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February blues, but it’s almost Spring!
Posted By: Parkridge | February 23, 2022
This time of year in West Texas brings “typical” weather. And by typical we all know that means we literally have no idea what to expect from day to day. Sometimes even within the same day, there is huge fluctuation in temperature and weather conditions. What we can see though is the gradual lengthening of the day, and the occasional “warm enough to spend an afternoon outside” forecast. We know that Spring Break is on the horizon and we cross our fingers that the dust storms are minimal.
But, these long winter months can be hard. With shorter days, less sunshine, minimal time outside, and cold weather, many people struggle with seasonal depression. This can range from just feeling like the winter blues to deeper, longer lasting major depressive episodes. Providing for and protecting mental health is important. If you have concerns for yourself or someone close to you, speak up. If you had physical symptoms of an illness, you would likely touch base with your medical care provider. The same goes for mental health. If you notice signs of seasonal depression, there are steps you can take to work toward overcoming feelings of depression, and there are people available to talk to, or to find help.
Common Signs of depression:
- Feeling depressed most of the day, almost every day
- Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Sleep problems
- Feeling sluggish or agitated
- Low energy
- Feeling hopeless or worthless
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide
For seasonal affective disorder in the winter months, additional specific symptoms may include:
- Oversleeping (hypersomnia)
- Overeating, particularly craving high carbohydrate intake
- Weight gain
- Social withdrawal (feeling like “hibernating”)
Steps toward better mental health:
- Check in with yourself - sometimes there can be big benefits to adjusting your sleeping schedule (going to bed and waking up at the same time each day), eating habits (avoiding overly processed foods, eating a balanced diet with good nutrition), exercise routines (starting an exercise program, joining a group class, moving some workouts outside)
- Check in with someone who cares about you. It’s ok to not be ok - find those in your circle that have your best interests at heart and share about your struggle. Knowing you aren’t alone can be healing.
- Find a licensed professional counselor or therapist. (A quick google search for local counselors can find people in your area. There are also online resources like betterhelp.com; talkspace.com and many others.)
- If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
We hope the information included here is helpful, and is received in conjunction with other medical information. This blog post is not intended to replace information directly received from a medical provider or mental health provider.
All of the services Parkridge offers are free to our clients…we don’t profit from any decision a woman makes when she comes to us for care. We are here to help by offering pregnancy testing, confirmation ultrasounds, STD testing and treatment and professional counseling services. Parkridge does not offer abortion services, but can help someone considering this choice through options education. We also offer support after abortion through confidential, professional counseling and groups. Let us know if we can help! Contact us to schedule an appointment.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder
https://www.psychreg.org/spring-clean-psychological-well-being/
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