Don't be SAD this Christmas

Some people feel depressed during the Christmas season or when the Christmas is just around the corner. People label this depressive episode as Christmas blues but shrinks refer to this phase as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. This emotional disorder is a cyclic and seasonal mood condition. This actually means that the signs and symptoms come and go at the same time each year.

Christmas blues can present with the following symptoms: 1) sadness or depression; 2) hopelessness; 3) anxiety, fearfulness or nervousness; 4) anergia or loss of energy; 5) social withdrawal or isolation; 6) hypersomnia or excessive sleeping; 7) anhedonia or loss of interest in activities an individual once loved or enjoyed; 8) lack or loss of appetite or appetite changes, especially a craving for food high in carbohydrates and sugar like pastillas, yema or puto bungbong; 9) obesity; and 10) poor concentration and impairment in processing information.

The exact mechanism that causes Christmas blues is still not known. But similar to other mental conditions, genetics, age and the body’s natural biophysical and biochemical makeup all play a role in developing the condition. There are specific factors that most likely come into play like: 1) physiobiological clock (circadian rhythm) and 2) reduced level of sunlight during the cold months may disrupt the body’s internal clock, which allows you to know when you should sleep or be awake.

The disruption of the circadian rhythm pattern may lead to feelings of depression because of the decreased melatonin levels. The shift in season can disrupt the balance of the natural hormone melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood. A decrease in serotonin mostly plays a role in SAD. Insufficient sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin, perhaps leading to depression. 

This mood problem if left untreated may lead to the following complications: suicidal ideation or behavior; social withdrawal; problems at the workplace or school; and substance abuse.

Ways to prevent or remedy Christmas blues include the following: 1) Make environment of your home sunnier and brighter by using transparent curtains, opening blinds, adding skylights, trimming tree branches that block the sunlight, sitting closer to bright windows while at your house or in the office and changing your yellow dim lights to white lights. 2) Get outside your home. Take a walk, have a lunch out or simply sit on a bench and enjoy the sun in your veranda or garden. 3) Exercise regularly. Exercise helps relieve stress and anxiety. Being more fit can make you feel better about yourself and this will definitely boost up your mood.

Treatment for SAD or Christmas blues may include light therapy, medications and psychotherapy. In light therapy, also called phototherapy, you sit a few feet from a specialized light therapy box so that you’re exposed to bright light. Light therapy is similar to outdoor light and appears to cause a change in brain chemicals linked to mood. This treatment is easy to use and seems to have few side effects. Individuals with SAD or Christmas blues will benefit from treatment with antidepressants, especially if symptoms are severe. Inquire from your psychiatrist for his recommended antidepressant and dosage. Usually, he will recommend that you continue to take antidepressant medication beyond the time your symptoms normally go away. Remember that it may take several weeks to notice full benefits from an antidepressant.  

Supportive psychotherapy can help you identify and change your negative thoughts and behaviors that may be making you feel worse. It will help you learn healthy ways to cope with Seasonal Affective Disorder or Christmas blues and teach you how to manage your stress.

My maternal uncle, Luis Antonio Musngi Warren, joined his Creator last Dec. 4. That means we will be grieving for his untimely demise this Christmas season. Linking objects (old photos) have been helping us cope with the loss of our beloved Tito Chito. 

Actually linking objects means using objects or images that connect a mourning individual in a comforting way with a deceased loved one. These linking objects had been used in rituals of remembrance. In my opinion, linking objects can be distinct pivotal motivating factors in accepting the death of a loved one and beginning the life minus the physical presence of the deceased loved one.

Have a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

(For questions, e-mail me at nina.halilijao@gmail.com)