Fall and Winter Mental Health

Shorter days, the holidays and the turn of the year can change how you feel. This guide gathers what Dr. Beata Lewis, MD has already written for this time of year, in the order the season tends to bring it. Each card links the page that covers the topic in full.

Winter-pattern seasonal affective disorder (SAD) usually starts in the late fall or early winter and goes away during the spring and summer, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Late fall
Winter mood changes
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that follows a predictable pattern, typically emerging during fall or winter months when daylight hours become shorter. Our depression page covers it, along with light therapy.
Read: Depression Treatment & Holistic Psychiatry
As the days get shorter
Vitamin D and mood
How vitamin D can support mental health, especially during winter months when sunlight is scarce.
Read: Can Vitamin D Help Fight Depression?
Also: Should You Test Your Vitamin D Levels?
November and December
Holiday stress and burnout
Why a stress response gets stuck in overdrive, and what it takes to restore natural resilience.
Read: Stress Management & Resilience
Also: CBT for Burnout and High Achievement Stress
Through the holidays
Grief during the holidays
Grief and loss resources gathered by Dr. Lewis, including support organizations for grieving children and teens.
Read: Grief and Loss
Before the year ends
Payment and your benefits
How payment works with the practice, and what to check about your own plan.
Read: Insurance and Payment
The darkest months
Sleep in the dark months
Why treating insomnia can meaningfully improve depression, since sleep and mood influence each other in both directions.
Read: Sleep and Depression: Why Treating Insomnia Helps Your Mood
January
Starting the new year with a first appointment
Feeling nervous about a first psychiatry appointment is normal. What to expect before, during and after your visit.
Read: What to Expect at Your First Psychiatry Appointment

If you are not sure which of these fits, that is normal. Assessment is part of the work.

Start with a discovery call

What if I am in crisis or emergency? If you are experiencing a psychiatric emergency or thoughts of harming yourself, call 988 or 911, or go to your nearest emergency room right away. The practice provides scheduled outpatient care and is not set up for emergency or crisis response.

	Amount Per % DV
Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxal 5’-phosphate)	5.00 mg - 294%
Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine HCl)	25.00 mg - 1470%
Folate (as [6S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, glucosamine salt)	170.00 mcg - 42%
Vitamin B12 (as methylcobalamin)	1,100.00 mcg - 45833%
Pantothenic Acid (as d-calcium pantothenate)	50.00 mg - 1000%
Magnesium (Mg Taurinate, Mg Glycinate, Mg Malate)	150.00 mg - 35%
Magnesium (as magnesium L-threonate)	0.50 mg - **
Magnesium L-threonate	35.00 mg - **
N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine	175.00 mg - **
PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid)	25.00 mg - **
Phosphatidylserine	15.00 mg - **
Phosphatidylserine (Sharp•PS®)	50.00 mg - **
Rhodiola Extract (Rhodiola rosea)(root)(3% rosavins and 2% salidroside)	100.00 mg - **
Theacrine	100.00 mg - **
trans-Resveratrol (from Polygonum cuspidatum root extract)	1.00 mg - **
Ginkgo Extract (Ginkgo biloba)(leaf) (20% ginkgoflavonglycosides and 5% terpene lactones)	60.00 mg - **
Glucoraphanin (from broccoli extract)(Brassica oleracea italica)(seed)(truebroc™)	7.50 mg - **
Huperzine A (from Huperzia serrata)(whole plant)	100.00 mg - 5%
L-Ergothioneine	12.50 mg - **
Acetyl-L-Carnitine (as acetyl-L-carnitine HCl)	450.00 mg - **
Alpha Lipoic Acid	50.00 mg - **
Asian Ginseng Extract (Panax ginseng)(root)(5% ginsenosides)	20.00 mg - **
Bacopa Extract (Bacopa monnieri)(whole plant)(8% bacosides)	50.00 mg - **
Coenzyme Q10 (as ubiquinone)	50.00 mg - **
Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris)(mycelium)	400.00 mg - **

