Health officials give insight into seasonal depression: what is it and how do we combat it?

KNOTT COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - Now deep into fall, many people may start to deal with seasonal depression.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a common problem for many during the fall and winter months.

“They want to sleep a lot, they want to eat a lot, and begin to just not take interest in things that they’ve like to do in the past,” Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Maudella “Cissi” Jones said.

Jones with Mountain View Health in Knott County, said it happens due to the shorter days.

The body starts losing serotonin but gains melatonin.

“And actually lasts, through the diagnosable condition, considered to be through December, January, and February,” she said.

Jones said there are many ways to combat it.

“Increase your activity level, walking every day is often recommended,” she said. “Also, light therapy, some people setup rooms in their homes with additional light.”

Jones said it is a condition that has finally become diagnosable.

“Whereas once it was kind of put under the rug,” she said. “There was a stigma attached to it and now mental health conditions are looked at as diagnosable and treatable.”

Adding that it can can be worse than normal depression.

“If you have depression already and it increases as a result of the seasonal depression. Then it can make you feel worse,” Jones said. “People can want to just lay in the bed and not get up at all.”

Jones said as research becomes more and more common on seasonal depression, medicine and treatment will evolve and upgrade as well.

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