CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) \u2014 As winter approaches and daylight hours shrink, health experts are reminding South Carolinians to monitor their mental health during what can be a challenging season for many.<\/p>\n
December is designated as Seasonal Affective Disorder Awareness Month, highlighting the importance of recognizing symptoms that often hide in plain sight during the colder months.<\/p>\n
Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly known as SAD or seasonal depression, can affect anyone as shorter days and grayer skies arrive. The lessened sunlight in the winter disrupts the body\u2019s internal clock, creating emotional changes that can impact daily life.<\/p>\n
Understanding the impact<\/p>\n
According to the American Psychiatric Association, 5% of people are impacted by SAD, with seasonal depression lasting for approximately five months. This percentage translates to roughly 250,000 South Carolinians who may experience the condition.<\/p>\n
The lack of vitamin D can also change mood, energy, appetite and concentration. Symptoms range from lack of energy to sleep disruption, affecting everyone differently during the winter months.<\/p>\n
Bretta Kittrell, a family nurse practitioner at Bamberg Family Practice which is partnered with Palmetto Care Connections, said the condition is more common than many realize.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had this conversation about 15 times in the last two days, but that\u2019s just how common it is,\u201d Kittrell said. \u201cPeople call, they\u2019re like, \u2018I\u2019m anxious. I\u2019m depressed. I don\u2019t want to be around anybody.\u2019 So, the influence is very common.\u201d<\/p>\n
Impact on daily health management<\/p>\n
The effects extend beyond mood changes. Kittrell said seasonal depression can impact patients\u2019 ability to manage chronic conditions, something she has seen in her own patients.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir blood pressures and their blood sugars\u2026 have just dipped in the last few weeks,\u201d Kittrell said. \u201cAnd it is a lot of times that, [with] seasonal affective disorder, they lose motivation to even check their blood pressure or their blood sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prevention and treatment options<\/p>\n
Bamberg Family Practice recommends several prevention strategies which go beyond taking vitamin D supplements. Health experts emphasize the importance of getting eight hours of sleep and creating a consistent daily routine.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe gloomy and dark is [the cause of] a lot of the calls\u2026 we don\u2019t get as much sunlight,\u201d Kittrell said. \u201cSo, I really encourage my patients, when you can get outside, when the weather is permissible for you to be outside, get that natural sunlight. Even if it\u2019s just for 10 minutes, walk outside. Early morning is best time. It helps regulate the circadian rhythm which helps with our mood, our sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of South Carolina identifies light therapy as one of the most effective ways to brighten moods during darker months as it mimics the natural sunlight that people miss during colder weather.<\/p>\n
Telehealth options for vulnerable populations<\/p>\n
Kamryn Williams, a licensed nurse and a telehealth coordinator for Palmetto Care Connections, said elderly patients face particular challenges during winter months.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the biggest things that we hit on with our patients is a majority of the patients that I currently work\u2026 with are elderly,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThis time of the year, it\u2019s cold, it\u2019s rainy, a lot of them have a lot of chronic conditions, decreased mobility, [so] we preach about telehealth\u2026 we don\u2019t want them to come into the doctor\u2019s office or they don\u2019t feel up to coming into the doctor\u2019s office and having to sit and wait and being exposed to other germs, leaving there with something additional than what they came in with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Medical experts encourage South Carolinians to be aware of how their mood, energy and thoughts change as winter progresses. Whether experiencing restlessness or lacking motivation, every symptom matters. To sign up for a telehealth visit with Palmetto Care Connections regarding potential SAD symptoms, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n For those feeling overwhelmed or experiencing a mental health crisis, the 988 crisis line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. <\/p>\n Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) \u2014 As winter approaches and daylight hours shrink, health experts are reminding South Carolinians to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":213441,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[276],"tags":[18,135,19,17,167,502,24416,35229,84306,19428],"class_list":{"0":"post-213440","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-eire","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-mental-health","13":"tag-mentalhealth","14":"tag-sad","15":"tag-seasonal-affective-disorder","16":"tag-seasonal-depression","17":"tag-south-carolina"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115656500631285149","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213440"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213440\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/213441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}