1/18/05

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

If, during the winter, you feel blue, gain weight and wake up tired, even though you might be sleeping more, you may have seasonal affective disorder.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people every winter. It is caused by a biochemical imbalance due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter. Ronald Zec, associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, explains the disorder:

SOUND BITE: “There’s low mood, depressed state and so on. But there are some symptoms that are a little different. There is actually increased appetite, specifically increased appetite for carbohydrates. People eat more carbohydrates, as a consequence of that, people with seasonal affective disorder typically put on weight in the winter months.”

Both men and women can have SAD, but it is more common in women and it occurs more often in young adults, age 20 to 40. The disorder is more prevalent in the months of December, January and February when the days are shortest. Zec explains some techniques to help alleviate the symptoms.

SOUND BITE: “Getting more light, however you can get it, so it would be nice if you’re wealthy and you can fly south for the winter like many people do, get sunlight that way, or you can have more illumination in your home. Exercise helps, even though you don’t feel like exercising, forcing yourself to exercise seems to be stimulating and has some beneficial effect in counteracting the effects of seasonal affective disorder.”

If someone you know suffers from seasonal affective disorder and is not helped by bright sunlight and exercise, they should see a doctor for evaluation and possible treatment.