Lax and tired due to seasonal depression

Winter depression: food cravings and tiredness

01/16/2015

Gray skies, drizzle, showers and slush: In winter, often just look out the window to get a bad mood. Some people develop a seasonal depression in the low-light year, or so-called winter depression, which occurs seasonally and is manifested by symptoms such as lack of energy, fatigue, prolonged sleep, and food cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods. Relief can include light therapy and outdoor walks.

In winter depression, atypical symptoms also occur
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is by no means a myth, but rather a recognized disease that has become known in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) „recurrent depressive disorders“ assigned. Patients often suffer from typical symptoms of depression as well as atypical complaints such as headaches, an increase in sleep duration, food cravings for sweet foods, indigestion and weight gain, reports Christa Roth-Sackenheim from the German Psychiatrist Association (BVDP) to the news agency „dpa“. Also, anxiety and depression can occur with an SAD. In addition, the course of the depressive phases follows a seasonal pattern: In winter, the complaints are there, while in the spring they subside again. If this pattern occurs for at least two years, the diagnosis of SAD can be made unless there are other depressive episodes. For comparison, a non-seasonal depression can occur at any time and is usually characterized by loss of appetite, weight loss and a shorter sleep period due to sleep disorders.

Relieve Winter Depression with Light Therapy and Outdoor Walks
Those suffering from winter depression should consider light therapy. In this case, the person concerned sits down daily after getting up for about 30 minutes before a special 10,000 lux lamp. Every 90 seconds, the patient must look into the light at a distance of one meter for about three seconds. According to the BVDP, this activates activating impulses via the retina to the brain. The therapy has hardly any side effects. However, dry eyes and headaches may occur. In order not to postpone the day-night rhythm, light therapy should not be performed in the evening.

In addition, outdoor walks can help. Many non-medical practitioners also advise to expose targeted sensory stimuli in the low-light season. These can be, among other things, colorful bath products, which are available for example in health food stores and have a positive influence on mental and physical well-being. Aroma oils for the bath water, the aroma lamp or as body oil can also cause a mood lightening. Lavender is considered soothing and balancing. Bergamot, geranium, patchouli, verbena, palmerosa, neroli, rosewood, orange and lemon are also said to banish melancholy, depression and impotence during winter depression. (Ag)