Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
When the leaves start falling, so do the moods of about 35 million Americans. Although the winter holidays are meant to be a time of joy and celebration, many people experience them from a pit of dark and lonely isolation. It is normal to slow down in winter --- to feel somewhat less enthusiastic and cheerful than in summer when the sun is radiating bright light and warmth, birds are singing, flowers blooming, etc. But when symptoms of clinical depression manifest during the winter months --- a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) --- the "winter doldrums" become more ominous than just feeling blue.
People suffering from S.A.D. experience many of the common symptoms of clinical depression including (but not limited to) sleep disturbances, avolition, malaise, self-recrimination for past actions, difficulty concentrating and making decisions, appetite disturbances, marked weight loss or gain, feelings of hopelessness and despair, and suicidal thoughts. Because these and other symptoms can affect a person in nearly all aspects of his or her life, S.A.D. must be taken seriously --- like non-seasonal Major Depressive Disorder, S.A.D. is a disease that can and should be treated.
S.A.D. is more common in northern countries, probably because the winter day gets shorter as one travels north. For instance, less than 1% of the general population in Florida has S.A.D. while about 20% of Alaska's population do. In Northern Europe, about 2% have severe S.A.D. with another 10% reporting milder symptoms (sub-syndromal-S.A.D or the "winter blues"). Symptoms tend to start in late September, lasting as late as April but peaking during the darkest months. The problem is believed to result from the lack of bright light in winter. Researchers have proved that bright light makes a difference on brain chemistry, although the exact means by which S.A.D. sufferers are affected is not yet clear.
Treatment for S.A.D. includes counseling, behavioral therapy, light therapy and/or anti-depressant drugs. Patients with S.A.D. symptoms should be encouraged to consult a physician and seek treatment.
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