Does SAD Affect Me Every Year?

Seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD, is a type of clinical depression that occurs during specific months of the year. SAD causes depression in the fall and winter, when the days are shorter and it gets darker earlier. SAD is caused by the brain’s reaction to seasonal changes in daylight. The depression lifts as the daylight hours lengthen again. SAD is also called seasonal depression.

Signs & Symptoms of SAD

A person suffering from SAD may experience any or all of the following symptoms, as with other types of depression:

Changes In Mood

SAD can cause a sad, depressed, or irritable mood. People suffering from SAD may feel hopeless, discouraged, or unworthy. They may cry or become agitated more easily.

Negative Thinking

A person can become more critical of themselves or more sensitive to criticism. They may complain, blame, point fingers, or notice problems more frequently than usual. If you notice these signs in your friends or spouse, you can try to help your partner with depression.

Lack Of Enjoyment

People suffering from SAD may lose interest in activities they previously enjoyed. They may lose interest in friends and withdraw from social activities.

Low Energy

People may feel tired, drained of energy, or unmotivated to do anything. Everything can appear to them to be too difficult.

Changes In Sleep

A person may sleep significantly more than usual. They may have a particularly difficult time getting up and ready for school or work in the early morning hours.

Changes In Eating

SAD may cause cravings for simple carbohydrates (think comfort foods and sugary foods) as well as an overeating tendency. SAD can cause weight gain during the winter months due to this change in eating.

Trouble Concentrating

SAD, like any other type of depression, can make it difficult to concentrate. This can have an impact on schoolwork and grades.

Depression and anxiety management

Difference From Other Depressions

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has a seasonal pattern, with recurring episodes occurring more predictably during certain seasons of the year — most commonly during the winter months. SAD can have a predictable pattern of depression, which aids in disorder management. SAD is diagnosed using the same criteria as major depression, with seasonal patterns serving as a key indicator. It is estimated that one in every twenty people in the northern half of the United States suffers from SAD symptoms. While SAD is not contagious, it is thought to run in families. As with all depressive disorders, it is more common in women.

Prevention

Because seasonal depression has a predictable recurrence pattern, preventive measures may help to reduce symptoms. Some preventive measures include starting light therapy in the early fall before symptoms appear, exercising more, increasing the amount of light at home, meditation and other stress management techniques, spending more time outside, and traveling to sunnier climates.

Treatment

Phototherapy, or bright light therapy, has been shown to suppress melatonin secretion in the brain. Although no research has been conducted to link this therapy with an antidepressant effect, it is effective in up to 85 percent of diagnosed cases. Patients are exposed to light at ten times the intensity of normal domestic lighting for up to four hours per day but can engage in normal activities such as eating or reading. Today’s most common device is a bank of white fluorescent lights mounted on a metal reflector and shield with a plastic screen.

If phototherapy fails, antidepressant medication may be effective in reducing or eliminating symptoms, but there may be unfavorable side effects to consider. Discuss your symptoms with your family doctor and/or a mental health professional in depth.