How do you treat winter blues?

How do you treat winter blues?

  1. Keep active. Research has shown that a daily one-hour walk in the middle of the day could be as helpful as light treatment for coping with the winter blues.
  2. Get outside.
  3. Keep warm.
  4. Eat healthily.
  5. See the light.
  6. Take up a new hobby.
  7. See your friends and family.
  8. Talk it through.

What do they prescribe for seasonal affective disorder?

The initial drug of choice for winter SAD is typically a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) [20], consistent with initial treatment in the general population of patients with unipolar major depression. However, other types of antidepressants can be used instead of SSRIs [8].

What supplements help with winter blues?

Take fish oil and vitamin D supplements One study found that when adults with the winter blues were given 400-800 international units of vitamin D3 a day, their mood improved substantially. Omega-3 supplements may also be beneficial.

How can I stop being depressed in the winter?

8 ways to cope with the winter blues

  1. Exercise. Bundle up for a walk, swim indoors, or head to the gym.
  2. Check your vitamin D levels.
  3. Get some light therapy.
  4. Eat a healthy diet.
  5. Stimulate your senses.
  6. Nurture your spirit.
  7. Head to a sunnier climate.
  8. See a therapist.

Does vitamin D help with winter blues?

Vitamin D Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin” because your body can make it by using cholesterol and absorbing natural sunshine. Your mood may improve with as little as 10 minutes of sun exposure. This is why light therapy is an important treatment for SAD.

What is the best drug for SAD?

Antidepressants are thought to be most effective if taken at the start of winter before symptoms appear, and continued until spring. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the preferred type of antidepressant for treating SAD.

Which SSRI is best for SAD?

The best evidence for efficacy of antidepressants in SAD comes from studies of SSRIs. Multicenter, double-blind, randomized studies of fluoxetine and sertraline confirm that these medications are effective in the treatment of SAD.

What is the best antidepressant for seasonal affective disorder?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the preferred type of antidepressant for treating SAD. They increase the level of the hormone serotonin in your brain, which can help lift your mood.

How can I improve my winter mood?

Winter blues? 6 ways to improve mood and energy

  1. Eat a healthy diet. Feeling blue can make you desire foods high in fat, carbohydrates and sugar.
  2. Get regular exercise.
  3. Try sun therapy.
  4. Increase social interactions.
  5. Get enough sleep.
  6. Practice relaxation techniques.

Does melatonin help seasonal affective disorder?

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University(OHSU) have found that melatonin, a naturally occurring brain substance, can relieve the doldrums of winter depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

Is vitamin D3 good for winter blues?

It has been suggested that seasonality and the symptoms of SAD may be due to changing levels of vitamin D3, the hormone of sunlight, leading to changes in brain serotonin.

Does Wellbutrin help with seasonal affective disorder?

Introduction: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a psychiatric illness with recurring depressive episodes during particular seasons, mostly winter. Bupropion is effective in the preventive treatment of SAD and is probably also effective in the acute treatment of SAD.

Is Wellbutrin good for SAD?

Drug’s SAD Studies Wellbutrin XL’s effectiveness in preventing SAD episodes was established in three trials of adults with a history of major depressive disorder in autumn and winter. Patients either took Wellbutrin XL or a pill containing no medicine (placebo).

Should I take melatonin for SAD?

Soothing SAD The researchers found that in most patients SAD was linked to delayed sunrises. Those patients tended to respond best when they got melatonin in the afternoon. Afternoon melatonin shifted their body clock to earlier in the day.