{"id":11357,"date":"2020-11-06T15:00:59","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T21:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=11357"},"modified":"2021-06-01T10:29:53","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T15:29:53","slug":"extended-winter-blues-could-be-sad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/extended-winter-blues-could-be-sad\/","title":{"rendered":"Extended winter blues could be SAD"},"content":{"rendered":"

If colder weather and shorter days put you in a funky mood, you might try to shrug it off as \u201cwinter blues.\u201d But it could be more than that \u2013 especially if you feel this way every winter and the mood lingers for weeks or months.<\/p>\n

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)<\/a> is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons. It primarily strikes in the fall and dissipates in the spring.<\/p>\n

The end of Daylight Saving Time, which usually occurs about November 1, generally signals a rise in SAD diagnoses.<\/p>\n

The American Psychiatric Association estimates 5% of adults in the United States are affected. The majority of people who have SAD are women in their child-bearing years. But according to Marybeth Evans, a licensed clinical social worker for OSF HealthCare, \u201cit can affect anybody, mostly from adolescence on. Children and older adults can get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sunlight plays a major role<\/h2>\n

Family medical history and your geographic location may contribute to SAD, which is less common closer to the equator. But biology plays a major role.<\/p>\n

SAD occurs when certain chemicals in our body get out of balance. These particular chemicals \u2013 serotonin and melatonin \u2013 both play a role in our sleep-wake cycles<\/a>. Both are also affected by the amount of sunlight we experience.<\/p>\n

Serotonin is known as the \u201chappy chemical,\u201d because it helps us feel good. Serotonin increases with sunlight and signals our body to wake up and get moving.<\/p>\n

Melatonin<\/a> is a hormone that increases with darkness and signals our body that it\u2019s time to rest.<\/p>\n

They work together to create our circadian rhythm, which is our internal, biological clock. When working properly, we have a healthy sleep-wake pattern and tend to be energetic and productive. When it\u2019s off kilter, our sleep becomes irregular, and we become prone to depression.<\/p>\n

Symptoms to watch for<\/h2>\n

Symptoms of SAD<\/a> can be mild or severe. They can range from simple fatigue to frequent thoughts of death or suicide.<\/p>\n

Some symptoms might seem strange. For example, the American Psychiatric Association says you could feel fatigued because you sleep too much. Other symptoms may include:<\/p>\n