Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

If you’re feeling down during the cold weather months, you might just have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The reduced level of sunlight in the fall and winter might disrupt your body’s internal clock and cause feelings of depression.

Symptoms of SAD
The signs and symptoms of SAD include many of those associated with major depression, such as:

Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day
Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
Experiencing changes in appetite or weight
Having problems with sleep
Feeling sluggish or agitated
Having low energy
Feeling hopeless or worthless
Having difficulty concentrating
Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide

For those with winter SAD, additional symptoms might include:

Oversleeping
Overeating, particularly with a craving for carbohydrates
Weight gain
Social withdrawal (you feel like hibernating)

How to Get Help
If you think you might be suffering from SAD, talk to your health care provider or a mental health specialist about your concerns. If you or someone you know is in immediate distress or is thinking about self-harm, call the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County (MHARS) Crisis Hotline at 1-800-888-6161. Or contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You also can text the Crisis Text Line (HELLO to 741741) or use the Lifeline Chat on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.

How Is SAD Treated?
Treatments are available that can help many people with SAD. They fall into four main categories that may be used alone or in combination:

Light therapy
Psychotherapy
Antidepressant medications
Vitamin D

Sweden, for instance, experiences only five and half hours of sunlight in the depths of winter. There, light-therapy clinics are widely available. An individual sits in front of a bright light box (10,000 lux) every day for about 30 to 45 minutes from fall to spring.

Sources for this article include the National Institute of Mental Health and The Mayo Clinic.