People in general tend to get the blues during the course of the winter and fall months, from which they recover soon enough. It is far more difficult to overcome the seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and the people who suffer from it require help.
Those who suffer from SAD overeat, sleep a lot, and tend to put on weight. They experience irritability and depression and develop an aversion to social interactions. The lesser sunlight during these months disturbs the sleep-wake-cycle resulting in SAD. The excess sleep is reportedly caused by lesser levels of hormone melatonin. Proper diagnosis and treatment is required for the SAD disorder, according to sources from the Screening for Mental Health.Most of the time, the affliction is quite mild, but sometimes it may lead to suicidal tendencies. A medical evaluation is necessary as a viral infection called hypothyroidism can be mistaken for SAD. In very severe cases of SAD, antidepressant and psychotherapy treatment may become necessary. As many as 75% of the people who suffer from this disorder are women in the US. One of the symptoms for this affliction is a craving for high-carb and starchy foods. There is an increased production of the melatonin hormone in the case of SAD which induces sleep, which in turn is associated with darkness and lack of light.
