Beyond the Winter Blues: How to Tell if It’s Seasonal Depression or Something More

Feeling a little down in the dumps when it’s cold, wet, or cloudy for days on end is normal. Plenty of people hit a little slump around the holidays, especially if there’s tension around family get-togethers or financial concerns.

But for some people, it goes deeper than feeling blue. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can mean you feel this way every single year when your exposure to natural sunlight is limited, and your symptoms of ennui and sadness can last longer than just a few weeks.

Board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Ifeanyi Olele of Genesis Psychiatric Solutions offers help with feelings of anxiety or depression year-round and can help you recognize if something deeper is going on.

Seasonal affective disorder patterns

Most people with SAD feel down in the fall and winter, and better in the spring and summer. A few people have reversed seasonal symptoms. Seasonal affective disorder affects very few people under 20 years old, and women are more likely to struggle with SAD than men.

A majority of people with SAD respond well to a multipronged treatment that includes light therapy, psychotherapy, and mild antidepressant medications. With treatment, you can hold symptoms of SAD at bay. Such symptoms include:

• Oversleeping
• Fatigue
• Carb cravings
• Brain fog
• Feeling sad or helpless all day, almost every day
• Not having fun during activities that used to make you feel happy

Sometimes what looks like SAD might be something more serious. Here’s when to ask Dr. Olele to look deeper.

Beyond SAD

Once you have a diagnosis of SAD, don’t let that keep you from paying attention if symptoms worsen or you start noticing other issues. 

If you keep getting worse even with treatment, start noticing swings in mood that make you act erratically, or find yourself sunk in deep depression that includes suicidal ideation, you could have a more serious mood disorder.

Bipolar disorder

The most common disorder that can hide behind a SAD diagnosis is bipolar disorder. Many people with bipolar disorder find that their cycles of manic episodes and depressive episodes line up with the seasons. 

If you are getting more and more depressed every winter, and notice that you’re extremely manic in the summertime, to the extent of making irresponsible decisions or acting recklessly, you can ask Dr. Olele to evaluate you for bipolar disorder. 

Treatment for bipolar disorder could mean adding a mood stabilizer to your medication regimen and starting cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Dr. Olele partners with you to create a treatment plan that works for you.

To learn more about winter blues, SAD, and mood disorders, and to get help, call our office closest to you or request a consultation online. We’re located in Fairfax and Alexandria, Virginia, and in Washington, DC.