Get To Know The Signs Of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is seasonal depression, ladies. It means you'll have depression during a specific part of the year. Most of you will deal with SAD in the winter. However, it can also happen in the spring or summer for some of you! Thankfully, your symptoms only last for one season before going away. That said, you need to take SAD seriously still!

Common depression treatments also work as treatments for SAD! Ladies, you'll take medication for depression. Psychotherapy for depression is another great SAD treatment! Of course, ladies, take advantage of alternative therapies for depression. The biggest one for treating SAD is light box therapy for depression! You need a special seasonal affective disorder lamp for this. Treatment for SAD, though, takes symptoms into account!

Low Energy

Expect to have low energy when you have SAD, ladies. This is actually one of the very first warning signs of this condition! Many of you will only have this symptom, in fact. Low energy happens because you don't get as much direct sun in the winter. Your brain's going to find it tough to fully wake up and stay that way! Ladies, your low energy starts in the fall and gets worse throughout the winter. The good news? It gets better when winter is done!

Light therapy is a great way to handle your low energy. The best light therapy lamps mimic the sun! However, it won't help when you have a lack of vitamin D that triggered your condition.

Concentration Issues

Ladies, you'll have problems concentrating when you have seasonal affective disorder. You'll find it harder to focus on work and school assignments. It's going to be hard to absorb information. This symptom of SAD will hurt your job performance! When you're in school, it means lower grades and missing assignments. You also won't pay as much attention during class. Chores in your house are going to be harder to finish too. You will bounce around and leave them unfinished! Of course, poor concentration and struggles with it also mean you'll put less effort into many areas of your life as well.

Oversleeping

Oversleeping when you have seasonal affective disorder is very common. Ladies, you'll be tired during the day even when you've slept for a long time too! Lethargy is a great way to describe that feeling. When you have SAD, oversleeping makes it hard for you to feel like you woke up fully. Many of you will never feel like that! Napping during the day will end up being necessary. Or, at least, it'll feel that way! You'll oversleep because of the longer nights. Remember, the sun sets earlier and rises later in the winter! So when it gets dark, you'll want to head to bed. Of course, when you wake up, and it's still dark out, you'll likely fall asleep again! Unfortunately, ladies, alarms don't help much when you oversleep because of SAD. They don't change the fact that the mornings are darker!

Feeling Depressed

Of course, feeling depressed is a major sign of SAD! After all, it is a type of depression. Ladies, many people call it seasonal depression! You're likely going to feel things like hopelessness, sadness, and apathy. Losing interest in hobbies is common too! Unfortunately, the depression in SAD is quite severe! Your mood shifts in SAD are just as bad as in major depression, even though they only last for a season. Watch out for the depressed feeling here to increase your risk of suicidal thoughts. The good news is that treatment is available! Antidepressants and psychotherapy work wonders on this symptom and SAD as a whole.

Lose Interest In Hobbies

Losing interest in your hobbies is quite common with SAD. It is just like other types of depression! Ladies, you won't feel as motivated to do things you once liked to do. This means not spending as much energy on activities. Many of you will try to engage in your hobbies, but find it hard to enjoy them. Doing things you once liked often takes longer! Ladies, when these hobbies were social ones, withdrawal and isolation are common! Of course, you need to know that brief periods of disinterest are normal. Everyone has them! It's when they persist or always happen at the same time that they are a problem. With SAD, it means losing interest in your hobbies every winter!