SAD — Seasonal Affective Disorder – The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans LLC

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If there is one truth that cannot be denied, it’s this:

I absolutely, 100%, without a doubt cannot STAND Winter. At all.

The extra layers, the wind, the dry skin, the piles of melting snow left by little boots in the middle of my kitchen floor that I step in every.single.time!

It seriously makes me want to turn to my inner bear and hibernate until the temperatures warm up.

But for some people, that feeling goes way beyond annoyance into full blown depression.

Have you ever heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

The U.S. National Library of Medicine had this to say about things to look for if you suspect you have SAD:

Symptoms usually build up slowly in the late autumn and winter months. Symptoms are usually the same as with depression:

  • Increased appetite with weight gain (weight loss is more common with other forms of depression)
  • Increased sleep and daytime sleepiness (too little sleep is more common with other forms of depression)
  • Less energy and ability to concentrate in the afternoon
  • Loss of interest in work or other activities
  • Slow, sluggish, lethargic movement
  • Social withdrawal
  • Unhappiness and irritability

*List pulled from “Seasonal Affective Disorder” found in the PubMed Health section at The U.S. National Library of Medicine.

If you think you might be suffering from SAD, go see your doctor! The treatment options are fairly simple to implement and include getting enough sunlight every day, eating right, and exercising.