How to get rid of winter depression. Winter depression: causes, symptoms and treatment of this disease Depression every winter

In winter, when there are more cloudy days, people feel a lack of sunlight, which contributes to the production of an important substance in the body - melatonin. In this regard, most people may feel a lack of good mood, depression, and a loss of interest in the world around them - this is how winter depression manifests itself, which you can survive or get rid of.

Most people do not know how to overcome this condition and therefore the only thing they can do is wait it out. But for those who want to enjoy winter to the fullest, you can use proven methods that will drive away depression. The use of the methods given below is relevant both in the presence and in its absence, because they all help to lift your mood and improve your well-being. And all people need a good mood at any time of the year.

Fighting winter depression

• It is quite easy to survive winter depression, provided that sports or some kind of physical activity is present in a person’s life. Given the fact that most people who are depressed seek comfort in food, they tend to gain excess weight, which will ensure a longer duration of this state.

  Therefore, in order to get rid of the winter blues and get your body in order, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle and devote time to sports. Regular physical activity will ensure a good mood, well-being, and a surge of strength.

• Don't give up walking on a frosty day. Fresh air will do you good, and the rays of the winter sun will contribute to the production of melatonin in the body, which will displace bad moods and overcome depression.
• As a rule, in cold weather a person tends to eat more foods with a high fat content. Various high-calorie delicacies will only lift your mood temporarily. In order to feel good and replenish the body with essential vitamins, it is recommended to give preference to foods that contain fiber and complex carbohydrates.

  So, you need to lean on vegetables and seasonal fruits, rye bread. You should not exclude foods rich in vitamins A, D and E from your diet. The body’s water balance also needs to be replenished. Do not forget that a healthy lifestyle and a healthy diet are the first step to a good mood and vigor.

• Treat yourself to some relaxation. The concept of “rest” has a different meaning for each person. In this situation, we are talking about rest, thanks to which you can achieve true relaxation. You can experiment and try yourself in yoga, meditation, which is aimed at freeing a person from everything, including the thoughts in his head.

  You can relax in another way, for example, sit in silence with a cup of aromatic coffee and dream, take a few minutes to read the next chapter of your favorite book, visit a beauty salon or spa complex. In order to survive a depressive state during the cold season, you need to allow yourself to relax and rest as often as possible. Having rested and gained strength, you can get to work with enthusiasm.

• In winter, you especially want communication, but you don’t always manage to get it. Despite this, it’s worth getting over yourself and going to the same cafe or visiting friends, family, and acquaintances. Communication will do the trick. After talking and having fun, you will return home in high spirits. Try to avoid loneliness; movement and communication during this period will be the best cure for bad mood and depression.
• How to get rid of winter depression if you constantly want to sleep? Regardless of the weather outside and the time of year, you should have a schedule according to which you live. If you are used to getting up at eight in the morning in the warm season, then you should not neglect sleep in the winter. The body is already tuned to a certain rhythm of life, and even an extra hour allotted for sleep can affect your mood and well-being. Spend this hour playing sports or going for a walk.

  If you feel drowsy or tired throughout the day, it is enough to rest for half an hour.

Most people drive themselves into depression. After all, constantly staying at home, instead of walking on a frosty day, abusing the wrong food, and lack of interest in everything that happens will make even an optimist mope.

Therefore, you should not perceive winter time as a period for depression. It’s worth looking at it from a different perspective, thinking about those moments that are unavailable during the warm season. For example, in the summer you can’t go sledding, skiing or skating, fool around in the snow, or have a snowball fight. Under a thick layer of clothing, no one will see that today you are wearing an old sweater or have acquired a couple of extra pounds.

A good mood is the key to excellent health and well-being. At all times, humanity has been looking for a way to influence the mood without causing harm to the body. Scientists have found that some foods can have a beneficial effect on a person's emotional state. They can help overcome depression, poor health, melancholy and despondency. A well-fed person is always calmer and more reasonable. At the same time, many people “eat” stress using not the most healthy products. Therefore, it is important to know what food will not harm your health, but will help you calm down and find peace of mind.

