Why Do People Feel Depressed During The Winter Months?

Depression is something that most people don’t understand and even fewer seek treatment for.  For any number of reasons someone might become depressed at a particular time in their life.  Some believe diet and exercise factor into depression and others feel that it has more to do with life’s circumstances than anything else.  There are several schools of thought on depression and among the most common types of depression directly correlates to the time of year.
 
Winter is a time of year when people tend to become depressed.  For many it is the vacation season that brings about the sadness and it's a time to mourn those that have been lost throughout the years as well as a time where things tend to become overwhelming especially when it comes to finances. 
 
Financial and relationship stressors are two of the top causes for winter time depression in men and women and while depression may perhaps seem like something that you can cheer an individual out of it most without a doubt isn't.  Depression is actually a serious medical condition and one that requires in most cases both counseling and medication to overcome.  It is not something that you can merely cheer someone up out of and if you can then it is very likely that they were not truly depressed.
 
Winter depression is also many times attributed to the fact that individuals are less apt to go outside or even to move around during the winter months and thus it's likely that they become isolated with only their thoughts.  Frequently times in the cold weather men and women become ill and this helps to further isolate them.  The inability to spend time outside in the fresh air and sunshine is also more than likely a contributing factor to depression during the cold weather months. 
 
Depression of any type is something that should be taken seriously.  For those that experience seasonal depression it might seem as if they are just being silly or that this is just a temporary situation, however, it is very important realize that depression is serious and no matter what type it is essential to encourage someone at the very least to seek out counseling.  It can be a sounding board for those that  are suffering and may perhaps just help them to gain some insight into themselves and their own condition.  Depression is serious but medication and counseling can bring help to those having difficulty managing the sadness that they feel.