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Are You SAD This Winter? Coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder

Are You SAD This Winter? Coping with Seasonal Affective DisorderBy MARGARITA TARTAKOVSKY, M.S.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) goes beyond the winter blues. It goes beyond feeling tired or sad or disliking winter. SAD is a form of clinical depression that occurs in the winter, according to Kelly Rohan, Ph.D, associate professor of psychology at the University of Vermont, whose research focuses on SAD. It starts around fall or winter, as the days get shorter and darker, and typically remits in the spring or summer.

SAD affects around 14 million Americans, according to author and SAD specialist Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D., in his book Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder. (About 14 percent of American adults struggle with the winter blues.)
People with SAD experience a variety of physical, emotional and cognitive symptoms that impairs their daily functioning. They’re usually unable to perform at school or work and have difficulty interacting with others. Tasks that once seemed simple, such ashousehold chores or paying the bills, suddenly become overwhelming.

Read the full article at Psych Central 

(http://psychcentral.com/lib/are-you-sad-this-winter-coping-with-seasonal-affective-disorder/00010241)


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Seasonal Affective Disorder And Sleep: Study Highlights Sleep Misperceptions By People With SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder And Sleep: Study Highlights Sleep Misperceptions By People With SAD


Seasonal Affective Disorder And Sleep: Study Highlights Sleep Misperceptions By People With SAD


Posted:   |  Updated: 07/02/2013 7:47 am EDT


People with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) have similar types of misperceptions about sleep as people with insomnia, according to a small recent study.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh found that people with SAD -- which is a kind of depression that occurs in the late fall, winter and early spring -- tend to have incorrect perceptions of their own sleep habits, such as how much time they actually spend sleeping at night. Characteristic symptoms of SAD include depression, oversleeping, anxiety, problems concentrating and feelings of hopelessness, according to the Mayo Clinic. While the cause is not completely known, it likely has to do with a person's individual circadian rhythm, drops in the brain chemical seratonin, and disruptions in melatonin levels.
For the study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, researchers had 147 adults between ages 18 and 65 who live in Pittsburgh answer questionnaires about their sleep habits. Participants were asked to rank on a scale of 0 to 7 how much they need "at least eight hours of sleep to function the next day" or if they agreed with the statement, "Insomnia is dangerous for health."

Read More at Huffington Post