Rich in fiber and vitamins. But the most remarkable element in their composition can be safely called tryptophan, which helps increase the level of serotonin (the hormone of joy) and slows down the aging of brain cells. It is indispensable for mental stress, lack of sleep and depression. A few bananas, eaten instead of a large dinner, guarantee a restful sleep and great health in the morning. By the way, actress and TV presenter Ekaterina Strizhenova loves bananas, considering them a reliable remedy for stress, and often after a difficult day of filming she cannot deny herself the pleasure of enjoying the ripe and bright fruits.

Grain bread

Of course, many people know about the benefits of grain bread. The high content of dietary fiber, which has a positive effect on the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, helps improve intestinal microflora and remove excess cholesterol. Whole grain bread goes well with fermented milk products. Due to the presence of amino acids in its composition, it has a positive effect on a person’s emotional state. People exposed to stress are recommended to eat this bread in the morning. By the way, this is exactly what Sophia Loren does.

Pleasant to the taste, bright and juicy tomatoes combine many beneficial properties. Due to its significant content of serotonin and thiamine, it helps normalize the nervous system. They contain practically no fats, and carbohydrates are contained in very small quantities, which is why it is impossible to gain weight by eating this vegetable. A fasting day on tomatoes will help you lose about 1 kg during the day and go to the party in a great mood. But you should not abuse such an express diet, as it can cause great harm to the body. It should be noted that eating raw or stewed fruits is much healthier than salted or pickled ones.

Capsicum peppers are rich in the alkaloid capsaicin, which stimulates the production of endorphins that support a cheerful mood and good blood circulation. According to Mexicans, hot peppers clear the mind and give excellent health. And the Englishwoman Rochelle Peachey loves it so much that she eats it every day with every meal, for which she received the nickname “curry queen.” Hot peppers contain much more capsaicin compared to bell peppers, but it is capsaicin that has such a fiery-burning effect that causes burning and bitterness in the mouth. People who cannot tolerate spicy foods can get rid of this feeling with a glass or.

Nuts contain omega-3 acids, tryptophan and selenium. All these components help to get a boost of vivacity and energy. By the way, the Spartans' diet consisted of only a handful and water, which allowed them to be in excellent physical shape and have a strong fighting spirit. To achieve a noticeable effect, it is enough to eat a handful of nuts a day, but you don’t need to eat them at night, this is quite a heavy food.

– has long been a widely known source of joy. Even the smallest amount of it has a significant antidepressant effect and serves as a wonderful help in stressful conditions. By the way, this tasty life-saving remedy has a more beneficial effect on women than on men. For the famous Hollywood diva Nicole Kidman, chocolate dessert is a favorite treat, without which she cannot do a day. To maintain mental balance, it is enough for her to eat a very small portion.

Expert opinion

Olga Dekker, an expert at the Negoloday therapeutic nutrition center, answers the question about foods that can lift your spirits:

“In winter, when there is often a lack of warmth and sunlight, we inevitably become hostage to a depressive state and often do not know how to help ourselves. However, this can be corrected by eating foods that have antidepressant properties. For example, bright orange oranges and tangerines, rich in vitamin C, are an excellent remedy for combating bad mood. If you do not suffer from allergies, then these wonderful fruits can strengthen your immune system and make you feel good. Pay attention to such an amazing fruit as persimmon, and be sure to include it in your diet. Its high magnesium content has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and the entire body as a whole.”

The expert also advises focusing on ensuring that the amount of proteins and carbohydrates in food is balanced. Give preference to lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Seafood, fish, and nuts are very healthy.

“When frying foods, reduce the amount of oil. It is better to give preference to boiled or steamed food. Eliminate sandwiches, cakes, and hamburgers from your snacks. It’s healthier and more correct to eat fruit during this period, especially if you are overweight,” added Olga Dekker.

