Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that some people get during the short days of fall and winter. You may feel unhappy and tired during fall and winter. But you feel more cheerful and have more energy in spring and summer. You may gain weight and exercise less in winter. You also may feel more grouchy during winter. You may find it hard to get along with family and coworkers.
Doctors think that having less natural light may cause SAD. Your doctor may recommend light therapy. This helps many people with SAD. With light therapy, you are near artificial bright lights for a set period of time each winter day. Most people do this in the morning. You should feel better soon after you start light therapy. You may need to keep doing it until spring. Your doctor also may prescribe antidepressant medicine and suggest exercise.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a condition in which a person feels depressed at a certain time each year. It most often occurs during the fall and winter months when days are shorter and there is less light. Treatment includes light therapy, dawn simulation, counseling, and antidepressant medicines.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can come and go at about the same time each year. You may feel unhappy and tired during fall and winter. But you feel more cheerful and have more energy in spring and summer.
If you have SAD, you may feel sad, grumpy, or anxious. You may lose interest in your usual activities, or you may gain weight. You may eat more and crave carbohydrates, such as bread and pasta. You may also have trouble concentrating and may sleep more but still feel tired.
The main treatment for SAD is light therapy, which is exposure to bright light. Medicines, dawn simulation, and counseling may also help.
To diagnose SAD, your doctor will ask if you have been depressed during the same season and gotten better when the seasons changed for at least 2 years in a row. Your doctor may also do a mental health assessment.
There are things you can do for yourself when you have seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Getting regular exercise and getting more sunlight may help.
Anyone can get seasonal affective disorder (SAD), but it's more common in:
Experts aren't sure what causes SAD. But they think it may be caused by a lack of sunlight. Lack of light may upset your "biological clock," which controls your sleep-wake pattern and other circadian rhythms. Lack of light may also cause problems with serotonin, a brain chemical that affects mood.
Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that occurs during the same season each year. It is sometimes called winter depression or seasonal depression.
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