Lynn Evansohn of The Counseling Center: Are You SAD?
By Lynn Evansohn, LCSW, The Counseling Center
Jan. 31, 2018: The year has started out here in the Northeast to be a frigidly cold and challenging winter. What is it about the grayness of winter that makes us want to hibernate and find the comfort of hot chocolate and a soft couch from which we can push back against the winter blues?
Every season has its impact on our physical and emotional state. Winter, a time of conservation and storage, is also a time when people feel less energetic, sleepier, and maybe even gloomy.
SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, is estimated to affect 10 million Americans and is four times more common in women than in men. It is essentially about depression that appears or is exacerbated in winter. SAD refers to the low mood and energy that occur annually, beginning in the fall and continuing through the winter months.
This low energy can creep up quietly and slowly and be noticed as a depressed, touchy, or irritable mood. Maybe a partner who is generally positive becomes unmotivated and argumentative. Perhaps you find yourself spending long weekends alone at home.
It’s part of life to have days when you feel down or days when you want to curl up with a book and shut out the world. But if you feel down for days at a time or if these changes affect your ability to feel motivated, to enjoy relationships, or to function at work or at home, this may mean that there is more going on than just the winter blues. It may signal a deeper depression that should be evaluated by a professional. There’s plenty that can be done to help, and so reaching out is a first step.
Although there is limited research regarding SAD, there are several theories as to why the darker months contribute to winter blues. One theory is that the body produces more of a hormone called melatonin during the longer, dark hours of winter. The increased melatonin production in turn causes people to feel sleepier and more lethargic. For example, getting out of bed in the early hours, whether to go to school or work, may become extremely difficult for those with SAD. For some, this impairs the ability to manage their daily routine. This would be an opportunity to seek a professional assessment. For many, it simply makes life routines more difficult. Ask any parent of a teenager!
Another theory explains that because dawn comes later in the winter, people wake up with higher levels of melatonin, and this in turn can cause lower thyroid, cortisol, and serotonin levels in the brain. These lowered levels may then cause changes in mood, energy, and appetite. Last, some theories posit that less exposure to bright light in the winter can contribute to the winter blues. Bright light seems to have an anti-depressant effect, to increase alertness, and to assist in synchronizing the circadian clock. Winter months have shorter days and longer nights, resulting in less time that people are exposed to bright light and its positive effects.
Pictured here: Staff of The Counseling Center; Lynn Evansohn is center, back row.
Photo by Carolyn Simpson
Editor's note: As a public service, MyhometownBronxville publishes press releases and articles from local institutions and legislators. MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements in those press releases and articles and any opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff.
Community Service Organizations Directory
HOME & GARDEN
Bronxville Beautification Council
Organized in 1982, the Bronxville Beautification Council (BBC) is a not-for-profit organization administered by a volunteer Board of Directors. The mission of the BBC is to enhance and maintain the natural and man-made beauty of the village of Bronxville, with an emphasis on the downtown business district.
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Boulder Ledge Garden Club
Founded in 1966, the Boulder Ledge Garden Club is rooted in a mission to inspire a deeper appreciation and love for gardening and flower arranging. The club is dedicated to fostering and promoting interest and knowledge in gardening.
The Club maintains Bronxville’s Bicentennial Park and other civic gardens. In 2019–2020 the club raised $18,000 to replace trees in the village, reflecting its active role in community beautification. It also holds garden therapy projects and educational garden trips for members.
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Bronxville Giving Garden
The Bronxville Giving Garden is a community-centered garden that donates organic produce to Eastchester Community Action Partnership in Tuckahoe and Community Service Associates in Mount Vernon. The garden is also a gathering place where school children and volunteers can discover the joy of tending plants and growing food.
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Bronxville Green Committee
The Bronxville Green Committee is a volunteer organization that is part of the Village of Bronxville. It proposes and implements environmentally sustainable programs in our community.
You can contact them HERE.
SCOUTING
Bronxville Boy Scouts
The village of Bronxville has a long tradition of scouting. “The troops and packs of Bronxville have maintained the finest scouting organizations and have taught the boys of the Bronxville area to be leaders and outstanding members of the local, national and global communities.”
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Bronxville Girls Scouts
The Girls Scouts is “the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world.” In Girl Scouts, “girls discover the fun, friendship and power of girls together. Through the many enriching experiences provided by Girl Scouts, they can grow courageous and strong.”
Here is more information about girl scouts.
HISTORY
Bronxville Historical Conservancy
Inspired by the highly successful Bronxville Centennial Celebration in 1998, the Bronxville Historical Conservancy was founded to record and preserve Bronxville's history and life in the village today.
BRONXVILLE SCHOOL
Bronxville School Foundation
The Bronxville School Foundation, founded in 1991, is a non-profit organization independent from the school with the sole purpose of supporting the school.
The mission of the Bronxville School Foundation is to enhance the quality of public education in our community by engaging the support and energies of educators, citizens, parents, students and alumni.
The Foundation awards grants for projects
CLICK HERE to learn more.
LECTURES, EXHIBITS, CONCERTS
Bronxville Women's Club
The Bronxville Women’s Club offers lectures, exhibits and concerts. It also has a beautiful clubhouse which is available for rental for events.
135 Midland Avenue
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-337-3252
Concordia Conservatory
Concordia Conservatory, a preeminent center for music education in Westchester and Fairfield Counties, is a welcoming community where children and adults find lifelong inspiration and joy through learning, performing, listening to, and participating with others in music.
The Conservatory’s mission is to inspire, instruct, and enrich lives through music offering excellence in education and performance.
CLICK HERE for more information.
COUNSELING
Counseling Center
Founded in 1971, the mission of the Counseling Center “is to provide a wide range of psychotherapeutic and counseling services to individuals, couples and families by a staff of highly trained, experience and dedicated psychotherapists.
The Counseling Center
180 Pondfield Road
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-793-3388
www.counselingcenter.org
SERVICE & VOLUNTEERISM
Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester & Tuckahoe
The mission of the Community Fund is “to support broad social services in Bronxville 10708, Eastchester and Tuckahoe through grants and technical support to local agencies and community projects. All money raised here in our community stays here in our community.”
15 Park Place
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-337-8808
www.thecommunityfund.org
Junior League of Bronxville
The Junior League of Bronxville is “an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and to improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.”
Rotary Club of Bronxville
The Rotary Club of Bronxville is part of a national network of 1.25 million problem-solvers. They see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
READING & LEARNING
Friends of the Bronxville Library
The Friends of the Bronxville Library is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to focus attention on the “Library’s services, facilities and needs” as well as sponsor projects and provide materials that are beyond the reach of the Library's regular budget and perform other services.
SENIORS
Gramatan Village
Gramatan Village is a unique community model offering programs, services and social connections that help members continue to live independently in their homes as they age. In addition, GV offers one-on-one consultations and counseling with our experienced staff to guide members through life’s transitions.
Senior Citizens of Bronxville
Senior Citizens of Bronxville is a not-for-profit organization that provides services and programs to seniors within the 10708 zip code area. “Programs cover a wide range of activities from educational seminars and cultural enrichment to community services, bridge classes and exercise.”
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