JACKSON, Wyo. — This time of year can be tough for many reasons: holiday stress, family drama and gloomy weather can conspire and lead to bleak feelings. Some might be experiencing symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, which is a form of depression triggered around the same time every year when less daylight leads to changes in the brain’s chemistry.
Daniela Peterson, practicing therapist and founder of Vista Counseling, spoke with Buckrail in 2023 about the disorder, and suggested that the combination of environmental and socioeconomic factors at play in Jackson makes the local community particularly vulnerable to experiencing wintertime SAD.
Luckily, Peterson shared some helpful suggestions for fighting SAD. She noted that many different methods of treatment can be effective for alleviating the winter blues.
“I like to have a very holistic view on how an individual can address a mood disorder,” she said.
The most common treatment method is seeing a professional therapist, she said. “We can address it with cognitive behavioral therapy tailored to this kind of disorder,” Peterson said. “The person can learn to develop coping strategies, how to manage those feelings, how to manage those negative thoughts that contribute and give them the skills to have a more positive view and take action.”
Peterson also noted that therapy can be be prohibitively costly for some people.
“Unfortunately, it can be a luxury to be able to receive mental health services,” she said. “Not everyone has access because it is expensive, and if you don’t have insurance it needs to come out of pocket.”
If traditional therapy isn’t an option, Peterson said there are still plenty of ways to treat SAD at home. The most important step, she said, is deciding to face it proactively.
“If we wait for motivation to come, we can be laying in bed for months,” Peterson said. “But if you take action, the motivation will come to you.”
Peterson suggested looking into mindfulness and relaxation techniques, as well as turning to social support and connection.
“We need to be connected,” she said. “We need to have social activities. Build your support network, your friends and family. Don’t isolate, that’s going to make it worse.”
At-home treatments Peterson suggested include using a light therapy device, taking vitamin D supplements, drinking a daily cup of coffee and even adding some dark chocolate to one’s diet. Shaking up a sedentary daily routine can also be helpful.
“Another way that is very simple is to increase the level of serotonin [with] physical exercise,” Peterson said. “It can help to alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Do something. Go for a walk, get some natural light and keep the body moving so you can produce more serotonin and fight those symptoms.”
If you are struggling right now, reach out for support. You can always call or text 988 for free and confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can chat with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988lifeline.org.
This article runs annually.
