During the colder and darker days of late Fall and winter, many people experience a mood shift. You may find yourself feeling more gloomy, sluggish, and less motivated to get moving. Rather than jumping out of bed on a weekend to run errands, you might choose to stay under the covers and watch a movie. For the majority of people, these winter blues do not impact their ability to function. Their work and relationships and do not suffer from the seasonal change and they are able to enjoy a good quality of life.
If your winter blues start impacting your daily life in a negative way, you may be facing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a regular seasonal pattern of major depressive episodes during the Fall and Winter months with periods of full remission, or improvement, in the Spring and Summer. These depressive symptoms include a loss of interest in normally enjoyable activities, difficulty concentrating, negative thoughts about the future, a significant change of sleep and/or appetite, and thoughts about death or suicide. The distinguishing feature between SAD and Major Depressive Disorder is the seasonal pattern that it follows.