Winter depression is a seasonal affective disorder in which emotional disturbances such as depression and cognitive functions occur in the winter. Winter depression manifests itself unexpectedly: it’s hard to get up in the morning, there’s no desire to go to work, you just want to sleep and eat when it’s cold and damp outside. This condition can occur at any age, but often the first manifestations are observed between 18 and 30 years. An untreated depressive state can lead to complications: suicidal behavior and thoughts, social isolation, development of addictions (alcohol, drugs), problems with work or study.

Causes of winter depression

Scientists are convinced that the occurrence of winter depressive disorder is directly related to a decrease in daylight hours. In summer and spring, the required amount of bright sunlight hits the retina of a person’s eye, which in turn stimulates the production of serotonin, which is responsible for a good mood, and at the same time blocks the production of melatonin.

In winter, the human brain produces increased amounts of the sleep hormone melatonin, which has a calming effect on the body, causing drowsiness and lethargy. It is possible that for our ancestors, a decrease in activity in winter made sense, since it was necessary to spend energy wisely due to the difficulties in the cold season to replenish nutrients for future use when food was not so available. Nowadays, stores offer an abundance of food all year round, and employers expect good work performance from their subordinates. And people, faced with this problem, do not know what to do when winter depression overcomes them.

Symptoms and signs of winter depression

- memory impairment, indecisiveness, difficulty concentrating, decreased or slowed intellectual activity;

— sleep disorders: despite the fact that sleep is increased in time, a person does not restore his strength; the need for additional sleep during the day; premature or difficult awakening;

- during the daytime, deterioration of well-being: lethargy, drowsiness, apathy, persistent loss of energy, feeling of “leaden” limbs;

- intolerance to normal stress, fatigue, decreased or loss of ability to work, inability to cope with stressful situations;

- overeating, increased consumption of sweet foods (sweets and flour products), alcohol;

— digestive disorders, decreased libido, joint pain, decreased immunity and resistance to infectious diseases (ARVI, influenza);

— changes in social behavior in youth and childhood;

- avoidance of communication, conflict-prone behavior, difficulty communicating with other individuals, decrease. Changes in behavior lead to problems with family, work and friends.

Symptoms of winter depression often recur every winter, starting in late November and continuing through March.

Signs of winter depression disappear with the arrival of spring. This happens either gradually or abruptly against the background of hyperactivity or hypomania.

In the first variant, sharp sudden changes in mood, excitement (agitation), anxiety or short periods of hyperactivity (hypomania) are noted.

In the second case, the symptoms of winter depressive disorder gradually disappear without any changes in mood.

The rate at which symptoms disappear depends on the intensity of sunlight in the spring.

There is also a hidden (disguised) form of winter depression, in which the following symptoms dominate: lethargy, fatigue, eating and sleeping disorders. The latent form is milder, but also a rather unpleasant condition.

This seasonal affective disorder is a serious problem that does not allow an individual to live a normal life and requires timely, qualified treatment.

Treatment of winter depression

As noted above, an important role in the mechanism of occurrence of winter depression is played by light starvation, which causes disruption of the pineal gland, which is responsible for all circadian rhythms in the individual’s body. Failure of rhythms is a serious stress, leading to serious consequences in the form of sleep disturbances. The main treatment for winter depression is light therapy, since the reason it occurs is a lack of light. However, the light needs to be very bright. Even in a well-lit room, the illumination level often does not exceed 500 Lux (illuminance is measured in lux (Lux)), and to combat winter depression you need from 2500 to 10,000 Lux; in sunny weather, illumination can exceed 100,000 Lux. For comparison, even on a cloudy day, the level of illumination outside is tens of times higher than the illumination indoors.

Therefore, treating winter depression at home includes purchasing a lamp with a brightness of 2500 lux or more. Artificial room lighting (lamps, lanterns), amounting to only a few hundred lux, will not be suitable in this case. Currently, there are various lamps for light therapy. Their brightness reaches up to 10,000 Lux, but they cannot be called affordable for all people. Before purchasing such a lamp, you should first consult with a doctor who will help determine the true causes of winter depressive disorder. Caution is also important in case of any eye diseases.

