SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

It’s very common for people to develop cabin fever during the winter months, eat more and put on weight and sleep more when the temperature drops and darkness falls earlier and lasts longer. These are normal and common reactions to changing seasons.

However, people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) experience a more serious reaction. The short days and long nights trigger feelings of lethargy, fatigue and depression. These shouldn’t be dismissed as simply a case of “winter blues” or “cabin fever.” SAD is a type of depression that can be crippling.

SAD typically becomes apparent in young adulthood and is uncommon in people less than 20 years of age. Some studies have shown that although it’s more common in women, it’s symptoms may be more severe in men. Some evidence also suggests that seasonal affective disorder is more common in people who live at higher latitudes or farther from the equator, or that there is a component of susceptibility in family groups.

The specific causes of seasonal affective disorder are unknown. Some researches suspect that it’s related to the circadian rhythm and that the reduced levels of sunlight may disrupt the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is a process that regulates the body’s internal clock, letting you know when to sleep and when to wake. Disruption of the process may trigger depression, more in some individuals than others and more in some areas of the country or world than others.

Some researchers also suspect that SAD may be related to melatonin, a sleep-related hormone that has been linked to depression, as the body’s production of melatonin is increased during the long nights of winter. Others suggest that serotonin, a natural chemical in the brain that affects mood, may be a factor, as reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin levels, which may lead to depression.

Treatment for SAD can be very effective. The first step to recovery is recognizing the symptoms.

Signs and symptoms

SAD cycles with the seasons, typically appearing in the fall or early winter and going away in the spring, as the days get longer and warmer. However, some people have the opposite pattern, developing seasonal affective disorder in the warmer months. In either case, problems may start out mild and become more severe as the season progresses.

In some cases, people may experience reverse seasonal affective disorder. Instead of symptoms of depression, they have symptoms of mania or hypomania (a less intense mania) during the summer.

Symptoms of winter-onset SAD include:

• Depression
• Hopelessness
• Anxiety
• Loss of energy
• Social withdrawal
• Oversleeping
• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
• Weight gain
• Difficulty concentrating and processing information

Spring and summer (summer depression) SAD symptoms can include:

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• IIrritability
• Agitation
• Weight loss
• Poor appetite
• Increased sex drive

Reverse SAD (mania or hypomania) include:

• Persistently elevated mood
• Increased social activity
• Hyperactivity
• Enthusiasm out of proportion to the situation

When to seek medical advice

If you feel down for days at a time or can’t seem to get motivated, or if you persist in having some or all of the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, make an appointment and go see your doctor.

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