The holiday season, although full of joy and festivities, can be emotionally challenging for many people. Social pressure, unrealistic expectations, and financial demands can contribute to depression and stress.
With the arrival of winter, a psychological phenomenon known as “white depression” or “seasonal depression” colors the shorter days and longer nights with emotional shadows. This condition, often linked to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), affects a significant number of people during the colder months, reaching its peak in December.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a study in 2020 revealed that almost 1 in 5 American adults was diagnosed with depression, with 25 44 years of age are the most prevalent, and affecting women to a greater extent.
The analysis also showed that, by race, Caucasians are the ones who mostly present this condition, followed by Latinos and then Afro-descendants.
A different report published by Gallup in May of this year reports that the percentage of American adults who report having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives has reached 29 percent, almost 10 percentage points higher than in 2015.
Likewise, it specifies that the percentage of Americans who currently have or are receiving treatment for depression has also increased, up to 17.8 percent, about seven points more than in that same period.
Given this, we must be attentive to any sign present in our daily lives that indicates an imbalance in our state of mind, said José Alfredo Contreras Valdez, an academic at the Faculty of Psychology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
?Depression is a set of indicators of different types (cognitive, affective, behavioral and physiological) that can manifest in multiple ways. The main characteristics of depression are two and they are the easiest to notice: the sad, melancholic, anhedonic, dull mood, that is, the effects are seen in the mood mainly represented by constant sadness. That is to say that sadness, although it does not mean that you are crying all day, is the most representative state of mind or the one that occurs most compared to the others. On the other hand, there is the loss of interest and pleasure in the things that one regularly has interest, joy and enjoyment in, he said in an interview for the magazine of the great house of studies.
The psychiatrist and paedopsychiatrist Gina Chapa Koloffon stated that ?at this time, the phenomenon of ?white depression? It is characterized by feelings of melancholy, sadness and anxiety that can significantly affect people's emotional state. Although the term ?white depression? It is not a clinical diagnosis, it describes a series of emotional symptoms that commonly manifest at this time of year?
How to detect if you are feeling ?White depression??
- Persistent Sadness: Feelings of sadness or hopelessness that persist during the winter season.
- Fatigue and Lack of Energy: Constant feeling of tiredness and lack of motivation to participate in daily activities.
- Increased Sleep: Increased need for sleep, often accompanied by difficulty waking up in the morning.
- Changes in Appetite: Increased appetite, especially for carbohydrate-rich foods, which can lead to changes in weight.
But what can be done?
The first advice from the doctor in psychology, José Alfredo Contreras Valdez, to avoid falling into a severe depressive state is related to ?self-evaluation? of our state of mind and accept what it tells us.
?We have to accept it, because if we deny and avoid it, we will not have the tools to do anything about it. With the self-assessment of our state of mind and how we are going to end the year, we are going to make decisions. Recognition and acceptance are essential, if you notice that something is wrong with your mood, go to a professional, talk to someone you trust, look for pleasant activities for yourself; Avoid substance use and risky behavior, as this will only make the situation worse. We have to start with the basics and those are the needs we have as human beings? he suggested.
To this, we add that it is necessary to take care of your diet and focus on what is healthy.
?Food should be oriented towards nutrition and health, of course hydration and physical exercise play a prominent role because they produce neurotransmitters that make us regulate our organic functions. Physical activity does not have to be high performance, but it must be constant, will that help us get through the dates better?
Likewise, he explained that it is important to regulate sleep and make it pleasant.
Social support is also important, and although it is not necessary for our circle of social support to be large, it is enough that our interactions are with people who we consider positive, productive, adequate and who provide support, the specialist highlighted.
?A relationship of social support is constantly strengthening. If the family is somewhere else, contact must be encouraged with video calls and video conferences. These calls don't have to be improvised, it's not about dialing and talking for a minute because we don't know what to do. Can we schedule activities with our loved ones, even remotely?
A very important thing for each person, he warned, is to identify what gives meaning to their life: "it is not about doing things for the sake of doing them, it must have meaning." For example, if it makes sense to me to give something to my family, maybe it's the way to connect with them, but if I'm not one to give things away, maybe it's better to go out to dinner, exercise, see a play, do some activity. inside the house with the family or simply tell them something that we want to convey to them. We can do anything with the family that makes sense to us; That what we do generates a true connection between us and our loved ones?
10 tips to survive the "white depression"
- Self-assessment of our state of mind.
- Recognize and accept what that exam tells us.
- If something is wrong with your mood, see a professional.
- If you don't have one, talk to someone you trust.
- Find enjoyable activities for yourself and identify what gives meaning to your life.
- Stop using substances, such as alcohol and drugs.
- Avoid behaviors and risk factors.
- Maintain good nutrition and hydration.
- Do exercise.
- Sleep well.
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