How to Help Seniors With Seasonal Depression

Are the colder months especially challenging for your senior loved one and you? It is possible that you both are being affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder.

 

The winter months are typically when this type of majordepression strikes. People who have limited time outside due to severe weather, diminished mobility, or illness are more likely to experience it.

 

Winter is just around the corner, so make sure you understand what seasonal affective disorder is, how it affects you and your loved ones, when to see a doctor, and effective ways to prevent and manage the symptoms.


What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

An annual form of depression,Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) occurs around the same time each year, usually in the winter.

 

The symptoms of seasonal depression can affect your mood, sleep, appetite, and energy levels, impacting all areas of your life. When it's cold, you may not feel like yourself. You may feel hopeless, sad, tense, or stressed, with no interest in friends or activities you usually enjoy.

 

While SAD can cause depression during the summer months, the condition usually begins in the fall or winter when the days become shorter and lasts until the warmer days of spring return. SAD affects about 1% to 2% of the population,especially women, while a milder form coined “the winter blues” may affect as many as10 to 20% of Americans, that is nearly one in 5 people.

 

Since the amount of winter daylight you receive changes the farther you are from the equator, SAD is most common in people who live at least 30 degrees latitude north of places such as Jacksonville, Florida, and Austin, Texas. However, no matter what part of the world you live in or how dark and cold the winters are, you can effectively treat SAD, just like any other type of depression or mental illness.


Causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Though the exact cause of SAD is unclear, most scientific theories attribute it to fewer daylight hours in winter. Winter's shorter days and reduced levels of sunlight are thought to affect the body in the following ways:


●     Circadian rhythms. To regulate your sleep, mood, and appetite, your body's internal clock orsleep-wake cycle responds to changes in light and dark. The longer nights and shorter days of winter can throw off your internal clock, leaving you sleepy, groggy, and feeling disoriented at inconvenient times.


●      Melatonin levels. Darkness induces the production of the hormone melatonin in the brain, which helps you to sleep, and sunlight during the day tells the brain to stop producing melatonin, which enables you to feel awake and alert. Due to the short days and long nights of winter, your body may produce too much melatonin, causing you to feel tired and lethargic.



●     Serotonin production. In winter, reduced sunlight can cause your body to produce less serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate your mood. A deficit may lead to depression and adversely affect your sleep, appetite, and memory.


How to Identify SAD in Seniors

While the fall and winter months have become known as one of the most wonderful times of the year, filled with bright lights and festive cheer, it can also be a time of difficulty for many. Seasonal Affective Disorder can affect anyone of any age. It's important to identify the signs of SAD in seniors and to get help for a loved one who might need it.


Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder in Older Adults

Seniors who seem down during the winter months could be struggling with more than the post-holiday blues. Winter's long, gray days and lack of sunlight may be the root cause.

 

Here are a few signs that your loved one may be struggling with more than a case of cabin fever:


●     Sleepiness and fatigue

●     Feelings of sadness that persist

●     Lethargy or a lack of energy

●     Changes in sleep cycles, including insomnia or over-sleeping

●     Unintended weight gain or weight loss

●     Showing a sense of worthlessness

●     Withdrawing from friends, and beloved hobbies

●     Having trouble maintaining focus and concentration

●     Changes in personal hygiene

●     Easily irritated and short-tempered

●     Tearful or weeping

If the elderly person you love is exhibiting one or more of the symptoms listed above, it may be time to consult their primary care physician. A professional healthcare provider will be able to determine if it is simply the post-holiday blues or something more serious requiring medical attention.


Ways to Prevent and Manage Seasonal Depression


How Seasonal Depression affects YOU

Many caregivers already suffer from symptoms of depression due to long-term caregiver stress. In addition, seasonal depression can worsen these symptoms.

 

Similarly, many older adults who have serious illnesses or require caregiving help also have symptoms of depression.

 

Knowing the warning signs of SAD in yourself and your elderly loved one can help prevent deeper depression and improve the quality of life for both of you. If however caregiver stress is too great, you have options. AtBrookfield Senior Living we are here to offer the support you need. Contact us to learn more about the services and resources available for your loved one atBrookfield Senior Living, where we specialize in delivering the best in senior and memory care.


Helping a Senior Overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder

During the winter, you can make small changes to prevent yourself or an elderly loved one from developing SAD. These include:


●     Avoid alcohol or limit consumption to one or two glasses per week

●     Reduce your consumption of sugary foods, sodas, and sweets

●     Do 30 minutes of daily exercise, like walking

●     Try out a mindful, low-impact form of exercise, such as chair yoga

●     Eat a healthy diet and take vitamin supplements


Making small changes may be all you or your elderly loved one needs to enjoy winter to the fullest, however, if the above is not helping to shake the effects of SAD, the following might be effective options to combat seasonal depression:

 

  1. Enjoy natural light whenever possible

When the weather is nice, try to spend the majority of the day outside and soak up the sunshine. Natural light will have a positive impact on your overall mood.

 

 2.Consider artificial light therapy

During the winter, when there is less daylight available, you may want to consider artificial light therapy. Harvard Health Publications found that a light boxcan relieve SAD just as well as antidepressants.

 

3.Watch what you eat

When you're having a bad day, there's something very satisfying about indulging in a cupcake or piece of candy. The Western Human Nutrition Research Center, however, indicates that sweets only serve as a temporary fix and may evenexacerbate depression symptoms. You should instead choose healthy snacks that will have a lasting impact on your mental and physical health, such as fruits, nuts, and seeds.

 

4. Exercise during the daytime

Exercise in general can lift your spirits and improve your mood. However, astudy from the University of Tulsa found that people who performed physical activity under bright light reported fewer signs of seasonal depression than those who did not. What can you do to feel the same relief? Exercise outside, when the weather isn't too cold, or in a room surrounded by windows, so you can take advantage of natural light.

 

5.Spend more time with the ones you love

Having social interactions with people who make you happy is one of the easiest ways to calm your nervous system andrelieve stress symptoms. It can be face-to-face meetings, phone calls, emails, or social media correspondence—whatever works best for you.

 

6.Find a new way to give back to the community

While volunteering has the intent of giving back, you'll be surprised by how rewarding it truly can be. In addition to feeling more socially connected to like-minded people, the feeling of self-worth you'll attain can reduce symptoms of depression and even benefit your physical well-being, according toHarvard Health Publications.


When to See a Doctor

We all have days when we feel down sometimes, especially as caregivers and older adults living with serious illnesses. However, feeling down for days at a time and not being able to get motivated to do enjoyable activities is a sign that you need to see a doctor.

 

If your sleep patterns or appetite have recently changed, or if you feel hopeless or contemplate suicide, you should seek medical help immediately.

 

 

 

 

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