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Seasonal Affective Disorder: What is It
09.01.2024 23:00
Updated: 13.05.2024 21:21
Seasonal affective disorder is characterized by depressive symptoms that come and go depending on the time of year, usually appearing in the fall and winter and disappearing completely in the spring and summer.
Seasonal affective disorder symptoms may vary from person to person.
Why does seasonal depression occur
Seasonal depression (seasonal affective disorder) often develops due to decreased sunlight during the fall and winter.
The result is an imbalance of substances in the brain responsible for regulating mood.
How does seasonal disorder syndrome manifest
It should be taken into account that with winter depression, symptoms appear, as with MDD: decreased vital energy, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, hyperphagia, the need to spend time alone, increased drowsiness, weight gain, decreased social activity.
Additional symptoms may be completely nonspecific: feelings of guilt and worthlessness, anxiety, low self-esteem, difficulty concentrating; desire to be alone, irritability, eating disorders, drowsiness or insomnia.
In fact, about 5% of the US population experiences SAD each year.
How long does seasonal depression last
The symptoms of seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder, are complex and persistent over a long period of time.
They are repeated annually at the same period - often in late autumn, early winter - for at least two years.
We previously talked about fear of change.
