Arbor Health | Arbor Health and Life | Winter 2019-20

Feel like hibernating? It could be seasonal depression ARBOR HEALTH FOUNDATION 521 Adams Ave Morton, WA 98356 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID WallaWalla,WA Permit No. 44 Do you feel your mood and energy levels wane as winter’s shorter days of sunlight arrive? If so, you could have seasonal affective disorder (SAD). “SAD, sometimes called the winter blues, is actually a form of depres- sion,” says Arbor Health Behavioral Health Counselor Tera Stickley. She explains that SAD typically starts in the fall, deepens in winter and goes away in spring and summer. SAD seems to be driven by the seasonal dimming of sunlight in winter. Low light may inter- fere with hormones involved in mood and sleep, which, in some people, may contribute to feeling depressed, sleepy and sluggish. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, your chances of having SAD increase the farther north you live from the equator. SAD is also four times more common in women than in men. How it feels Many of the symptoms of SAD are like those of major depression except that they come and go with the seasons. They include: ●   ● Feeling sad or in a low mood most of the time. ●   ● Wanting to sleep a lot. ●   ● Having low energy, even if you sleep too much. ●   ● Losing interest in your usual activities. ●   ● Gaining weight from overeating, especially carbohydrates (think bread, pasta and pastries). ●   ● Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty. ●   ● Having trouble concentrating. ●   ● Having thoughts of death or suicide. “If you have symptoms like these, take them seriously and tell your doc- tor,” Tera says. Treatment can involve spending time near a special light box (light therapy), taking medications, undergoing counseling or doing all of these things. FOOD LABELS: USE THE ‘5/20’ RULE Check the % Daily Value column on food labels. Aim for 5% or less in saturated fat, choles- terol and sodium. And aim for 20% or more in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics