Strategies to Brighten the Holiday Blues

For the most part it doesn’t get cold or dreary for long periods of time in Southern California, even in the winter. However, for some, the climate within the mind can become as dark as the skies of the Arctic Circle.

Even in our sun-blessed portion of the planet, as fall slips into winter and the days get shorter, suppers are eaten in the dark and people can slip into a bad funk.

The pandemic has put an even more serious strain on the holiday season.

Therapists at UCLA Behavioral Health Associates say that what was always considered holiday or winter blues now has a biological explanation, and it can be treated effectively.

According to UCLAHealth.org, “seasonal affective disorder” (SAD) is a type of depression related to seasonal change that typically occurs in the late fall and early winter. The syndrome generally goes away in the spring and summer.

Symptoms tend to be similar to those of non-seasonal depression, but they are linked to reduced exposure to sunlight.

It’s less common in Southern California than in other places, so people here are less likely to connect their depressive episodes with changes of the season.

As with other types of depression, seasonal affective disorder can be addressed through medication and psychotherapy. But an additional approach involves light therapy.

A special box can mimic natural outdoor light, providing a boost to the brain’s biochemistry that it otherwise would miss from lack of sunshine.

Whether one or more of these treatments is recommended depends on the severity of the symptoms.

Other helpful strategies include getting outside as much as possible during the day, opening blinds, sitting near windows and exercising regularly in sunlight.

People who notice a consistent pattern of depressed mood at the same time of year are urged to talk with a primary care physician about seeing a mental health professional.