication.<\/strong> If your symptoms are severe, consider taking an anti-depressant for this portion of the year. If you are already on medication, it may make sense for your provider to increase your dose or add another medication during the winter months.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong>Identify other medical issues.<\/strong> Your healthcare provider can rule out medical issues like hypothyroidism, anemia, infections, and mononucleosis that have symptoms similar to those listed above.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong>Take your vacation in the winter instead of the summertime.<\/strong> Travel to the southern latitudes. The closer you are to the equator, the more exposure you get to the benefits of the sun.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong>Consider therapy<\/strong> if SAD\u2019s symptoms are affecting your activities of daily living. A therapist can help develop coping skills and offer accountability for healthy outlets when motivation is lower.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The day with the least hours of daylight is the winter solstice which occurs on December 21<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">st.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Every day after we add a few more minutes of sunlight. Remembering that this is just a season and trying some of the suggestions above can help reduce feeling SAD.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cyndi Turner, LCSW, LSATP, MAC is the Co-Founder &amp; CEO of Insight Into Action Therapy and Insight Recovery Centers. She is a harm reduction therapist who has been treating substance use disorders for three decades.\u00a0 She designed the <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Alcohol Moderation Assessment<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> which predicts who may be a successful candidate for alcohol moderation. Cyndi is the author of numerous articles and three books including <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Clinician\u2019s Guide to Alcohol Moderation: Alternative Methods and Management Techniques <\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">and<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Practicing Alcohol Moderation: A Comprehensive Workbook.<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Once we turn the clocks back in the fall and the hours of daylight get shorter, people might start to notice these concerning symptoms. See if any of this sounds like you starting in mid-November that gets better in the spring:\u00a0\u00a0 Depressed mood more often than not\u00a0 Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3201,"featured_media":43639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2263,542,2095,628,1],"tags":[1019,593,2203],"class_list":["post-43638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-holiday-topics","category-featured-articles","category-find-therapist","category-general","category-uncategorized","tag-holidays","tag-seasonal-affective-disorder","tag-seasonal-depression"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3201"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43638\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}