No matter when or how it occurs, depression is a significant mental health condition that can conjure scary and hopeless feelings for those who go through it. When certain individuals experience depression in cyclical fashion or seemingly around certain times of the year, this is often known as seasonal depression.
Some causes of seasonal depression may be more obvious than others or have pronounced effects. By having a plan in place to weather the mental storms that come with certain seasons, you can take better care of your mental health and position yourself for a better outcome ahead of time.
This post will explore many common triggers of seasonal depression, as well as what treatment options exist to help those who struggle with it.
Holidays and More Social Settings
Around the holidays, common themes like giving, being thankful, and being in the company of loved ones help many experience happiness. For others, the holidays can actually have the opposite effect on their mental health.
Given the end-of-year traditions that oftentimes center around family or friends, the holidays can generate feelings of loneliness instead of joyfulness for those who are without people they love in their lives. Not having family or friends around the holidays (or having to leave them after celebrating) can create feelings of sadness for an individual.
Separation anxiety from being far from those they love for most of the new year is another important aspect of mental health to be aware of during this time. This kind of anxiety describes the fear associated with being distanced from a certain person or place. Separation anxiety might make an individual’s seasonal depression worse and make them feel additional symptoms like loss of appetite, having a reluctance to go outside, or acquiring frequent headaches.
It’s important to be aware of how separation anxiety can become exacerbated around the holiday season and contribute to depression, so that we can all be more supportive of those in our lives who experience it.
Cold or Gloomy Weather
Changes in weather are also frequently associated with seasonal depression. During the wintertime especially where colder weather, unrelenting snow, and gray skies are more common, people are more likely to stay indoors for extended periods of time, which can worsen how they feel mentally.
As seen with the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation and a feeling of being trapped indoors for long time periods can negatively contribute to depression. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that during the pandemic, anxiety and depression increased by nearly 25% in the global population. Albeit for weather-related reasons during the wintertime, the principle of excessive time spent indoors causing negative mental health effects is the same.
Research also suggests that warmer, sunnier weather has mood-boosting effects. With a lack of sunshine and warmth around the holiday season, it’s easier for conditions to worsen for those who experience seasonal depression. Consequently, specialists recommend vitamin D supplements during this period to help address any seasonal nutrient deficiencies an individual might have.
Job Loss Near the Holidays
With companies evaluating their end-of-year fiscal numbers and trying to meet budget, they’re sometimes forced to lay off staff during the winter season. Job loss is typically a factor that can negatively contribute to a person’s mental state, but it can be compounded by the bustle and higher finances of the holiday season.
A primary concern for many employees is being furloughed or terminated around Christmas. Not being able to afford holiday gifts or food due to a layoff can add additional stress to a person’s mind and worsen their seasonal depression. As layoffs are unpredictable, life-changing, and anxiety-inducing events as is, it’s easy to see how job loss around the holidays can cause even more negative thoughts to surface.
Start of a New Year
One final trigger of seasonal depression that’s important to discuss is how an impending new year can affect the mind. Resolutions, newly added responsibilities, or major upcoming life changes are just a few of the many stressful circumstances a new year can bring.
Likewise, carrying the same unresolved personal problems into a new year can be daunting too, as can growing older. Advancing in age may make a person more anxious or depressed due to fear of the unknown or even death. A new year might feel symbolic (in a negative way) as a changing of age for some who deal with seasonal depression. Because of the daunting nature of a new year and the potential difficulties it can bring, this concept is another typical contributor to depression.
Treatment Options: Where to Turn for Hope
Whether you deal with seasonal or chronic depression, it’s important to know that help is available. There are even several practices you can rely on to help you manage depression effectively at home. These include mediating, practicing mindfulness, and making an effort to go outside more or talk to loved ones on the phone more often. If your depression or stress is due to finances, planning a new budget and freeing up extra money by reducing expenses can also help to relieve some of your anxiety during the holidays.
If you’re still concerned about your mental health, or if your depression seems to be worsening (despite everything you might do to try and reduce it), it’s important to seek professional help. Start by reaching out to the professionals at Alvarado Parkway Institute. Our team of licensed staff understands the challenges that severe depression can present for individuals and how it can seem like an immovable barrier to finding true wellness. With personalized treatment plans, we effectively help individuals manage this condition and other types of mental health disorders. Contact us today to learn more about the services we offer by calling 619-333-7050.
