Between the time change, fleeting daylight hours and flu season settling in, experts say it’s normal that some people may start to feel “less like themselves” as the days get shorter and shorter. But Dr. Mélissa Généreux, with the Capitale-Nationale regional public health department, stresses that there’s a thin line between a winter slump and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal depression. READ MORE: “The main difference here is not the symptoms that you have, which might be lower energy, feeling more tired, a greater need for sleep, less motivation, feeling more withdrawn,” she said. “The key difference between these two is the persistence of the symptoms, their intensity and their impact on your daily life.” Généreux explains that a person who is “still able to function quite normally” despite feeling a little down is most likely experiencing the winter blues. “But if you have to miss work, if you have to stop some of your parental tasks or other things that you normally do, that can be a sign that you have a more severe case more closely to the seasonal depression,” she said. She notes that reduced exposure to natural light can disrupt our biological clocks, including sleep quality and energy levels, and that symptoms can present both physically and psychologically. “Typically, with depression symptoms, we’re talking about a lot of sadness or having a lost in interest,” Généreux said. “The hobbies, the things that usually make you happy, that you like to do, you no longer want to do them. You don’t have enough energy.” One easy, accessible solution to the winter blues, she points out, is to go outside. “The natural daylight is very good for you. Keep moving, keep being active, keep being socially active,” Généreux said. “Go expose yourself to nature.” If that doesn’t lift your spirits, the doctor says it may be time to seek professional help. “And that’s totally normal,” she insists. “Just having a lot of courage to recognize these signs and go seek the professional help that you need. That’s a great thing to do.” Généreux notes that up to 15 per cent of the Canadian population could experience some kind of winter blues in their lifetime. “That’s really not rare or uncommon as a condition, but you need to be very attentive to the intensity and the persistence and the recurrence of these symptoms,” she said. “If every year, at the same time of the year, you tend to have very intense and very impactful symptoms, I think it would be a good thing to maybe see with your family physician.” Anyone who believes they may be experiencing seasonal affective disorder is encouraged to contact their doctor or call Info-Santé at 811.
