Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

North Dakota is far from the equator, creating long cold winters. Besides making people cold, the decreasing temperatures also have a significant effect on mental illness. Seasonal affective disorder, also known as (SAD) is a psychological condition identified in the 1980s. Seasonal affective disorder effects 4-6 percent of people in the united states. (SAD) affects women 4 times as much as men.

Depression is defined as, “a mood disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit suicide” (Merriam Webster). A close friend of mine battles depression and would describe it is, “a debilitating mood that makes it hard to get out of the bed in the morning, a desire to sleep all the time, inability to experience joy, and apathy towards life.” Due to its prevalent occurrence among several people groups throughout history, depression is known as the “common cold of mental illnesses” and has been called “the most widespread, serious,

I have diagnosed myself with seasonal depression, which I can assure you is a very real disease. The technical name for this disorder is Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, which is defined as a mood disorder characterized by depression that occurs at the same time every year. Causes may be genetic, as I am sure that my dad also has seasonal depression. So many winters of my life have been spent shivering while walking around school, playing in the snow until I thought my hands would fall off, and fearing going back outside to feel the gust of cold wind take over my body. The condition gets worse during daylight savings when the sun sets at 5pm, and the cold night takes over. Thus, when applying to colleges, the coldest school I applied to was in Washington D.C. I refused to

in a SAD patient this does not occur until about two hours later. In order to

Seasonal depression occurs only at a certain time of the year, usually winter, because the number of daylight hours is lower. Another form of depression is psychotic depression, which is when depression and hallucinations are experienced at the same time. They all have different symptoms and should be approached differently to receive the correct treatment.

When the dark days of winter approach, people are slowed down and have difficulty waking up in the morning They are tempted to snack on holiday foods and find that the pounds will creep up on them, even as they valiantly try to diet. People can often find it difficult to focus at work or in a relationships, feel down in the dumps, or maybe even depressed. If a person says yes to any one of these criteria, than they may be experiencing a disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D), or also known as the winter blues. A current study shows that the population that lives in the Northern America and European. In its very basic form, S.A.D effects 6% of all Americans suffer from this distress, Seasonality can also lead to distress, both in an individual's work and one's personal life. Over ten million Americans have suffered, or are suffering from S.A.D, and while the percentage may not seem like a large number, but it translates into over a million Americans. Though Some people may not be affected by S.A.D enough to seek medical attention, they still feel less cheerful, less energetic creative and productive during the dark winter days. The effects of the seasons on humans have been well known through the centuries to artists, poets, and songwriter. For example, Shakespeare observed that a, "sad tale's best for winter", while Keats wrote nightingale singing of summer "in full throated ease", and the singer of a modern day ballad calls his beloved the

Growing up in Alaska certainly taught me how to live peacefully with the bear minimum in life. Hauling water from a creek in the back of my house, using an outhouse in fifty below zero weather, and above all, living for almost nine months with an extreme lack of sunlight. When I lived in Alaska I treasured the beautiful yet short summer months that seemed to come and go with such swiftness. The difference in weather and amount of sunlight that I got to enjoy was just as drastic as my mood in the wintertime compared to the summer. In the summer life seemed remarkably pleasurable, I was happier with my appearance, and I worried much less about petty obstacles that I was confronted with. Unlike in the wintertime when every little thing

episodes of fall/winter depression alternating with periods of spring/summer euthymia (norma l mood) or hypomania (mild elation and behavioral activation)” (2). There has been much research done to support the SAD and to find effective treatments for the annual malady such as bright light therapy. SAD generally occurs in the winter months, beginning around November and ending around March. People with symptoms of SAD differ from regular depressives in that winter depressive; have fewer suicidal tendencies, a less negative mood, fewer signs of dependency and less self-criticism. Symptoms of SAD include overeating, weight gam,

The seasonal symptoms experienced by someone with SAD align with other forms of major depression and include feelings of uselessness or unimportance, fatigue, lack of interest in once enjoyable tasks, sleeplessness, appetite and weight fluctuations, lethargy and irritability, problems focusing and suicidal ideation (The National Institute of Mental Health, 2016). These symptoms may differ somewhat depending on the seasons with which the individual is experiencing the episodes of depression. For instance, individuals who experience depressive episodes during the winter tend to overeat, have decreased energy, experience excessive sleepiness, gain weight, crave carbohydrates, and are socially isolated (The National Institute of Mental Health, 2016). On the other hand, individuals who experience episodes of depression during the spring and summer tend

There are generally nine recognized subsets of depression: Major depression results in extreme sadness, hopelessness, lack of energy, irritability, trouble concentrating, changes in sleep or eating habits, feelings of guilt, physical pain, and suicidal thoughts. Dysthymia depression is just an overall low-feeling mood over a long period of time. People can function with Dysthymia depression but it is difficult and in no way ideal. Some symptoms include sadness, trouble concentrating, fatigue, and changes in sleep habits, and appetite. Postpartum depression is characterized by feelings of extreme sadness, fatigue, loneliness, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, and feelings of disconnect from a child after a woman gives birth. This is usually found

Alaskans experiences on average about five hours of sunlight during the winter months, sometimes living in Alaska during the winter can take its toll on a person. The year 1984 was when Seasonal Affective Disorder first became known in a research paper at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Seasonal Affective Disorder mainly affects people in the winter season, but can also affect people during the summer seasons. Seasonal Affective Disorder is best understood as a form of depression that affects people in the winter and, less commonly, in the summer. This paper will help provide a better understanding of S.A.D. and how it affects people living in Arctic climates.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is best characterized as a mild depression that typically lasts for a season. This type of depression usually occurs during the fall and winter months, which tends to disappear throughout the rest of the year. The disorder was initially introduced in the DSM-IV in 1994, identified as a depression disorder with a seasonal pattern (Rosenthal & Rosenthal, 2006). Furthermore, the symptoms of SAD are very similar to major depression, but varies in severity. According to the American Psychology Association (2015), “symptoms include fatigue, pervasively sad mood, loss of interest, sleep difficulty or excessive sleeping, craving and eating more

The topic that I chose to research is Seasonal Affective Disorder, also abbreviated as SAD. This topic is very relevant to me since I am one of those that suffer. It is very common, and most people who have it, don’t even realize it. An astounding 1 in 3 people suffer with SAD (Molloy, 2014). Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that is observed within a certain period of time. This time frame is from fall to spring, and usually it is around the same time length for everyone. While often misunderstood as just “those gloomy winter days”, Seasonal Affective Disorder is very serious and if not handled correctly, can result in continued depression throughout the year. Another very important misconception, is that Seasonal Affective Disorder only affects people in the winter. Although less common, some deal with SAD in the summer months as well. Seasonal Affective Disorder affects many people nationwide and can seriously deteriorate

Another great post, great detailed writing that offers explanation for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Because your post combined with mine, more or less covered the majority of information, I am taking the discussion in an entirely different direction to present my hypothesis regarding a factor that might have played into the SAD diagnosis of the case study.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) takes place during the winter weather, this is due to the lessening of the sunlight during those months. The symptoms include lack of energy, eating more than you would usually, sleeping more and gaining weight. People are diagnosed after they have had these symptoms present during the winter for more than 2 years. This type of disorder can be treated with artificial light treatment. During light therapy, you sit or work near a device called a light therapy box. The box gives off bright light that mimics natural outdoor light.