In a given year, about 5 percent of the population experiences seasonal depression, and four out of the five people who experience it are women. It's important to learn about the types of Season Affective Disorder, their symptoms, and what you can do if you are suffering from SAD.
In a given year, about 5 percent of the population experiences seasonal depression, and four out of the five people who experience it are women. There are two types of seasonal affective disorder (SAD): winter pattern and summer pattern. Symptoms of SAD often include symptoms of major depression, then can include additional symptoms.
For winter pattern SAD, symptoms can include:
For summer pattern SAD, symptoms can include:
Both patterns are characterized by a recurrent seasonal pattern and lasts about 4-5 months.
Light therapy has been show to help people who are struggling with SAD. Psychotherapy and medication management are also options to help with symptoms. As far as preventing SAD, people can start light therapy early in the fall to help with the onset of symptoms as well as exercising more, increasing the amount of light at home, meditation and other stress management techniques, spending more time outside, and visiting climates that have more sun.
ISH has a mental health team that can help with SAD. The team currently consists of 13 therapists and 2 medication providers. We provide services at our Clarion, Belmond, Garner, and Hampton offices and will soon include the Webster City location. We also offer services at schools in Clarion, Belmond and Hampton.
