Have Seasonal Affective Disorder (ADD) ?: What You Should Know

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What is ADA?

It is the acronym for a condition known as seasonal affective disorder.

What is seasonal affective disorder?

It is a condition that causes energy consumption and causes mood, which usually sets in every fall and continues until spring, according to the Mayo Clinic. January and February are usually the worst months for SAD sufferers, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

What are the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder?

Long feelings of depression, guilt or lack of value; irritability; poor energy; apathy; changes in appetite (including appetite for carbohydrates); insomnia; excessive sleep; the decrease in sexual movement and suicidal thoughts may be signs of DAS, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Is seasonal affective disorder a type of depression?

Yes. DST is also known as winter or seasonal depression because it is linked to a decrease in sunlight, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

What Causes Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Medical professionals are not sure what causes ADR, but neurotransmitter regulatory issues are a possible culprit, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Low sunlight in autumn and winter can trigger a decrease in brain chemistry serotonin that can regulate mood, which can lead to depression.

Melatonin, a sleep stabilizing neurotransmitter, also does not play nicely in the winter. A drop in temperature can drop the levels of melatonin in the blood, leading people with ADD to overproduce it, causing them to feel sleepy and lethargic, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

How common is the seasonal affective disorder?

Approximately 5% of American adults experience ADI symptoms, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Is DAD more common among women or men?

Like depression, DAS is more common among women, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Women are diagnosed with DAE four times as often as men.

Does the seasonal affective disorder in the family?

Yes. People with family history of depression are more likely to be diagnosed with SAD, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Other risk factors include a younger adult and who have already been diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder.

Do I have the SAD?

The depressed feeling that sneaks into the lives of many people as the winters approach and the daylight hours shorten is called seasonal affective disorder or DAS. (Photo: Getty Images / iStockphoto)

Only your doctor can tell you this. People who think they might have SAD should talk to their doctors who can rule out a medical condition that can cause symptoms.

What are ADA treatments?

The four most common treatments are light therapy, medication, psychotherapy and vitamin D supplements, according to the National Mental Health Institute.

Antidepressants are often prescribed, according to the American Psychiatric Association, and speech therapy may also be useful. Some people believe that increased exposure to sunlight attenuates their symptoms, whether they spend more time outside or rearranging their office so that the office faces a window.

If not treated, ADR symptoms will generally disappear by itself in the spring or summer after returning to warm weather and sunlight.

How can I deal with seasonal affective disorders?

Unfortunately, going to Florida is probably not an option. So, what can you do to raise your mind in the middle of a dark gray gray Midwest?

First, look for natural light. Enjoy the sun. Jog around the block. Grab the window seat on the bus, in your office room or in a restaurant.

If you can not go out, falsify it: Use artificial light, such as a commercial light box. And do not change sleep: follow a schedule and try to wake up and fall asleep at the same time, both during the week and on the weekend.

Or, if all else fails, make a holiday. Even if you have to come back in the end, a week of fun in the sun could do wonders for your mood.

I have heard that light treatment is used to treat DAS. What is that?

Seasonal affective affective disorder (SAD) working on the computer with the LED SAD LED (bottom right) that provides relief for seasonal depression. (Photo: Getty Images / iStockphoto)

Treatment should be repeated daily during the autumn and winter months, usually for 20 minutes to one hour a day.