A Grenfell Campus psychologist talks about the winter blues on Bayfm's the Plain Truth

    Friday, 26 January 2024 12:00

    By Tonya Organ

    Dr. Veronica Hutchings says symptoms last for more than 2 weeks and can include depressed moods and a lack of energy.

    This time of year can cause the blues for many people and there is a medical diagnosis for it. On the Plain Truth with host Paula Shepard this week on Bayfm, she speaks with Dr. Veronica Hutchings, a registered psychologist with Grenfell Campus. She says shorter days and colder temperatures were often associated with SADS, or Seasonal Affect Disorders, but there’s a new diagnosis for feeling this way these days and it’s called Major Depressive Disorder  with seasonal patterns. Dr. Hutchings says symptoms last for more than 2 weeks and can include depressed moods and a lack of energy. She says women and young adults are diagnosed more than men. Hutchings doesn’t agree with how diagnosis are handled, saying some are suffering more but showing less symptoms so they don’t get the diagnosis. Hutchings says changes in appetite, difficulty concentrating, excessive guilt, slow mobility, and even agitation can also be symptoms.

     

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