PROVO — For Laura Ruiz Ortega, writing poetry is healing.
“When you leave your feelings on a paper, it’s sort of a release,” she said.
The mom of two found it as a way to express her feelings after moving to the U.S. from Mexico, and to cope with the cold winters.
“It was so gray all the time. It was just hard,” she said. “No matter how much I slept, no matter how good things are going with work, with my partner, with my kids, I just feel sad.”
Seasonal affective disorder affects more than 11 million Americans, and Utah has one of the highest rates of it in the nation.
“Our natural biological clock gets a little off; it gets a little sluggish in the winter, leading to that feeling of wanting to just hibernate,” said Carrie Jackson, a clinical mental health counselor and clinical manager for evolvedMD. “You’re going to notice feeling down most of the time, decreased energy, a lack of interest or pleasure in things, even things you typically used to find pleasurable.”
Jackson said symptoms of seasonal affective disorder usually appear around early November, peaking in January or February after the holidays.
“We’re looking around saying, ‘I don’t really have anything else left to do on my calendar, at least nothing that seems enjoyable. But I still have potentially three more months of cold weather,'” she said.
Jackson said medication and talk therapy can help treat seasonal depression, as well as light exposure. While getting some natural light in the morning is best, using a light box is also helpful.
“About 50% of people will see a remittance of their symptoms with light box therapy,” Jackson said.
Other ways to combat symptoms of seasonal affective disorder are to eat a balanced diet, stay active and participate in hobbies year-round.
“Identifying what are some of the enjoyable things you like to do, and making sure you put those on your calendar,” Jackson said.
Ruiz Ortega has also found healing through running — she’s competed in several races.
“The mountains to me are just a place of quiet. It’s a place where I can just be in contact with nature,” she said. “It’s a type of therapy for me. Running has given me more confidence in myself.”
Whether on the trail or sitting at her typewriter, she’s learning to embrace her emotions.
“In poetry, I talk about cleansing one’s soul with crying. For a wound to close, it has to go through a little bit of pain,” she said. “You’re not alone. Find people that will help you, because they are out there.”
If you think you are experiencing symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, talk to your doctor.
Suicide prevention resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Crisis hotlines
- Huntsman Mental Health Institute Crisis Line: 801-587-3000
- SafeUT Crisis Line: 833-372-3388
- 988 Suicide and Crisis LifeLine at 988
- Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386
Online resources
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