	Amount Per % DV
Vitamin C, buffered (as calcium ascorbate)	166.67 mg - 185%
Calcium (as calcium ascorbate)	19.00 mg - 1%
Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate)	85.00 mg - 6%
Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxal 5’-phosphate)	16.67 mg - 980%
Vitamin B5 (as calcium pantothenate)	33.33 mg - 666%
Magnesium (as di-magnesium malate)	56.25 mg - 13%
Magnesium (as magnesium bisglycinate chelate)	16.67 mg - 3%
Magnesium (as TRAACS® magnesium bisglycinate chelate and magnesium taurate)	75.00 mg - 17%
Zinc	3.33 mg - 30%
Potassium (as Albion® potassium glycinate complex)	45.00 mg - **
Proprietary blend Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium longum, Streptococcus thermophilus	222.50 mg - **
Rhodiola rosea root extract	66.67 mg - **
Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) berry	25.00 mg - **
Sour Cherry (Prunus cerasus)(cherry)	80.00 mg - **
Taurine	375.00 mg - **
Valerian Extract (Valeriana officinalis)(root)(0.8% valerenic acids)	200.00 mg - **
myo-Inositol	1500.00 mg - **
Passion Flower Extract (Passiflora incarnata)(aerial part)	60.00 mg - 5%
Eleutherococcus root extract (1.2% eleutherosides)	16.67 mg - 5%
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)	75.00 mg - **
Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) leaf extract	33.33 mg - **
Hops Extract (Humulus lupulus)(strobulus)(0.3% rutin)	30.00 mg - **
L-Theanine	37.50 mg - **
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) root	41.67 mg - **
American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) root extract	33.33 mg - **
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract	33.33 mg - **
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) root	50.00 mg - **

	Amount Per % DV
Calcium (as dicalcium malate, calcium D-glucarate tetrahydrate, and calcium bisglycinate chelate)	60.00 mg - 4%
Calcium (as tricalcium phosphate and calcium-d-glucarate)	37.50 mg - 2%
Calcium D-Glucarate Tetrahydrate	100.00 mg - 7%
Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine HCl and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate)	60.00 mg - 4%
Folate (as (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, glucosamine salt)	15.00 mg - 882%
Folate (as (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, glucosamine salt)	510.00 mcg -127%
Magnesium (as dimagnesium malate and magnesium lysinate glycinate)	200.00 mcg - 8333%
Magnesium (as dimagnesium malate)	125.00 mg -29%
Zinc (as TRAACS® zinc bisglycinate chelate)	25.00 mg - 5%
Selenium (as methylselenocysteine)	20.00 mg - 181%
trans-Pterostilbene	7.50 mcg - 13%
trans-Resveratrol (as Polygonum cuspidatum root extract)	7.75 mg - **
Turmeric Extract (Curcuma longa)(root)(95% curcuminoids)	9.25 mg - **
Turmeric Extract (Curcuma longa)(root)(95% curcuminoids)	20.00 mg - **
Milk Thistle Extract (Silybum marianum)(seed)(80% silymarin)	50.00 mg - **
N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine	50.00 mg - **
Quercetin (as quercetin dihydrate)(from Dimorphandra mollis)(bud)	50.00 mg - **
Rosemary Extract (Rosmarinus officinalis)(leaf)(5% rosmarinic acid)	25.00 mg - 5%
Glucoraphanin (from broccoli extract)(Brassica oleracea italica)(seed)	25.00 mg - 5%
Grape Seed Extract (Vitis vinifera)(seeds)(5% monomers)	12.00 mg - **
Green Tea Aqueous Extract (Camellia sinensis)(leaf)(60% catechins, 30% EGCG, 6% caffeine)	12.00 mg - **
Green Tea Extract (Camellia sinensis)(leaf)(45% EGCG)	125.00 mg - **
Alpha Lipoic Acid	50.00 mg - **
Ashwagandha Extract (Withania somnifera)(roots and leaves) (35% withanolide glycosides)	50.00 mg - **
Black Cohosh Extract (Cimicifuga racemosa)(root and rhizome)(2.5% triterpene glycosides)	120.00 mg - **
Black Pepper Extract (Piper nigrum)(fruit)	50.00 mg - **
Calcium-D-Glucarate	2.50 mg - **
Chaste Tree Extract (Vitex agnus-castus)(berry)(0.6% aucubin and 0.5% agnuside)	125.00 mg - **
Dihydroquercetin	50.00 mg - **
Diindolylmethane (DIM)	2.50 mg - **
DIM (diindolylmethane)	50.00 mg - **

Winter mood changes

Vitamin D and mood

Holiday stress and burnout

Grief during the holidays

Payment and your benefits

Sleep in the dark months

Starting the new year with a first appointment

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