Autumn and winter often leave us feeling a little sad. Some sadness is related to the cold and the relative seclusion of the season, but a surprising—and increasing—number of people who feel more than a little down may have seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
People can have either winter-pattern SAD or summer-pattern SAD, though the winter pattern is much more common. Winter-pattern SAD is often triggered by the shorter days of winter. For many people, it can lead to general feelings of being “down,” but it can be quite debilitating for others. Clinically, it can be a problem. We often see individuals who are already depressed by whatever has happened or is happening to them, and SAD adds another layer of depressive behavior that can be difficult to address.
