Seasonal Affective Disorder

Many people go through short periods when they feel sad or unlike their usual selves. Sometimes, these mood changes begin and end when the seasons change. Many people feel “down” or have the “winter blues” when the days get shorter in the fall and winter and feel better in the spring when longer daylight hours return. Sometimes, these mood changes are more serious and can affect how a person feels, thinks, and behaves. If you have noticed significant changes in your mood and behavior when the seasons change, you may be experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Not every person with SAD experiences all the symptoms listed below. Winter-pattern SAD should not be confused with “holiday blues”—feelings of sadness or anxiety brought on by stresses at certain times of the year. The depression associated with SAD is related to changes in daylight hours, not the calendar, so stresses associated with the holidays or predictable seasonal changes in work or school schedules, family visits, and so forth are not the same as SAD.

 

How is SAD treated?

Treatments are available to help people with SAD. They fall into four main categories that can be used alone or in combination:

• Light therapy
• Psychotherapy
• Antidepressant medication
• Vitamin D

Light therapy and vitamin D are treatments for winter-pattern SAD, whereas psychotherapy and antidepressants are used to treat depression in general, including winter- and summer pattern SAD. There are no treatments specific to summer pattern SAD.

 

Need Help, Get Help

Talk to a health care provider about the potential benefits and risks of different treatment options and which treatment is best for you. NIMH has tips for talking with a health care provider at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/talkingtips