The average course of light therapy lasts up to two weeks. During sessions, you can write, read, talk on the phone, or engage in any other activity, but with one condition: light must fall on the retina of the eyes.

Daily sessions using the lamp from 30 minutes. up to 2 hours (2500 Lux - 2 hours, 5000 Lux - 1 hour, 10000 Lux - 30 minutes) in the morning, will help cope with drowsiness and other troubles caused by an excess of melatonin. Bright light will suppress the release of the sleep hormone, thereby increasing the production of the happiness hormone - serotonin.

According to the research results, it was revealed that already on the third day of treatment a positive effect is noted. And by the end of treatment for winter depression, the person again feels cheerful and energetic. Experts recommend using light therapy also as a preventive procedure during the winter season, when a person feels a lack of sunlight.

If it is not possible to get rid of winter depression using light therapy, then lying down all day with a bar of chocolate is not a solution to this problem.

There are other ways to treat winter depression. After all, this condition in many people manifests itself in loss of strength and bad mood.

- take walks every day, especially on frosty and sunny days;

- you need to do exercises every day;

— you can add additional sports activities, physical activity will help you cheer up;

— it is important to monitor your diet, which should be fortified and balanced;

- you need to sleep enough, but not oversleep, and also follow a daily routine;

— to make it easier to wake up in the morning, it is recommended to install a lamp in the bedroom that will imitate the dawn. These lamps are equipped with a timer, and 30 minutes before the alarm goes off in the room, it begins to get light. Light signals begin to enter the brain, and the body prepares to awaken;

- it would be advisable not to stay at home within four walls, but to communicate with friends and relatives; it will lift your spirits and bring joy;

- you should surround yourself with bright things and objects, avoid dark tones in your wardrobe;

- you need to find something you like - a hobby that will distract you from sad thoughts, lying on the couch and eating large quantities of food.

From time to time people fall into depression. If autumn is a period of restructuring, our body still yearns for the hot summer, and at this time of year the mood often fluctuates and remains very unstable, then the main causes of winter depression are emotional disorders. Scientists have proven that the main cause of this disorder is the lack of light during the day during the winter season.

A little blues won't hurt anyone, but if you feel like the depression is starting to drag on and your work and hobbies are no longer enjoyable, then it's time for a change. You should start with your diet, because compared to summer it has become less varied, which means it is necessary to compensate for the lack of vitamins and resort to products that have an anti-stress effect.

Remember the best natural antidepressants. We have compiled a list of 5 products that effectively eliminate the slightest symptoms of the blues!

1. Bananas

Bananas contain an amazing substance tryptophan. This is a type of protein that is converted in the body into the joy hormone serotonin. As a result, a person’s mood improves and their well-being improves.

Don't forget that banana is an important source of energy. If with the onset of cold weather you begin to be lazy, then include bananas in your diet. Just two fruits are enough for an hour and a half of energetic work. This fruit will be a great snack before the gym and will help you move office mountains when your energy is running low.

2. Dark chocolate

Of course, there is no doubt that chocolate brings joy and only joy. A chocolate bar is a guarantee of bliss and pleasure. Chocolate activates the brain, eliminates symptoms of depression and gives you energy.

True, you need to choose the right chocolate. Milk, for example, although it lifts your spirits, it also deposits on the waist and hips. Being happy, but forgetting about being slim is not the best prospect. Opt for dark chocolate with a cocoa content above 75%. It is the most healthy and nutritious.

3. Green vegetables

Today a lot has been said about the benefits of green vegetables. It is a valuable source of B vitamins, fiber, organic acids and antioxidants. It is not at all surprising that the predominance of green vegetables in the diet leads to overall health of the whole body and improves mood.

