Seasonal affective disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), pronounced /ˈsiːzənəl əˈfektɪv dɪsˈɔːdər/, is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons. SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you're like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer.

Etymology

The term "Seasonal Affective Disorder" is believed to have been coined in the 1980s by Norman E. Rosenthal, an American psychiatrist. The term combines "seasonal" (from Latin "sēsō", meaning "I sow") indicating the condition's link to seasonal changes, and "affective disorder" (from Latin "afficere", meaning "to influence"), a term used in psychiatry to describe a range of conditions affecting mood and emotion.

Symptoms

Symptoms of SAD may include:

Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day
Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
Having low energy
Having problems with sleeping
Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight
Feeling sluggish or agitated
Having difficulty concentrating
Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty
Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide

Causes

The specific cause of seasonal affective disorder remains unknown. Some factors that may come into play include:

Your biological clock (circadian rhythm). The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter may cause winter-onset SAD. This decrease in sunlight may disrupt your body's internal clock and 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 body's level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.

Treatment

Treatment for SAD may include light therapy (phototherapy), medications and psychotherapy.

References

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Seasonal affective disorder
Wikipedia's article - Seasonal affective disorder

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Seasonal affective disorder