Home > Health Information > All Categories > S.A.D. - Seasonal Affective Disorder

S.A.D. - Seasonal Affective Disorder
By: Charles Cooley, Ph.D., Psychologist at University Medical Center

You are serenely content, basking in warm sunlight, comforted by clear, cloudless vistas offering optimism and the promises of granted wishes. You feel a strong kinship with the sun’s energy-infusing rays knowing that on these sun drenched days, you are master of all you survey and capable of great feats.

Unhappily, the light begins to dim with the rudely intrusive voice of a radio commentator emanating from your bedside alarm. In a desperate defensive maneuver, you pull the covers over your head and attempt to plug your ears. You know its time to wake up and start the day, but you pray it isn’t so. A vision of bedraggled slow motion, you begrudgingly leave your warm bed and with some trepidation approach the bedroom window. You already know what awaits you outside, but you bravely peek through the blinds anyway. There it is , dark, grey, dull.

The clouds are down to the ground and the sun has disappeared. An involuntary shudder chills your whole body when you recognized that as far as the weather is concerned, this is as good as it’s going to get. Today is a gray carbon copy of many yesterdays and a forerunner of many tomorrows.

As you’ve done for many mornings, you question the wisdom of going into work and run through all the reasons why it would make sense to stay home. For the proverbial two cents, even less, you would readily forego the travails of work and stay at home to cuddle under an Afghan or sip tea by the fire. After all, wouldn’t it make sense to stay at home? Your energy is almost nil and your motivation was least seen several months ago. Your ability to concentrate seems a skill of the distant past and you make more than your share of mistakes. Surely it would be better to stay home and spare your coworkers the burden of your presence. As well, your burgeoning irritability with people further strengthens the case for self imposed isolation. Surely, given all these factors, it’s better to stay home and attend to unfinished business, such as the cherry vanilla ice cream you’ve stashed away in your freezer.


If this scenario is familiar, you may suffer from what is commonly referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). S.A.D. is a syndrome in which mood is linked to the annual cycles of day length.

S.A.D. typically occurs during the months of shortened daytime hours. In the Northern Hemisphere, it may start as early as October and last until March. In the Southern Hemisphere, the timing is reversed, starting in April and lasting thru September.

The common symptoms are those frequently associated with depression. These include pessimism, loss of energy, apathy, increased sleep, impaired functioning, increased appetite, carbohydrate cravings, the desire to avoid people, decreased sex drive, irritability and crying spells.

Depressive symptoms for children may be different from those of adults and may include changes in expected behaviors or new, unusual behaviors, separation anxiety, or social withdrawal. Temper tantrums or vague physical complaints may occur.

Seasonal Affective Disorder has been described as an extreme form of the ‘winter blues.’ Individuals suffering from this disorder may attempt to ‘hibernate’ the winter away by increasing their sleep by as many as four hours a night.

It is believed that SAD may affect as many as eleven million people in the United States each year. Twice that number may experience mild symptoms called the winter blues.

The susceptibility among Las Vegan residents may in fact be higher than the national average. People I’ve spoken to have relocated to Las Vegas to escape the gray, winter doldrums of the North Eastern climates. The prospect of 300 sunny days per year have proved an irresistible calling card to many. However, those who spend their working lives indoors (eg. casino, restaurant, office workers) forfeit the benefits of the sun and may have to do battle with depressive symptoms.

Susceptibility to SAD is associated with a number of factors. It has been demonstrated that the nearer one lives to one of the poles, the greater the incidence. Also, younger people are at greater risk for winter depressive episodes. Research has indicated that four times as many women suffer from SAD as men and it tends to run in families.

No single cause of SAD has been identified. However, the culprit currently most implicated is the neuro-transmitter Serotonin, which during the short days of winter reaches it’s lowest concentrations in key parts of the brain, causing depression. It is known that S.A.D. is precipitated by inadequate outdoor light and is frequently exacerbated by stress. The most effective treatment for S.A.D. is light therapy.

Light therapy involves exposing a sufferer to strong fluorescent light (about ten to twenty times brighter than ordinary indoor light). Light sources include table top or larger light boxes, visors with lights attached and dawn simulators. Light therapy promotes the alleviation of depressive symptoms in S.A.D. but not in other types of depressive disorders.

Other treatments for SAD include psychotherapy and anti-depressant medication, particularly those medications regulating the brain levels of Serotonin. A combined treatment approach appears the most beneficial.

There are also self-help alternatives to alleviate depressive symptoms. Choose an exercise you enjoy and do it as much as you are able. Consider exercising with a friend to increase social interaction. Be outdoors as often as you can. Take a walk at lunchtime. Indulge yourself with a massage, an herbal wrap or water therapy. (Hey, you deserve it!) Try a new experience - enroll in a class at the college, investigate a new hobby, or visit a new locale. Meditate to increase coping skills and decrease stress. Eat a balanced diet and resist snacking on carbohydrate rich foods. Soothe the senses with music, literature, pleasant scents, and a comforting fire.

Finally, daily affirmation of the joys and blessings in your life can go a long way in improving your outlook. Before getting out of bed in the morning, remind yourself of five reasons you have to be grateful. Be aware that within each of us, there is an internal sun ready to brighten our day.

Charles Cooley, Ph.D., Psychologist at University Medical Center
Dr. Cooley is on staff at University Medical Center and is a Nevada Licensed Psychologist specializing in individual and family counseling and career management.