SAD, otherwise known as 'seasonal affective disorder,' is systemic in nature, and this condition can affect anywhere from 5 to 25 percent of the American population.
The symptoms can range from a relatively mild subtype form, of which affects a larger number of people and is commonly known as the 'winter blues,' to more of a 'I can't get out of bed' type of clinical depression that affects a smaller portion of the population. Both though, disappear just as soon as daylight hours begin to increase in the spring. SAD seems to affect more females, 70 to 80 percent of all sufferers, for unknown reasons, than males or children. Symptoms in males, however, can be more severe.The whole seasonal affective disorder phenomenon has not always been recognized as a medical condition. The term was first acknowledged, and appeared in 1985. The onset of the condition typically can begin as soon as late summer or early fall arrives, and can last until mid to late spring. Roughly 6 to 7 percent of the population, over 10 million, reports experiencing the extreme symptoms of SAD like, clinical depression, cravings for and overeating of refined carbohydrates, sleeping excessively, a heightened sensitivity to pain, social withdrawal, significant weight gain (as much as 40 pounds a season), lack of motivation, loss of interest in things or people normally enjoyed, or a perverse sadness.
Regardless of your gender or age, however, the first step to getting to the root cause of the problem that may be causing your winter woes, is recognizing any variations of symptoms you may be experiencing. Milder symptoms are, largely, scaled down a bit from some of those mentioned above, even possibly a few others that are not mentioned here. The bottom line is, you simply do not have to dread going into the shorter days, and long nights every fall and winter season. You can become pro-active in reversing your symptoms, once you begin to understand how.
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