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 days are colder and shorter and night-time 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. Like most things, 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 any or all of the following: depression, feeling hopeless, anxiety, loss of energy, social withdrawal, excessive sleeping (this is a typical symptoms of many types of depression). There may be a loss of interest in activities the individual once participated in with pleasure. There may also be a change in eating habits or appetite, with a higher-than-normal craving for carbohydrates (resulting in that winter weight gain we all dread).

Spring and summer (summer depression) SAD symptoms can include similar symptoms to winter SAD, but there may also be irritability, agitation, weight loss instead of weight gain, and an increased sex drive.

In cases of reverse SAD, where there is mania or hypomania, there may be a an elevated mood that lasts longer than would be expected, an increase in social activity, and symptoms of hyperactivity. The person may exhibit enthusiasm that is 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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