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www.sgmh.orgAS
fall slides deeper into winter, does a familiar down-
turn in your mood start to settle in? If so, you might
have seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
SAD is a type of depression linked to low amounts of
sunlight that occur during the shorter days of winter.
Symptoms tend to start in the fall and diminish with the
brighter days of spring. Often, January and February are
the most difficult months for someone with SAD.
Along with having depressive symptoms, such as low
self-esteem or hopelessness, a person who has SAD may:
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Feel extremely tired much of the time.
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Lack interest in usual activities, including sex.
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Try to avoid social contact.
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Overeat or crave sweet or starchy foods.
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Sleep more than usual or wake during the night or
early morning hours.
While many people are only mildly or moderately
affected by SAD, others can have significant symptoms
that affect their daily lives.
Most of the people who have SAD are women, and
they tend to develop it between the ages of 18 and 30.
And since SAD is related to seasonal changes in light,
people may be more likely to have SAD the farther north
they live, the National Alliance on Mental Illness reports.
Into the light
If you suspect you have SAD, talk to your health care
provider. Effective treatments are available. It’s also
important to make sure you don’t have a more serious
medical condition, such as major depression.
For milder SAD, health professionals may suggest that
you improve the natural lighting in your home and that
you do more activities outdoors, such as walking, during
daylight hours. If these changes don’t help, light therapy
may be prescribed.
Light therapy, also called phototherapy, involves in-
creasing your exposure to bright white light, the source
of which is often a special fluorescent light box. Light
treatments may last about 30 minutes each day.
Studies show that light therapy is effective in up to
85 percent of people who have SAD, reports Mental
Health America.
Antidepressant medicines and talk therapy—either
alone or with light therapy—also may be recommended
to help you feel better.
To learn more about SAD, go to
www.nami.org.
Winter
depression
can
trigger