seasonal affective
disorder

You may have heard the tern "SAD", which stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder. It's a kind
of depression that occurs only during fall and winter, when the days get shorter and it gets
dark earlier. If you have SAD, you may feel sluggish, irritable and anxious. You might also
binge eat (especially carbohydrates like bread and pasta), then gain weight. Come spring, your
dreary mood will probably lift and you'll feel more energetic.

 

Experts believe that the pineal gland, a small structure located near the center of the brain,
plays a role in SAD. The pineal gland is activated by light. Many people who suffer from SAD
have been able to relieve their symptoms through exposure to a special artificial light for thirty
minutes or more each morning and evening.

 

SAD is also referred to as "winter blues". The lack of sunlight in winter
causes a reaction and the person develops mild or major depression from late
fall until early spring. This condition is more commoj the further away from
the equator you go. For the Northeren hemisphere the worst minths are
December, January, and February.