The healthiest green vegetables include all types of cabbage, bell peppers, spinach, lettuce, jalapeno peppers, and green beans.

4. Cheese

A piece of fatty cheese can work real miracles. And even though cheese is quite high in calories, sometimes you still need to pamper yourself. A couple of slices at breakfast will not harm you at all, but will only benefit you.

Cheese contains not only calcium, but also important amino acids, tyramine, trictamine and phenylethinamine, which are responsible for good mood and positive mood.

5. Oily fish

A balanced diet is impossible without fatty fish. It is a valuable source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, protein and other beneficial substances, including numerous vitamins and minerals. The rich composition of fatty fish allows us to keep our body and mind in good shape, which means that sudden mood swings and causeless blues will bypass you.

Particular attention should be paid to salmon, tuna and sturgeon. We advise you to choose the right cooking method: boil or bake the fish. This will help preserve all the beneficial properties of the product. Serve fish for lunch or dinner along with vegetables.

Winter depression, also called winter affective disorder, is a disorder in the emotional sphere of people. In fact, this is one of the types of seasonal depression, expressed in decreased mood and self-esteem, and various cognitive impairments.

Experts agree that the basis of the disorder is a lack of sunlight, which affects the activity of the hypothalamus. It is responsible for the production of melatonin, as well as serotonin, which regulates people’s mood.

Women living in northern countries are more susceptible to the disorder.

Causes

Winter depressive disorder is the result of a sharp change in many external factors that affect the functioning of internal processes in the human body. Experts emphasize the following:

• worsening weather conditions;
• a significant reduction in the duration of the daylight hours;
• constant oxygen starvation;
• sharp fluctuations in air temperature parameters;
• seasonal exacerbations of infectious and cold pathologies.

Of course, winter depression has its own internal basis - various changes in the mechanism of regulation of the nervous system. As a rule, this is a consequence of a failure in the regulation of the release of the hormone melatonin.

In the human body, melatonin is responsible for the quality of night rest. Since the neurotransmitter is produced mainly in the dark, when the amount of sunlight decreases, an excess of melatonin will be observed in the body. A person develops a craving for sleep and unreasonable laziness.

The causes of winter depression also lie in such a violation of biological processes as a significant decrease in the concentration of serotonin. It’s not for nothing that it is also called the hormone of joy – it directly affects people’s mood. Serotonin deficiency in the winter season leads to a joyless state and despondency, as well as increased tearfulness and depression.

Among the psychosocial factors in the cold season, one can indicate a person’s reluctance or inability, for some reason, to participate in all kinds of amusements and holidays, which are present in abundance in life precisely in November and December. For example, at corporate New Year's parties. The feeling of loneliness and uselessness will be expressed in a lingering negative mood.

Risk subgroups

Depression in winter is a common reason why people seek help from psychotherapists. Residents of northern countries are especially prone to this, where for most of the year the number of sunny days is minimal.

The age subgroup of those applying is people from 20 to 65 years old. At the same time, the diagnosis of winter depression is more often given to representatives of the fair half of humanity. Women, due to the structural characteristics of the nervous system, are more susceptible to disruptions in the production of melanin. Hence their emotional instability and frequent mood swings.

Based on all of the above, we can distinguish the following subgroups of people prone to winter affective disorders:

• women aged 20–39 years;
• living in northern latitudes;
• lonely people;
• having a lot of free time for self-reflection;
• people experiencing ;
• acutely reacting to any troubles in life;
• having any abnormalities in the activity of the brain, especially in the functioning of the hypothalamus.

Signs of winter depression can be so minimal that a person chalks it up to overwork or problems at work. Whereas a gradually creeping disorder, as it worsens, will affect all areas of life - both professional and personal.

Main symptoms

As a rule, you can suspect that the cause of a constantly bad mood is precisely an excess of melatonin and a deficiency of serotonin, based on the following signs:

• constant feeling of fatigue;
• desire to sleep throughout the day;
• decreased libido;
• eating disorders - appetite either increases or, conversely, decreases.

