If you are depressed during the shorter days of winter but feel happier and more energetic in spring and summer, you may have seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that affects you at the same time each year, usually in the fall or winter. But as the days lengthen in spring and summer, the depression lifts.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a medically recognized sub-type of major depression. It is characterized by abnormal mood episodes that occur at the same time of year on a regular basis. SAD is more common in the winter months, though Summer SAD has also been diagnosed. Winter Blues is the common name for sub-syndromal SAD.

Seasonal affective disorder (or SAD) is a form of depression caused by the lack of sunlight. It usually occurs in winter when natural light levels decrease. A common treatment for this condition is phototherapy, in which a light box is used to expose the patient to high levels of light for prolonged periods.

St. John's wort has been quite successful in the treatment of SAD. The lack of sunlight that occurs in autumn and winter triggers biochemical changes in the brain and leads to such symptoms as depression, impaired concentration, anxiety, marked decrease in energy and libido, and carbohydrate cravings. It is especially common in countries at the extreme northern and southern latitudes, where there is less sunlight during the winter months.

Answer: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a pattern of significant depressive symptoms that occur and then disappear with the changing of the seasons. SAD has also been called "Winter Depression" or "Winter Blues". The reason for these names is that SAD occurs when days get shorter around November and lasting until Spring.

Many people, especially in northern latitudes where winter hours of daylight are fewer, complain of feeling down, having less energy, putting on weight and having a hard time getting up in the morning. This is what we refer to as "having the Winter Blues." Although there are variances among individuals, most people with SAD experience all of these symptoms, but to a much greater degree. They are often despondent and fatigued, and want to withdraw from the world.

Answer: Melatonin, a sleep-related hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain, has been linked to SAD. This hormone, which may cause symptoms of depression, is produced at increased levels in the dark. Therefore, when the days are shorter and darker the production of this hormone increases.

Answer: SAD is similar to other major depressions in its severity and symptoms; however, it occurs seasonally usually starting in the fall and lasting until early spring. This disorder is cyclical. SAD patients also tend to sleep and eat more compared to patients with other types of clinical depression — usually, depression patients have insomnia and loss of appetite.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or "Winter Blues", is a type of clinical depression. Symptoms include excessive eating, sleeping and weight gain during the fall or winter months. Light therapy, preferably in the morning, has been used with success in treating SAD, but other treatments for depression (for example, medications) are also effective.

Shorter days of winter and lack of light are considered one cause of seasonal depression, especially for people who move to extreme northern climates, where winter days are very short or seasonal differences in the amount of daylight are extreme.1, 2 However, researchers are studying other possible causes, including disturbances in the body's natural biological clock (circadian rhythms) or problems with the regulation of a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) called serotonin.

A doctor will base his or her diagnosis of SAD on whether you have been depressed in the winter and recovered in the spring or summer for at least 2 years in a row. These dramatic mood swings in response to changes in seasons are what differentiate SAD from nonseasonal depression.

You are more likely to develop seasonal affective disorder if you are a female between the ages of 15 and 55. Between 60% and 90% of people with SAD are women, and those who have a relative with SAD are more likely to develop it. Older teens and young adults are also at risk for SAD. People living farther away from the equator develop SAD more often, but you can develop it no matter where you live.3 The risk of developing SAD for the first time decreases as you age.

A person may be depressed, if for more than a month they have felt sad, down or miserable most of the time, or lost interest or pleasure in most of their usual activities.

If you have seasonal affective disorder (SAD), you will usually develop symptoms of depression during the winter when there is less daylight (October through April). Symptoms of SAD include:3 People with SAD may either have symptoms of major depression or minor depression. Those with minor depression are considered to have subsyndromal SAD. Before diagnosing you with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a health professional will ask about your medical history.

We have seen that sadness, hopelessness, loss, low self-regard, loneliness, guilt, and shame are complex conditions or processes. The causes are complex and so are the solutions. It is hard to pull yourself out of a sinkhole of misery, sometimes impossible. When you feel most like doing nothing, you need to DO SOMETHING! When the future looks most bleak, you need to face it with some hope. When hating yourself, you need to accept what you have been and work on being better.

Yes. First, learn all you can about your illness by reading books, going to lectures and talking to your doctor. Get support from others who also have the illness. The Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association is a good place to look for a support group in your area. In these groups, you can hear how others face the challenges of life and manage their mood and treatment medications. For helpful hints for managing your illness, see Coping With Bipolar Disorder.

Bipolar disorder (commonly referred to as manic-depression) is a major affective disorder in which an individual alternates between states of deep depression and extreme euphoria (mania).