Depression affects 15 million American adults aged 18 and older in a given year. Around 10 million Americans experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which is a type of depression that usually occurs in the winter. The most common type of SAD is the winter blues.

The winter blues occurs in late fall and normally retreats during late spring and early summer. The condition directly correlates to the lack of daylight a person receives. During the winter, there is less natural sunlight than in the spring and summer.

During the holidays, a person may not only have to manage SAD but also depression related to stress, lack of money, family issues or even the excessive commercialization of Christmas. To manage holiday and winter depression, heed the following pieces of advice:

1. Acknowledge your feelings

It's important to acknowledge you're depressed. You could be depressed for any number of reasons, and it's important to understand it's a perfectly normal feeling.

2. Reach out

Whether it's a friend, family member or community leader, reach out to them for help. Ask for their advice on how to manage the issue and how to approach getting professional help from a treatment center such as Fairwinds Treatment Center.

3. Avoid problems

Once you've acknowledge and accepted your depression and received professional help, you'll likely know what is making you feel depressed. During the holidays, avoid these problems. Some of these issues could be fighting between family members, alcohol or food.

Founded 25 years ago by Dr. M.K. (Khal) El-Yousef, Fairwinds Treatment Center uses a Dual Diagnosis method to treat patients with depression and other health issues. Dual Diagnosis combines clinical treatment and therapeutic counseling to identify the underlying reasons for depression and resolve these psychological triggers.