Often winter depression, in its clinical picture, resembles a lack of essential vitamins in the body. However, typical symptoms of winter depression, affecting the behavioral and emotional spheres, help to recognize an affective disorder:

• depressed mood that persists for 2-3 weeks or more;
• aggravated, excessive;
• the constant presence of a feeling of despair, depression;
• loss of desire for life's pleasures;
• increased fatigue with previously acceptable loads;
• the emergence of a desire for isolation, seclusion;
• deterioration in the ability to concentrate and concentrate;
• difficulty making responsible decisions;
• domination of dark ideas in the mind;
• the appearance of thoughts about one’s own worthlessness, social uselessness.

This can begin, for example, from the end of October, and continue throughout the winter. In the absence of proper help from a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, a person may even attempt suicide.

Treatment tactics

Since the culprit in the formation of affective emotional disorder is an acute deficiency of sunlight during the winter day, therapeutic measures are reduced to providing a person with an artificial replacement of the sun. Properly selected light therapy is the main treatment for winter depression.

An equally effective means of combating depression is active participation in sports. Adequate physical activity increases the production of the hormone serotonin, so the beneficial effects of fitness or swimming in the pool affect the entire human body, including his mood.

However, winter depression should be observed and corrected exclusively by a specialist. After all, even in winter, endogenous depression can occur, requiring competent drug treatment, and this can only be done by an experienced psychiatrist.

To date, special techniques have been developed to eliminate emotional disorders. A person learns to control himself, process and overcome psychological problems even before the onset of an attack of depression. At first, your doctor may prescribe mild herbal sedatives. They allow you to muffle anxiety and improve the quality of night's rest, which directly contributes to the normalization of the concentration of melatonin and serotonin in the body.

An effective addition to the main areas of combating seasonal affective state is diet therapy selected by a doctor. You can name eggs and milk, fruits and meat, as well as fish and cheese. Juices and teas made from vitamin-rich berries – rose hips, cranberries, cloudberries, currants – should be on the table every day. They contain a huge amount of B vitamins - real “healers” of nervous system imbalance.

Long walks in the fresh air, relaxing baths with essential oils, and watching your favorite movies with a box of chocolates also bring benefits. You can and should fight the blues in winter. Then every day will bring joy.

Independent ways of fighting

Treating winter depression at home is quite possible if comprehensive measures are taken at the earliest stages of a deteriorating emotional background.

So, simple and effective methods aimed at getting rid of winter depression will help everyone overcome the blues and bad mood:

1. Create a lighter, brighter atmosphere in your home and office - open the blinds or hang light colored curtains, allowing even the meager rays of the sun to enter the room more. Move your workplace closer to the window.
2. Try to go for walks more often - make it a rule to go out into the countryside on weekends, take breaks and visit the nearest forest park. Or train yourself to get home, if possible, on foot.
3. Regularly visit a fitness center or swimming pool and do physical exercises in the morning. It is enough to exercise for 20–30 minutes a day to feel in good shape and experience a surge of energy.
4. Foods containing unsaturated fatty acids - salmon, herring, flax seeds, walnuts - help reduce the negative symptoms of depression. Therefore, it is recommended to include them in the menu 2-3 times a week.
5. Take care of your own peace of mind - avoid severe stressful situations, avoid communicating with people prone to conflicts. Ensure yourself a quiet, quality night's rest.
6. Maintaining social connections - meeting friends and relatives, visiting exhibitions and concerts, all this helps improve mood and positive emotions.

If the feeling of depression and meaninglessness of life does not leave a person, he is constantly in a bad mood and does not get enough sleep, which negatively affects his work activity, he cannot do without the help of a specialist. Timely contact with a psychiatrist or psychotherapist allows you to avoid serious complications and consequences. It is quite possible to regain the joy of life, even in the winter season. To do this you just need to put in a little effort.

Do you suspect you have depression? Go ahead and find out if this is true!