As the days get shorter and the temperatures continue to drop during winter, some people experience depression-like symptoms brought on by seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. SAD is a type of depression that can affect anyone but is most common in people who live in areas where winter days are short and there is a limited supply of sunlight.

Robert Farra, Ph.D., Director of the Adult Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry at NorthShore, answers questions on SAD, from symptoms to treatment options:

Q: What are the symptoms of SAD?

• Feeling sad or moody
• Loss of interest in usually pleasurable things
• Eating more and craving carbohydrates
• Gaining weight
• Sleeping more and feeling drowsy during the day

Q: How many people are affected?

• It is estimated that a half million (500,000) people in the U.S. have SAD.

Q: Why do many people experience depression before the holidays?

• Typically the days of little sunshine
• Stress of the season

Q: How can people combat seasonal depression? Any concrete tips? 

• Light therapy may help. Sitting in front of a high intensity fluorescent lamp (usually 10,000 Lux) for 30 mins to 2 hours can help. 
• Sometimes people respond better to an antidepressant and specialized treatment called Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).
• Depression, regardless of cause, shows up as negative thoughts and feelings.  Ruminating about negative thoughts and feelings can bring us down.
• CBT teaches that negative thoughts and behaviors, while influenced by such things as a lack of sunlight, are still within a person’s ability to change.

Are you affected by the change of the season? What do you do to stay active even with less sunshine?