Lucky me! It's summertime here and I'm looking at the window at all that wonderful light bathing my garden. But for people in the Northern hemisphere December is a time when many start to experience symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Winter Depression.
The symptoms include persistent feelings of sadness, lack of motivation and lack of interest in the things you normally enjoy. People with SAD may also experience feelings of hopelessness and withdraw from social activities. Changes in eating and sleep patterns are another indicator. For me SAD leads to increased eating - I find myself fondling the cakes in the supermarket and making trips to the local pizza joint - but some people will be the opposite. They may lose their appetite and feel listless and sad.
According to the Georgia Department of Human Resources eight in every hundred people experience Winter Depression but most are misdiagnosed.
The National Institute of Mental Health recommends treating Winter Depression with light box therapy first thing in the morning or melatonin pills to realign the night-day body clock.
Resources:
You can take a free Seasonal Affective Disorder quiz here
Read more about depression here
December is US Seasonal Depression Awareness Month
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