More than just the winter blues, many people find that shorter days and colder weather bring challenges to their mental health. If you’re grieving- or have symptoms of depression- the winter may be the hardest time of the year. Taking care of yourself may feel extra challenging, but the good news is that even the smallest strategies may help improve how you feel.
Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) reports that approximately 30% of all adults have been diagnosed with depression at some point. Depression tends to be more common in women than men, and most people first experience symptoms during adolescence or young adulthood.
It’s estimated that approximately 5% of U.S. adults experience a sub-type of depression called seasonal affective disorder. Like major depression, younger people and women appear to be at a greater risk for this particular type of mental illness.
SAD symptoms typically first start during the late fall, and they can persist until springtime. Some of the main symptoms include:
- feeling persistently sad and having a chronically depressed mood
- losing interest in normal activities and relationships (anhedonia)
- decrease in overall energy
- concentration problems
- trouble sleeping and typically desiring more sleep than usual
- feeling worthless or guilty
- recurrent thoughts about death or suicide
- concentration problems
Like depression, seasonal affective disorder symptoms vary in type and intensity. However, these symptoms affect the quality of someone’s daily life.
Can Grief Cause Depression?
The grieving process is deeply complex and individual to each person. But in some ways, temporary depression is a natural response to grief.
Grief often coincides with many intense feelings, including sadness, anger, confusion, guilt, fear, relief, and loneliness. These painful emotions tend to ebb and flow based on many circumstances, but they may feel particularly heightened during the winter months.
It’s unclear if grief itself causes depression. However, it’s common for people to experience SAD and grief simultaneously, and symptoms of one condition can magnify symptoms of another.
Why Does Grief Feel Worse During Winter?
If you feel like your grief is sharper during the winter, you’re not alone. Many people resonate with struggling emotionally this time of year.
Increased sense of isolation: People may be more apt to isolate themselves from others during the winter months, particularly in colder, darker climates. While there’s nothing wrong with solitude, spending too much time alone can make you more aware of your grief.
Less sunlight: Research shows that natural sunlight exposure enhances the brain’s release of serotonin. Sunlight also supports Vitamin D production and regulates the body’s natural circadian rhythms. When these are out of sync, depression, and grief may feel more enhanced.
Holiday stress: It’s no secret that the holiday season often has a heightened sense of pressure, obligation, and stress. Complicated grief may feel worse this time of year, especially if you’re grieving certain holiday traditions or loved ones.
Cabin fever effect: Cabin fever refers to a state of depression or irritability due to being in an indoor, confined space for too long. Feeling “stuck” inside can result in you feeling “stuck” with your own thoughts or feelings. This may lead to rumination and can exacerbate both grief and depression.
Changes in routine: More time off from work, holiday travel, and overindulgence may be much-needed, but these changes can also disrupt your daily living. They might throw off your basic rhythms for eating, sleeping, socializing, and working- this can equally affect your mental health.
Guidelines for Managing Coexisting Depression and Grief
All grief is normal grief, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with feeling sad, angry, or lonely after a difficult loss. With that said, people with major depressive disorder often find that grief feels much harder to reconcile.
Give Yourself Permission to Trust the Grieving Process
Although it may sound strange, trusting your intense grief may be one of the most self-compassionate ways to move through your grief. This concept is rooted in mindfulness principles- whatever you resist persists, and this is absolutely true when grief is involved.
Trusting the grief process means:
- accepting that all your emotions are valid and deserve to take space
- knowing that there is no timeline for how to feel or when certain feelings will change
- allowing yourself to have a range of emotional expressions
- trusting that the process will unfold in the ways it needs to
- being compassionate to yourself amid difficult moments
Identify Healthy Coping Skills for Managing Difficult Emotions
It’s easy to slip into habits of disconnection when depression is strong. Disconnection can look like self-medicating with drugs or alcohol, overeating, compulsively shopping, avoiding responsibility, or dissociation. While these strategies are rooted in survival (and are not inherently bad), they can magnify the very feelings you’re actually trying to escape.
Try integrating a few healthy coping skills into your regular routine. If you feel overwhelmed with “what to do,” just focus on keeping things small and manageable. You don’t need to do anything perfectly. Consider the following options:
- spend five minutes a day journaling about how you feel
- take a brisk walk during the daylight hours
- call or text a supportive friend for emotional support
- get involved in volunteering one night a week
- attend bereavement support groups (many have more options during the holidays)
Kindly Neutralize Your Negative Thoughts
Do you resonate with some of the following thoughts: Things will never get better. I am so bad at coping. Other people know how to manage these feelings much better than I do. I just need to accept the loss and move on!
If yes, you may be struggling with a strong and fierce inner critic. This internalized voice can impact every part of existence, making it hard to connect with others or engage in productive self-care. In more serious circumstances, severe negativity often feels so overwhelming that it contributes to substance abuse or suicidal thoughts- anything to escape yourself.
You don’t need to arbitrarily think positively to feel better. However, it may be helpful to simply notice negative thoughts when they arise and then gently tell yourself, This thought doesn’t define me, or, This thought may feel real right now, but I am still doing the best I can.
Ritualize or Honor Your Grief Meaningfully
Some people find that deliberately honoring the death of a loved one cultivates a sense of purpose this time of year. Many note how grief transforms when it is shared with others. Accepting a loved one’s death isn’t about just deciding to “accept and move on.” It’s about continuously taking care of yourself while honoring the role that person played in your life.
You don’t need to do anything fancy to acknowledge grief, but you might try:
- lighting a candle for the person you lost
- preparing your loved one’s favorite holiday dish or go to a restaurant you know they enjoyed
- looking at old photographs by the fire
- writing down a few of your favorite memories or share them with a loved one
Talk to Your Doctor
There’s a strong connection between the mind and body, and sometimes depression symptoms emerge due to other medical concerns. In general, it’s a good idea to get an annual physical and discuss your concerns with your primary care physician. A medical evaluation may be particularly beneficial if you’re experiencing:
- unexplained weight gain or weight loss
- difficulty getting enough sleep (or persistent fatigue)
- chronic pain
- inflammation
Your doctor may recommend trying light therapy, which entails using a designated light box to mimic natural sunlight. Many people find this simple strategy helps reduce the intensity of their depression.
Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder and Grief in Austin, TX
Clinical depression can be a serious condition, and the winter months can highlight themes of sadness and despair. And whether you’re struggling with depression coupled with recent grief or older forms of compounded grief, you’re not alone. A mental health professional can offer you grief support, compassion, and guidance as you navigate this complex time.
I specialize in complicated grief and the delicate intersection between grief and mental health. While we can’t change what happened- or automatically “fix” how you feel- we can review ways to find peace and meaning despite the pain. Please contact me today to schedule an initial consultation.