During the holiday season, many feel joy, but seasonal depression affects many.
According to the American Psychological Association, 3 in 5 Americans say their mental health is negatively impacted during the holiday.
In Oklahoma, almost 160,000 adults do not receive mental health assistance, according to the Alliance of Mental Illness. One mental health resource wants to remind everyone there is help during the holidays.
Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD can occur between the months of August and January, but Kim Hill-Crowell with GRAND Mental Health said that SAD could continue through the spring.
Symptoms of SAD include:
- Low mood
- Loss of interest in activities
- Changes in sleep patterns and appetite
Another sign Hill-Crowell said could be an introverted person now wants to be an extrovert and go out more. She said this could be a sign of ignoring the problem.
“I think that’s the thing, is not avoiding it, to talk about it. A lot of people don’t want to talk about those things, there seems to be a stigma around, so to have those conversations, to talk about the things that are bothering you and not to isolate, to connect,” Hill-Crowell said.