By Jon Tatting
editor.countynews@ecm-inc.com

Deb McKinnis immediately felt it when her plane landed under gray Minnesota skies after enjoying a sunny trip down South. She knew she should have been pleased to reunite with friends and family. But it simply wasn’t the case. Something felt wrong.

McKinnis, an otherwise healthy and happy person from North Branch Township, eventually realized there was a connection between her mood and the weather. The gray days, for instance, made her feel anti-social, crave starchy and sugary foods, consume more coffee, listen to more music and turn on more lights than necessary.

Because of it, she painted her kitchen turquoise and bright yellow, accented with a red tablecloth to remind her of Mexico. She changed her computer’s screen saver to display a warm and sunny scene; she adorned her office with sea-side colors illuminated by light through the windows and internally.

Pictured: Diane Farrell (left), an acupuncturist at Willowbridge, and Deb McKinnis, who works at the bead shop at Willowbridge, both suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. They make sure they remain active and social and open to natural and special lighting, especially during the gray months from November through March.

Turns out, McKinnis suffers from the same disorder that hinders about 20 percent of the nation’s population—mainly women, studies say, but men tend to have more severe symptoms—during fall and winter. It’s called the winter blues or seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Sunlight deprivation, a deficiency in Vitamin D, is the primary reason for SAD, said Rob Lininger, a psychologist with Family Based Therapies in Cambridge. SAD tends to be induced by changes in the weather, from longer to shorter days.

The fall season, he adds, is a quiet down period, one that says farewell to summer festivals and convenient getaways with the family. Playing a mental game, it also reminds people of the upcoming holidays and others who have become empty nesters with grown kids off to college.

An understatement perhaps, but the struggling economy is also adding to the stress this season, Lininger said.

Are you SAD?

SAD and common depression share the same kind of symptoms and must be recognized through a “rule out” process before SAD can be officially diagnosed.

Lininger recommends that people should pay attention to their past history in determining a pattern—a correlation, for example, between one’s mood and the seasons without reason to believe it’s depression, induced by a life event.

While consulting with your doctor is strongly encouraged, symptoms of SAD include sadness, moodiness, anxiety, irritability, loss of interest in usual activities, carbohydrate cravings, weight gain, abnormal sleepiness, fatigue and drowsiness throughout the day.

So what’s the best and most natural way to curb these symptoms?

“It’s really good to get outside and get as many rays as you can get,” offered Lininger, suggesting such winter activities as snowshoeing, cross country skiing, walking/hiking and other physical activities under the winter skies.

He and other professionals also recommend light box therapy via UV-filtered lamps or Vitamin D supplements to help curb the symptoms of SAD.

Overall, self-care is crucial among those with SAD. Sufferers are advised to eat healthy foods, socialize more often with friends and family, and avoid excessive use of alcohol and other drugs.

Self tracking, realization

If there’s a bright side to SAD, knowing you have it is half the battle. “The label helps you get a grip on it,” said McKinnis.

While McKinnis, who works at the bead shop at Willowbridge in Cambridge, feels relieved knowing what she’s up against, acupuncturist Diane Farrell offers another perspective as a sufferer of the winter blues.

“I’ve learned that I’m not crazy,” said Farrell, of Stark, from inside her comfy Willowbridge office containing an earthy feel complete with plant life and a SAD lamp. “And I have control over the craziness.”

Both women endorse Vitamin D supplements, air ionizers, outdoor physical activity, traveling south during the winter months and social interaction as ways to curb their symptoms. They especially enjoy a life without antidepressants to combat SAD as opposed to the alternative that oftentimes is needed with depression.

Reuniting with self

Pondering her past history, Farrell found the months of November through March presented a tough time, filled with many changes she embarked on without thinking.

She discovered she closed on each of the three homes she has owned in the month of October. Many of her tragedies, through mourning deaths in the family, occurred in February.

Knowing she felt down and lethargic during this time period, she began tracking the factors and her winter weather mood swing.

Light therapy via SAD lamp

“Your body tells you what it’s comfortable with,” said Farrell, noting her intuition served as a defense before realizing she had SAD.

For McKinnis, she admits SAD sufferers can forget they have it, and if unrecognized, can negatively affect relationships.

Think you have Seasonal Affective Disorder? Look at your history, start a journal or review past diary entries, determine a pattern, rule out contributors to general depression and consult with your doctor.

Otherwise, avoid cabin fever and get active and social this winter. A few rays may be just the right medicine to beat those winter blues.

More about SAD

— From the Mayo Clinic

Like many people, you may develop cabin fever during the winter months. Or you may find yourself eating or sleeping more when the temperature drops and darkness falls earlier.

While those are common and normal reactions to the changing seasons, people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) experience a much more serious reaction when summer shifts to fall and on to winter.

With SAD, fall’s short days and long nights may trigger feelings of depression, lethargy, fatigue and other problems. Don’t brush this off as simply a case of the “winter blues” that you have to tough out on your own. Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression, and it can severely impair your daily life. That said, treatment can help you successfully manage SAD.

Below are tips to help you manage the condition, in conjunction with your doctor or mental health provider:

• Make your home sunnier and brighter. Open blinds, add skylights and trim tree branches that block sunlight.
• Get outdoors on sunny days, even during winter. Take a long walk or sit peacefully on a bench and soak up the sun.
• Physical exercise helps relieve stress and anxiety, both of which can increase SAD symptoms. Being more fit can make you feel better about yourself, too, which can lift your mood.
• Take care of yourself. Get enough rest, eat a balanced diet and take time to relax. Don’t turn to alcohol or unprescribed drugs for relief.
• Practice stress management. Learn how to better manage stress. Unmanaged stress can lead to depression, overeating, or other unhealthy thoughts and behaviors.
• Socialize. Stay connected with people you enjoy being around. They can offer support, a shoulder to cry on or a joke to give you a little boost.
• Take a trip. If possible, take winter vacations in sunny, warm locations if you have winter SAD, or cooler locations if you have summer SAD.