What is SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)?

Answer 1

Like many people, you may experience cabin fever during the winter months. Or, you may tend to eat more or sleep more when the temperature drops. But seasonal affective disorder (SAD) goes well beyond those symptoms. Seasonal affective disorder is much more than the winter blahs. It's a type of depressive disorder.

If you have seasonal affective disorder, winter's short days and long nights may induce feelings of depression, lethargy, fatigue, cravings for sweets and starches, headaches, sleep problems and irritability. Though seasonal affective disorder commonly begins in young adulthood, it's uncommon in people younger than 20. It's more common in women.

What causes seasonal affective disorder is unclear, but it may have to do with the amount of sunlight you receive. Although SAD can affect people anywhere, it becomes more common the farther north you live — perhaps because these areas of the earth experience decreased daylight for months at a time. In some people, however, recurring episodes of depression may occur in the summer, rather than in the winter.

Although there's no cure for seasonal affective disorder, treatments can help you successfully manage the condition so that you can go through every season of the year in relative comfort.

Answer 2

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression which occurs during the winter months to over a half a million people. From the month of September through April, in some parts of the world, is when the depression begins and ends. The cold months of December, January, and February tend to be the worse for a sufferer of SAD.

Due to sunlight being less throughout the winter months, SAD is brought on by lack of sunlight or natural light. A person between the ages of 18 and 30 can first experience SAD. If the depression occurs for more than three winters, this can be a sign their body is suffering from lack of sunlight.

Answer 3

If you are depressed during the shorter days of winter but feel happier and more energetic in spring and summer, you may have seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that affects you at the same time each year, usually in the fall or winter. But as the days lengthen in spring and summer, the depression lifts.

Shorter days of winter and lack of light are considered one cause of seasonal depression, especially for people who move to extreme northern climates, where winter days are very short or seasonal differences in the amount of daylight are extreme.1, 2 However, researchers are studying other possible causes, including disturbances in the body's natural biological clock (circadian rhythms) or problems with the regulation of a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) called serotonin.

Answer 4

Hi James,

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, also known as winter depression is an affective, or mood, disorder. Most SAD sufferers experience normal mental health throughout most of the year, but experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer. SAD is rare, if existent at all, in the tropics, but is measurably present at latitudes north of 30°N, or south of 30°S.
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There is a lot more infomation , like treatment and Pathophysiology on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Answer 5

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, also known as winter depression is an affective, or mood, disorder. Most SAD sufferers experience normal mental health throughout most of the year, but experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer. SAD is rare, if existent at all, in the tropics, but is measurably present at latitudes north of 30°N, or south of 30°S.

Answer 6

SAD affects people at different seasons. Like in the fall and winter the person might not want to go any where or do anything. I its because the days are shorter and it gets dark earlier. It is also known has sundown syndrome.

Answer 7

It is a disorder that affects people in places that get little sunlight, usually in the winter months.

They have certain symptoms that parallel depression. What is needed is getting at least 15 minutes of sunlight per day and taking vitamin D (with calcium). They need to eat healthy, get exercise and be careful with fatty foods and carbs. Also, lay of the alcohol.

There are special lights you can buy to help get simulated sunlight if none is available outside.

Answer 8

I have it. I get really down when it is cold and dark. I also have trouble when the days are to short. I have a sun lamp to sit under every day for about ten min to help me stay comfortable. I also take meds but we won't go there. SAD can be treated with or without meds in some cases.

Answer 9

SAD is created by the lack of natural sunlight in your body. it is most prevelant in the winter months due to the shortened daytime hours. it can be serious.
you can combat it, but using lighting in your home of high wattage. keeping the windows uncovered and the lights on during the day. if these tricks don't help, see a doctor as depression can be treated.

Answer 10

Its also known as the WINTER BLUES, you get vitamins from the sun and certian places get very little to none in the winter. Portland, Oregon gets 30days in a row of rain, and therefor it gives people seasonal depression. there are ways to make it better, and the site below I found that has more information on it about that topic.