SAD includes depression and anxiety and may be controlling your life. Find out what it is, and learn some strategies to help you take back your health and your life.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder in which people with normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms at the same time every year. I.e., signs and symptoms come back and go away at the same time each year. This disorder leads to depression, anxiety, pessimism and a lack of pleasure in the activities that you once found enjoyable. In severe cases suicide or thoughts of suicide may be present.

If you are like most people with seasonal affective disorder, your symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter months. This type of seasonal affective disorder is known as "classic" SAD.

Fall and winter SAD (winter depression, winter blues) symptoms include:

• Depression
• Hopelessness
• Anxiety
• Loss of energy
• Social withdrawal (from family, friends, social situations)
• Oversleeping
• Difficulty waking up in the morning
• Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
• Appetite changes, especially craving foods with high carbohydrates
• Weight gain
• Difficulty concentrating and processing information

A less common type of seasonal affective disorder causes depressive symptoms in the spring or early summer. Spring and summer SAD (summer blues) symptoms include:

• Anxiety
• Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
• Irritability
• Agitation
• Weight loss
• Poor appetite
• Increased sex drive

A rare form of seasonal affective disorder, known as Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder (RSAD), is more severe than the two above-mentioned types of SAD. Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder also affects people in the spring and summer, but is a form of bipolar disorder. In some people suffering from RSAD, the symptoms of mania or a less intense form of mania called hypomania (literally, below mania) can include the following symptoms:

• Persistently elevated mood
• Increased social activity
• Hyperactivity
• Unbridled enthusiasm out of proportion to the situation

While it is normal to have days when you feel down, if this situation continues for several days at a time and you find it hard to become motivated, to do activities you normally enjoy, you should seek medical advice.

There are many different treatment options that can be used to help with seasonal affective disorder:

• Increased daily exposure to sunlight--open blinds, sit closer to bright windows
• Get outside--even in cold weather some time outside helps
• Bright light therapy--using full spectrum light or white light for a prescribed daily dose
• Aerobic exercise--when used in conjunction with light therapy can halve the light exposure time
• Negative air ionization--releasing charged particles into the sleep environment
• Doctor prescribed medications--including SSRI antidepressants
• Increase vitamin D levels--vitamin D supplementation, cod liver oil, Omega-3 fatty acids
• Nutritional and dietary supplements
• Psychotherapy
• Acupuncture
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Guided imagery
• Massage therapy

Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms can be hard to live with, but having information about this condition and some treatment options can help you take back your health and your life. You can take action to cope with SAD by implementing the suggestions below:

• Stick to a treatment plan--take medications as directed and attend therapy sessions as scheduled
• Take care of yourself--get enough rest, eat regular and healthy meals, take time to relax, do not turn to alcohol or non-prescribed drugs for relief
• Practice stress management--learn to manage stress--some techniques are listed above
• Socialize--make an effort to connect with people you enjoy being around
• Support group--look for one in your area, include family and friends, your church if you have one
• Take a trip--if possible, take a winter vacation to a warm and sunny location if you have classic SAD, or to cooler locations if you have summer seasonal affective disorder
• Laugh more

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