Season Affective Disorder

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What is seasonal affective disorder?

Seasonal affective disorder (also called SAD) is a type of depression

that follows the seasons. The most common type of SAD is called

winter depression. It usually begins in late fall or early winter and

goes away by summer. A less common type of SAD, known as summer

depression, usually begins in the late spring or early summer. It

goes away by winter. SAD may be related to changes in the amount of

daylight during different times of the year.

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How common is SAD?

As many as half a million people in the United States may have winter

depression. Another 10% to 20% may experience mild SAD. SAD is more

common in women than in men. Although some children and teenagers get

SAD, it usually doesn't start in people younger than 20 years of age.

For adults, the risk of SAD decreases as they get older. SAD is more

common in northern geographic regions.

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How does my doctor know I have SAD?

Although your symptoms are clues to the diagnosis, not everyone with

SAD has the same symptoms. Common symptoms of winter depression

include the following:

A change in appetite, especially a craving for sweet or starchy foods

Weight gain

A heavy feeling in the arms or legs

A drop in energy level

Fatigue

A tendency to oversleep

Difficulty concentrating

Irritability

Increased sensitivity to social rejection

Avoidance of social situations

Symptoms of summer depression include poor appetite, weight loss and

insomnia. Either type of SAD may also include some of the symptoms

that are present in other forms of depression. These symptoms include

feelings of guilt, a loss of interest or pleasure in activities you

used to enjoy, ongoing feelings of hopelessness, and physical

problems, such as headaches.

Symptoms of SAD keep coming back year after year, and they tend to

come and go at about the same time every year. The changes in mood

are not necessarily related to obvious things that would make a

certain season stressful (like regularly being unemployed during the

winter).

Debbie J