Does colder weather get you down? For many people, the shorter days and long, dark nights of fall and winter can lead to a mild or severe depression known as seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Anyone of any age can develop SAD, although women in their 20s are especially vulnerable. If you notice symptoms like weight gain, daytime sleepiness, increased irritability and anxiety, and social withdrawal in yourself or a loved one, it may be time to seek treatment for SAD.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of seasonal depression triggered by the change in seasons, primarily winter. More than half a million Americans experience a winter depression but are better come summer. It is important to treat SAD, because all forms of depression limit people's ability to live their lives to the fullest, to enjoy their families.
Symptoms of SAD include:
Weight gain: Cravings for sweet and starchy foods lead to excess weight.
Daytime fatigue: People with SAD are tired during the day and have less energy. They may also find themselves sleeping a lot, but getting no relief from their fatigue. With SAD, you eat more and sleep more - It's hibernation-like.
Increased irritability and anxiety: People with SAD worry more about everyday events and can be easily irritated. They can have trouble concentrating, too.
Social withdrawal: Those with SAD prefer to be alone; they shun the company of friends and family and do not participate in activities they normally enjoy. Often their social behavior is hard to understand.
SAD is treatable - more on the various treatment methods in the full article.
Light Therapy
Light therapy does seem to have some effectiveness. . Light therapy boxes are available that mimic the outdoors. Look for one that puts out at least 10,000 lumens, which is the number recommended for maximum benefit. The best time to use light therapy is in the morning. You sit in front of the box in the morning before going to work and give yourself some sunshine, . Light therapy typically takes about 30 minutes a day. Note: Do not try to use tanning beds as a treatment for SAD. Tanning beds use ultraviolet rays, which can be harmful to your eyes and your skin.
Light therapy boxes give off light that mimics sunshine and can help recovery from seasonal affective disorder. The light from the therapy boxes is significantly brighter than regular light bulbs and provides light in different wavelengths. Typically, if you have SAD, you sit in front of a light box for about 30 minutes a day. This will stimulate your body's circadian rhythms and suppress its natural release of melatonin. Light therapy is most effective in the morning, research shows.
Dawn simulators can help some people with seasonal affective disorder. These devices are alarm clocks, but rather than waking you abruptly with loud music or beeping, they produce light that gradually increases in intensity like the sun. Different models of dawn simulators are available, but the best ones use full-spectrum light so that they are the closest to natural sunlight.
Keep the indoor lights turned on
If you live with mild seasonal affective disorder, you may want to equip your home with lots of lights. Some people have found that increasing the amount of indoor lighting with regular lamps can help them out of the winter doldrums. However, those who have severe seasonal affective disorder require exposure to much higher light levels than can be provided by indoor lights and ceiling fixtures, Pierce says. Be sure that you're not working in a dim environment.
Professional Help
Find a relationship with a clinician who can coach you through this and figure out. If it is indeed SAD or if you do worse at Christmastime because your father died on Christmas Eve, for example. SAD is a form of depression and is best diagnosed by talking with a mental health professional. There are a number of screening questions that can help determine if someone is depressed. A professional will be able to sort out whether you have seasonal affective disorder as opposed to some other form of depression. If you have SAD, therapy can help you work through it and get better
If light therapy or therapy does not boost your mood enough, prescription antidepressants may help you overcome your seasonal depression. Some people find it necessary to take antidepressants only during the winter when they are feeling the blues, but they must do so every winter. It's important to recognize when the symptoms of SAD start and to see your doctor for a prescription before they escalate.
Exercise and get outdoors
As with other forms of depression, exercise can help seasonal affective disorder. Outdoor exercise will be most helpful. However, if you can't exercise outside because it's cold or snowy, choose the treadmill, stationary bike, or elliptical machine nearest the window at the gym. Exercise also will help offset the weight gain that is common with seasonal affective disorder.
If you have seasonal depression or wintertime seasonal affective disorder, you'll want to get outside as much as you can during the day and take advantage of what sunlight there is. If you live where it is cold, be sure to bundle up, but take a stroll around the block at noon or soon after when the sun is its brightest. Also, when you're indoors, keep your blinds open to let as much natural light in as you can.
Stick to a routine
Maintaining a regular schedule improves sleep, which helps alleviate seasonal depression. People who live with SAD often have trouble sleeping at night and getting up in the morning. Keeping a regular schedule will also expose you to light at consistent and predictable times. Also, if you eat at regular intervals, it will help you watch your diet and not overeat. Many people who live with SAD find they gain weight in the winter.
Take a vacation
There is no research to support it, but many have found that taking a winter vacation (if you can afford it) to warmer climes can help people who have seasonal affective disorder. Travel does more than give you a break from your daily routine; it can help you escape from the cold and overcast skies. It can't help but lift your spirits -- even a few days in sunny places can be helpful with winter depression.
Avoid known stressors
If your family is a big source of stress, figure out a way to be with them that is not overwhelming to you. Maybe plan your longer visits for the summer when you seem to be doing better.
Because SAD occurs during the winter months -- when holiday festivities are in full force -- self-medication is tempting. Alcohol use tends to go up in the winter as people attend more parties. However, If you're using alcohol or drugs to change the depressed way you feel this time of year, it's probably compounding your problems as opposed to helping them.
Marjorie Hope Gross, A.A.S., C.P., C.P.LC. 
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