My girlfriend suffers from winter depression, and she tends to have really crazy mood swings. One moment she is fine and the next she is crying hysterically. When I ask her what is wrong, she says she is depressed because of the weather. Sometimes she hides in the bathroom to cry, and she thinks I can't hear her. She has been sleeping a lot and she doesn't seem to want to do anything. I want to help her, but I don't know how. I am starting to get very frustrated. She is normally so happy and energetic, and it pains me to see her like this.

Many people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or what is commonly called winter depression. This type of depression is brought on by the reduction of chemicals being produced in the brain due to lack of sunlight. Typical symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include tiredness, fatigue, depression, crying spells, irritability, trouble concentrating, body aches, loss of sex drive, poor sleep, decreased activity level and overeating. Maybe you could try phototherapy, which is a treatment that involves a light box that emits the same amount of light found on a bright summer day. Sitting in front of the box each morning will help regulate brain rhythms and produce feel-good chemicals. Another way to help your girlfriend is to take her on vacation to a sunny, hot beach spot. A few days in the sun will do wonders for her mood. Make sure to research SAD so that you have a better understanding of what you are dealing with, and remember that her depression is caused by chemicals in the brain, not from any specific issues between the two of you. She is hiding her depression from you because she can see that it makes you uncomfortable, and she may fear losing you. Make sure to support her as she goes through this, and let her know that no matter what she shows you, you will always love her.

Every winter I tend to gain a little weight (10 pounds), but I always lose it in the spring and I am back to my size four by summer. Even though I know I will lose it, I feel like my relationship is struggling through this season. My boyfriend brought home a paper with a girls number on it, and he shared it with me so that we could laugh at it together. He keeps telling me that he has still got it. I understand that he is just being open with me, but the next night he came home and told me that some girl at his job asked him out for a drink. He joked that they all want to sleep with him. I know he is not a cheater and that I can trust him, but I am feeling a little tinge of insecurity. How should I handle this situation?

It sounds like you are both feeling a little insecure. His choice to show you the phone number he received from another girl as well as tell you about a woman asking him out. It's his attempt to show you that he is still desirable in the world. It seems that his emotional need to feel loved and desired is not being fulfilled in your relationship, so he is searching for that validation from the outside world. This insecurity is from within, so I would advise you to show him or tell him how desirable he is to you. Your own insecurity is also in your mind, and you are making the assumption that because he is searching for validation of his desirability, then it must be because you have gained weight. You are in the same position he is. You want to be desired as well, and your insecurity is rearing it's ugly head. Take the time to reconnect over a date, and try some positive sharing. Tell your boyfriend three things that make him special to you and ask him to do the same. Share this time with each other and appreciate what you have.