A walker takes a hike recently through North Boundary Park in Cranberry Township. The shorter days of winter can affect many people, causing seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, which is a type of seasonal depression. One treatment is light therapy, which could be as simple as taking a long walk outside on a sunny winter day.

CRANBERRY TWP — The onset of shorter days and decreased exposure to sunlight can afflict people with seasonal depression, a malady that can last from fall until the end of winter.

And with winter officially beginning Dec. 21, some people are gearing up to fight what some call the winter blues.

Dr. Edward S. Friedman, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine, is familiar with the signs and treatment methods of or seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

The most common signs of seasonal depression are oversleeping, weight gain and daytime fatigue, conditions that tend to come and go with the changing of seasons.

Friedman also said other signs of depression are evident, such as social withdrawal and suicidal thoughts.

However, those suffering with seasonal depression don't have to wait until spring for their mood to break along with the weather. The first line of treatment for this disorder is fluorescent light therapy, a treatment that can help alleviate depression and in some cases rid it completely in days.

Any increased exposure to light, including extended walks outside during sunny winter days, also can help with depression.

An alternative form of treatment is dawn simulation, another form of light therapy. This treatment involves a dim light that switches on in the morning while a person sleeps and eventually gets brighter over time, a process similar to a sunrise.

If light therapies prove ineffective, Friedman said, traditional methods of treating depression with medication can be used. A last resort, he said, could involve moving to warmer and sunnier climates during the winter months.

He cautioned against using tanning beds, however, as a means of light therapy. He said tanning beds emit ultraviolet rays, which are harmful to both the eyes and skin and are not useful for treating SAD.

Brent Olean, a licensed social worker with the Transformation Counseling Center in Cranberry, said it is common to come across people suffering from seasonal affective disorder.

He said the disorder is real and people feeling depressed need to surround themselves with positive people and positive thoughts to overcome feelings of sadness during the winter months.

"Don't be afraid to let people know you're feeling down," he said. "There's a facade that we're all perfect and that we don't need help for depression, but that's why we have other people on the planet."

Olean also said staying healthy is a major component to battling seasonal depression. He said long walks outside can alleviate symptoms as well as frequent exercise and proper nutrition.

He also said the worst thing a person can do is hole up inside their house and shut themselves off from human interaction.

Regardless, he said, seasonal depression is real but also it is treatable.

"The research on whether or not seasonal depression exists is irrelevant," he said. "I know it is real because people are here, and they need help.