{"id":6880,"date":"2019-11-13T09:00:33","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T14:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=6880"},"modified":"2026-04-08T11:16:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:16:13","slug":"seasonal-affective-disorder-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/seasonal-affective-disorder-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Are you SAD? When to seek treatment for seasonal affective disorder"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the middle of January. The sun starts setting around 4 p.m. every day; the temperatures are struggling to rise above 35 degrees. And it\u2019s the fourth day in a row that you\u2019ve come home from work, put on your sweatpants, and collapsed on the couch to watch TV until you fall asleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is it a case of the winter doldrums\u2026 or something more serious, like seasonal affective disorder?<\/span><\/p>\n

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)\u2014also known as seasonal depression\u2014impacts about half a million people in the United States every year, according to the\u00a0<\/span>Cleveland Clinic<\/span>. It typically strikes in late fall and winter, but can also occur in the summer months.<\/span><\/p>\n

If a change in season has left you feeling down, here\u2019s how to know when to reach out for help.<\/span><\/p>\n

How is seasonal affective disorder different from clinical depression?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Even though some people dismiss seasonal depression as nothing more than the \u201cwinter blues,\u201d it\u2019s still a depressive mood disorder\u2014it just happens to be triggered by changes in seasons, says University of Missouri Health Care psychiatrist Arpit Aggarwal, MD.<\/span><\/p>\n

When diagnosing a patient with seasonal affective disorder, mental health providers look at how seasonal patterns relate to your behavior changes, activities, and overall mood.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[SAD] can be diagnosed when at least two episodes of major depression (with each episode lasting for at least two weeks) have occurred in the last two years,\u201d Dr. Aggarwal says.<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, experiencing fatigue, loss of appetite, or low energy for a few days at a time is likely not depression\u2014but if your symptoms persist or happen on a seasonally recurring basis, you may be dealing with more than a temporary slump.<\/span><\/p>\n

Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s not always easy to recognize the symptoms of depression in yourself, especially in the winter, when nearly everyone wants to hunker down and stay in bed. According to Dr. Aggarwal, these are the most common symptoms of major depression that may occur with SAD:<\/span><\/p>\n