What is SAD? Seasonal affective Disorder. A Depression that forms mainly in winter. Called the winter blues. Does the early darkness get you down? We operate best when it’s light. There is a 24 hour clock that predicts when we should be operateing properly that internal clock is 60,000 – 80,000 nerves cells is synchronized by light. The clock normally runs slowly. The seasons changed with light that is the reason. One needs to have an internal clock that matches the season. Lights does that . Light is the sycronize. The problem is when there is to much darkness the internal clock starts to drift. The internal clock congrols thingw hen we can sleep well. How alert we are. If that syc

Symtpons lower mood depression. Tired Fatigue. Carbohydrate craving, putting on weight in the winter.

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SAD September thru April.

Resource: Mayo Clinic

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195

Seasonal affective Disorder (SAD).

Seasonal affective disorder (also called SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. If you’re like most people with seasonal affective disorder, your symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, seasonal affective disorder causes depression in the spring or early summer.

Treatment for seasonal affective disorder includes light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy and medications. Don’t brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the “winter blues” or a seasonal funk that you have to tough out on your own. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year.

Symptoms

In most cases, seasonal affective disorder symptoms appear during late fall or early winter and go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer. However, some people with the opposite pattern have symptoms that begin in spring or summer. In either case, symptoms may start out mild and become more severe as the season progresses.

Fall and winter seasonal affective disorder (winter depression)
Winter-onset seasonal affective disorder symptoms include:

• Depression
• Hopelessness
• Anxiety
• Loss of energy
• Heavy, “leaden” feeling in the arms or legs
• Social withdrawal
• Oversleeping
• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
• Weight gain
• Difficulty concentrating

 Spring and summer seasonal affective disorder (summer depression)

Summer-onset seasonal affective disorder symptoms include:

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