Seasonal mental health
Fall & Winter Mental Health
Shorter days, holiday pressure, and the end of the year can change sleep, energy, and mood. Here is where to start, depending on what the season is doing to you.
Request a consultationOctober – February
Winter mood changes and seasonal depression
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, seasonal affective disorder usually starts in late fall or early winter and eases in spring and summer. It is a type of depression with a pattern that repeats, not just a rough week in January, and it is diagnosed by that pattern over at least two years.
Seasonal affective disorder: signs and treatment options →SAD in AlaskaSummer-pattern depression in Arizona
What the season brings, and where to read more
November – April
Florida seasonal residents
Psychiatric care has to happen where you are physically located at the time of the appointment, which is why splitting the year between Florida and another state tends to break continuity. A plan for both halves of the year keeps it steady.
October – February
Vitamin D and B12 in the darker months
Low vitamin D or B12 can mimic or worsen fatigue, brain fog, and low mood, and NIMH notes that people with winter-pattern SAD may have lower vitamin D. Levels are worth asking about rather than guessing at.
November – December
Holiday stress and burnout
Year-end deadlines and family obligations can look a lot like depression. NIMH separates stress-driven “holiday blues” from SAD, and telling burnout from depression changes what actually helps.
Burnout or depression? →How chronic stress affects the bodyRequest a consultation
Year-end
Paying for care
Insurance is accepted for patients in Texas; coverage depends on your plan, so confirm with our office before your first visit. Outside Texas, care is direct-pay, with a superbill you can submit to your insurer for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
January
A first appointment in the new year
If this is the year you want to deal with it, the first visit is a comprehensive evaluation by secure telehealth with Dr. Stacey Forbes, DNP, PMHNP-BC. Knowing what happens in that appointment makes it easier to book.
Request a consultation →What to expect at a first appointment
November – January
Grief and hard holidays
The holidays can make a loss, a separation, or a change in the family feel sharper. On the consultation form, choose “Life transitions, grief, or relationship stress” so the first conversation starts in the right place.
If you need help right now
Willow & Stone is an outpatient practice and is not an emergency service. If you or someone you care about is in immediate danger, call 911.
For urgent mental health support at any hour, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or text HOME to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. Both are free, confidential, and available 24/7 nationwide.
Your healing begins with a conversation.
Start with a telehealth consultation. Insurance is accepted for Texas patients; outside Texas, care is direct-pay with a superbill.
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