It’s My Blog, and I’ll Cry if I Want To

Not really, but you’ll want to read if you suffer from winter blues

This blog isn’t the one I manage for work. It’s not tied to a paycheck, unless you count the $3 I’ve earned from Google ads since late November. That means I can do what I want with it. I pay the bill. And if that’s the case, I’m going to write whatever I damn well please. Like not including the words “winter blues” in my first paragraph just to satisfy Yoast SEO.

Right? Wait! Where are you going? OK, I promise, I won’t curse again. No, I’ve not gone cray. I know I can’t use that tone with you. You all are friends. But it’s so tempting to just dump all my problems on these pages because I’m in a grumpy mood. It’s January. And I suffer from winter blues. Strike that. I suffer from seasonal affective disorder.

SAD vs. Winter Blues

And it turns out that I’m not alone. NIH News in Health, a publication of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, published findings 10 years ago this month after three decades of research. In the 1980s, public health officials began to realize a lot of people had notable depression in the fall and winter. It’s way more than just feeling bad about the holidays or the time of year. It’s seasonal affective disorder. Appropriately called SAD, the gut-wrenching depression happens at the same time of the year when the amount of sunlight is less.

“Winter blues is a general term, not a medical diagnosis. It’s fairly common, and it’s more mild than serious. It usually clears up on its own in a fairly short amount of time. Seasonal affective disorder, though, is different. It’s a well-defined clinical diagnosis that’s related to the shortening of daylight hours. It interferes with daily functioning over a significant period of time.” A key feature of SAD is that it follows a regular pattern. It appears each year as the seasons change, and it goes away several months later, usually during spring and summer.”

–Dr. Matthew Rudorfer, MD, a mental health expert at NIH

You can read the report in its entirety and see the symptoms and reasons that people might be grumpy old bears in the winter, but chipper and alert in the spring and summer.

How many of us suffer from it? Well, in the U.S., that depends on where you live, according to the research. In Alaska, 10 out of every 100 adults have it. In Florida, fewer than 1 in 100 have it. It’s far more common in the northern states than it is in southern states.

But it isn’t just the U.S., either. In September 2022, Health Scotland issued this report, and it’s prevalence in northcentral Europe has been noted, too. In this 1999 study of people in The Netherlands, researchers determined that perhaps 3 percent of people had SAD but that the prevalence of it did not vary as wildly as in the states.

Forget the mumbo jumbo. I’m going to tell you how it affects me. My blog, remember?

My Winter Blues

I figure that if you’ve read this far, you probably suffer from it or know someone who does. Maybe you’re researching it and want a sample for your study. Well, here I am. So if you’re looking for a reason to relate (from afar; I’m in hibernation) or find out what makes us SAD people tick, here you go.

• While the seasons are correct, my worst month is January. I seem to start pulling out of it in February. Usually, it hits after Christmas. Often before Jan. 1. By mid-March, I’m ready to start playing in the garden.
• I get physically ill. That can come from stomach unpleasantness or from seasonal allergies (yes, in winter; dust mite allergies and forced air furnaces don’t get along) leading to upper respiratory and sinus cavity unpleasantness. Use your imagination.
• Sleep is not my friend. At all. This might seem contrary to the idea that I’m always tired. I’m always tired and nodding off during the day because I’m up until 3, 4, 5 a.m. Not some nights. Almost every night.
• My weight fluctuates. Some years I gain, some I lose. This has varied by 25 pounds or more.
• Hibernation becomes real. I hate leaving the house for any reason. This makes my cats extremely happy, but it does nothing to enhance my interaction with humans. I work from home. Those interactions are few during the nice times of the year, and when I’m feeling more like it.
• People are going to annoy me. Everything is going to annoy me. I’ll get over it quickly, though. Just change the subject to something I like and my mood will lighten. If that sounds selfish, well, maybe it is a little. It’s still true.

Where to Go

I’d be remiss in writing all that and then telling you that nothing could be done. Yes, it can. I’m not suicidal, but people quickly can trend toward suicide ideology in the winter months.

In the U.S., visit web page for the helpline for mental health. Visiting the page will give you the most accessible ways for you to reach help if you need it. The toll-free number is 1-800-662-4357. There are similar hotlines throughout the world and vary country by country. Google “where can you get help for SAD” in your location.

The Mayo Clinic also has diagnosis and treatment information. Possible treatments include light therapy, medication, or counseling. I take Zoloft (year-round) and have a blue light on my desk. It helps.

Meanwhile, just know you are not alone. Even if you really want to be.