{"id":19911,"date":"2018-01-03T18:39:58","date_gmt":"2018-01-03T13:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zovon.com\/?p=19911"},"modified":"2020-04-10T20:17:12","modified_gmt":"2020-04-10T14:47:12","slug":"seasonal-affective-disorder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zovon.com\/?p=19911","title":{"rendered":"Seasonal Affective Disorder – Symptoms, Causes, Prevention and Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression<\/strong><\/a> which hits people during a particular season. People with SAD mostly observe symptoms in the fall which continue into the winter. SAD affected individuals feel moody and drained of energy. People have less enthusiasm to participate in daily activities of life and feel sleepy most of the time. SAD is not very common in summer or spring. However, some people may still face SAD in these months too. Even though SAD can affect almost anyone, women are more prone to getting it. It comes and goes on its own with seasonal changes. It is also more commonly seen in young people and those who live in areas that are farther away from the equator. That is, it is common in areas where days are shorter and not much sunlight is received during the winter months. <\/span><\/p>\n

SAD is a recognized mental disorder. Many of us get affected by seasonal changes. We all feel more energetic and lively when the sun is shining brightly, and the days are longer while in winters we mostly find ourselves eating more and curling up in the blanket. These changes are not a matter of concern normally but in case of people with SAD these changes have a severe impact on mood and energy levels and lead to symptoms of depression that may hinder their day to day activities. It is an effort for a SAD patient to rise up in the morning and engage in daily life chores. Further SAD is more common in countries like the U.K. As in these regions there are diverse changes in weather and daylight hours in various seasons.<\/span><\/p>\n

SAD is also known as winter depression. This is because symptoms are more apparent and more severe during winters. Symptoms start in the autumn as days become shorter and shorter. The months in which it is most common are December, January and February. The symptoms of this condition occur during the same time period every year. It affects 2% of the population in the U.K. The symptoms usually crop up for the first time when the person is in 20s. However, it does not mean that children cannot get affected by the condition. It is just that they have lesser chances of having the condition. There are many treatments that can be tried to help ease the symptoms. There is no particular diagnosis for this condition.<\/span><\/p>\n

SAD is mostly related to daylight and has little to do with temperature. Lack of sunlight results in production of a chemical called Melatonin in our body and this Melatonin is believed to cause depressive symptoms and sleep disorders. If you see symptoms only in one winters, you may not be having SAD. For SAD to occur some criteria have to be met like:<\/span><\/p>\n