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Signs & Symptoms of Seasonal Depression

Seasonal depression is a common disorder present among people in the fall and winter months of the year. This disorder is often referred to as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder.) The depression is thought to be caused by lack of sunlight and shorter days.

  1. Loss of Energy and Oversleeping

    • One of the first signs of seasonal depression is a loss of energy and motivation. Gradually, a person suffering with seasonal depression feels a sense of fatigue and exhaustion. This typically happens in the fall or early winter. A person suffering with seasonal depression tends to sleep more and take more naps. He may also start going to bed earlier than usual and waking up later than he normally would. The extra sleep, however, does not help. It seems to only make the energy loss worse, and he is left feeling exhausted most of the time.

    Social Withdrawal and Anxiety

    • Seasonal depression causes anxiety in people who are suffering with it. This anxiety causes nervousness and restlessness. A person with SAD feels uncomfortable being around other people and usually withdrawals from social gatherings. She avoids being around people if she doesn't have to be, and tends to isolate herself from her friends and family.

    Appetite Changes and Weight Gain

    • People with seasonal depression often start eating more. One symptom of seasonal depression is the craving for carbohydrates. A person suffering with this will eat more often, bigger portions and a lot more carbohydrates than normal. He is also inclined to gain weight due to eating more and sleeping more.

    Difficulty Concentrating

    • With any type of depression, one symptom is lack of concentration and focus. When a person is depressed, her mind slips off to other things. Because of this, she finds it harder to concentrate on regular tasks. Her work suffers through this as well as her personal life.

    Symptoms That Fade in the Spring

    • Generally, when winter comes to an end and spring rolls in, most of these symptoms start to fade as the days become longer in the spring and summer and the sunlight is prevalent. This is one way to distinguish seasonal depression from other kinds of depression.

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