Seasonal Affective Disorder
What is seasonal depression?
Seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that typically occurs at the same time every year. If you're like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter months, draining you of energy and making you feel moody. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer.
SAD Symptoms include:
- Depression
- Hopelessness
- Anxiety
- Loss of energy
- Heavy feeling in the arms or legs
- Social withdrawal
- Oversleeping
- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
- Weight gain
- Difficulty concentrating
Just a down day or something more?
It's normal to have some days when you feel down. But if you feel down for days at a time and you can't seem to get motivated to engage in activities you normally enjoy, do see your health care provider. This is particularly important if you notice that your sleep patterns and appetite have changed or if you feel hopeless, think about suicide, or find yourself turning to alcohol for comfort or relaxation.
Who is typically affected by SAD?
Factors that may increase your risk of SAD include:
- Being female. SAD is diagnosed more often in women than in men, but men may have symptoms that are more severe.
- Living far from the equator. SAD appears to be more common among people who live far north or south of the equator. This may be due to decreased sunlight during the winter, and longer days during the summer months.
- Family history. As with other types of depression, those with SAD may be more likely to have relatives with the condition.
- Having clinical depression or bipolar disorder. Symptoms of depression may worsen seasonally if you have one of these conditions.
What causes seasonal depression / SAD?
The specific cause of SAD remains unknown. It's likely, as with many mental health conditions, that genetics, age and your body's natural chemical makeup all play a role. A few specific factors that may come into play include:
- Your biological clock (circadian rhythm). The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter may disrupt your body's internal clock, which lets you know when you should sleep or be awake. This disruption of your circadian rhythm may lead to feelings of depression.
- Serotonin levels. A drop in serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that affects mood, might play a role in SAD. Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin that may trigger depression.
- Melatonin levels. The change in season can disrupt the balance of the natural hormone melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.
How does “falling back” with the time change play into things?
The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter may disrupt your body's internal clock, which lets you know when you should sleep or be awake. This disruption of your circadian rhythm may lead to feelings of depression.
Does holiday stress contribute to SAD?
Certainly, the stress of the holiday season can contribute to clinical depression, and because SAD is a subset of depression, it’s reasonable to think that stress can exacerbate the symptoms of SAD.
How do you treat this kind of depression?
Treatment for seasonal affective disorder includes light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy, and medications.
Light therapy
In light therapy, you sit a few feet from a very specialized light therapy box so that you are exposed to bright light. Light therapy mimics outdoor light and appears to cause a change in brain chemicals linked to mood.
Light therapy is one of the most effective treatments for SAD. It generally starts working in two to four days and causes few side effects. Research on light therapy is limited, but it appears to be effective for most people in relieving SAD symptoms.
Medications
Antidepressants commonly used to treat SAD include Zoloft, Prozac, and Wellbutrin.
Wellbutrin has been shown to help prevent depressive episodes in people with a history of SAD before it begins each season.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is another option to treat SAD. Psychotherapy can help you identify and change negative thoughts and behaviors that may be making you feel worse. You can also learn about healthy ways to cope with SAD and manage stress.
How common is SAD?
Prevalence in the U.S. ranges from around 1 percent in Florida to 10 percent in New Hampshire and Washington state. Overall, there is a 6 percent incidence in the US.
Article Posted January 17, 2012