In some people, the decrease in daylight during the winter months leads to an increase in melatonin, a sleep-related hormone, Welsh said. The melatonin increase can throw off a body’s normal routine for sleep and behavior, and lead to a form of depression. Even people diagnosed with other forms of depression can experience stronger symptoms in the winter, Welsh said, for the same reasons.While SAD can easily be treated, social stigmas often prevent people from seeking help, Welsh said.One of the easiest ways a person can battle SAD is to openly acknowledge it and look for support.For some, that can mean turning to your family and friends, letting them know how you’re feeling and asking for support and companionship. For others, it may be beneficial to go to an actual support group, Welsh said.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Carroll County holds two regular support group meetings on the first Monday and third Tuesday of the month at the Carroll Nonprofit Center in Westminster.“I believe in support groups,” Welsh said, “and we benefit as a community from great support groups.”For Jennifer Schooley of Westminster, her winter therapy is scrapbooking. She and her friends have made it a tradition to go to an annual scrapbooking conference in Lancaster, Pa., each winter, which gives her something to look forward to during the drearier months.“The potential is there,” Schooley said. “I don’t get so bad because of our activities.”Working on her scrapbooks for each of her three daughters gives her time to reflect on the good things that have happened over the past year, she said, and, in a way, to celebrate life.“Winter is just slow enough so you can do it, because the rest of the year you’re living it,” she said.
Don't forget we have a midnite crop every Friday. We'd love for you to join us!
