Seasonal Affective Disorder - Winter"s Darker Side
Many people find reasons for naming winter their least favorite season of the year.
Shorter days, the cold and snow are just a few of the things that come to mind when people start naming reasons why they dislike winter.
Something else that may affect people feelings towards winter is their mood.
Seasonal Affective Disorder or (SAD) as it is commonly referred to is a real condition that is thought to affect up to 5% of the population each year.
SAD affects those people suffering from in different ways and in differing degrees but it can be a very serious condition and has in fact been linked to suicide in some individuals and others requiring hospitalization.
Less serious but just as real effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder can be a feeling of having little or no energy and unexplained moodiness.
The symptoms of SAD can also be related to other conditions such as depression.
SAD affects both men and women as well as children The severity of the winter months and shorter days with less sunlight are thought to cause Seasonal Affective Disorder.
People in countries with longer winters have a tendency to have a greater percentage of people who suffer from SAD than do those who live in countries with milder winters and more sunshine.
Their have been studies done however that seem to suggest more is at work than just long winters with shorter days.
In some countries where the incidence of SAD should be higher due to long harsh winters the evidence does not bear this out.
There is research being done to determine if genetics or the types of food consumed during the winter months could play a role in incidence and severity of SAD.
Finding out if a person does in fact suffer from SAD is one of the first steps that must be taken.
Once it has been determined that someone is in fact suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder there are things that can be done to make the winter months a more pleasant time of year and a season that can be enjoyed.
Shorter days, the cold and snow are just a few of the things that come to mind when people start naming reasons why they dislike winter.
Something else that may affect people feelings towards winter is their mood.
Seasonal Affective Disorder or (SAD) as it is commonly referred to is a real condition that is thought to affect up to 5% of the population each year.
SAD affects those people suffering from in different ways and in differing degrees but it can be a very serious condition and has in fact been linked to suicide in some individuals and others requiring hospitalization.
Less serious but just as real effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder can be a feeling of having little or no energy and unexplained moodiness.
The symptoms of SAD can also be related to other conditions such as depression.
SAD affects both men and women as well as children The severity of the winter months and shorter days with less sunlight are thought to cause Seasonal Affective Disorder.
People in countries with longer winters have a tendency to have a greater percentage of people who suffer from SAD than do those who live in countries with milder winters and more sunshine.
Their have been studies done however that seem to suggest more is at work than just long winters with shorter days.
In some countries where the incidence of SAD should be higher due to long harsh winters the evidence does not bear this out.
There is research being done to determine if genetics or the types of food consumed during the winter months could play a role in incidence and severity of SAD.
Finding out if a person does in fact suffer from SAD is one of the first steps that must be taken.
Once it has been determined that someone is in fact suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder there are things that can be done to make the winter months a more pleasant time of year and a season that can be enjoyed.
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