About Seasonal Affective Disorder in Adults

Seasonal affective disorder is a feeling of depression that is triggered by the lack of light and warmth during the winter. The change in seasons marks a change in personality. The causes of this disorder are not well understood, but there treatment options are available.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include depression, feeling hopeless, crying, irritability, craving carbohydrates, oversleeping, lack of energy, avoidance of society and inability to concentrate. These symptoms appear during the winter and disappear during the spring.

Possible Causes

• According to the Mayo Clinic, seasonal affective disorder may be caused by disruption of an individual's circadian rhythms, an increase in melatonin production due to the winter's longer nights or a decrease in serotonin levels caused by lack of sunlight.

Light Therapy and Other Treatments

• Exposure to extra light during the winter season tends to improve the mood of adults suffering from seasonal affective disorder, as light treatment tends to shut off melatonin production. Other treatments include antidepressants and psychotherapy.

Degrees

• Some adults suffer mild symptoms while others need to be hospitalized to keep them from attempting suicide.

Diagnosis

• If two or three days of bright sunlight during the winter triggers a drastic mood change then it is likely that you are suffering from seasonal affective disorder.

History

• In 1980 Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D., connected the darker days of winter with seasonal depression.