Q: I am not sure what to do. My girlfriend seems to get depressed every year after Christmas. This is hard on everyone.
I try to help her by taking on more responsibilities around the house and caring for our two young children but what I would really like to do is find some way to help her feel better.
I have heard of something called seasonal affective disorder. Do you suppose this is the problem? If so, what can I do to help?
A: If you have suspicions that it is seasonal affective disorder, you can best help her by either making an appointment to talk to her family doctor or by arranging an intake meeting for her with your local mental health clinic.
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It probably means taking medication, having a few appointments with a counsellor and doing light therapy. That means being exposed to bright and powerful light for a few moments each day to help your girlfriend’s body compensate for the loss of natural light in winter on the Prairies.
It most often affects women, although men are not immune to it. Fifteen out of every 100 people will show some symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.
Two to three of those will be severely disabled by it.
Seasonal affective disorder is depression that is more likely to repeat itself at specific times of the year.
Symptoms for seasonal affective disorder are similar to those seen in major depressions. They include lethargy, fatigue, social isolation, an inability to concentrate, unusual sadness, anxiety or despair, changes in appetite, weight gain, headaches, irritability and an unusual need for more sleep.
Most of us are likely to react to long winter nights and frigid daylight climates. We should try to force ourselves outside daily and make sure that we eat nutritious meals.
Unfortunately, those simple remedies are not going to work for people with seasonal affective disorder. These people do better by working with a care team in a health setting.
