Do you have seasonal affective disorder?

CHILLICOTHE – Do you have sleep disturbances, a lack of energy or a loss of appetite during certain times of the year?

You may have seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that results from changes in seasons and is most commonly diagnosed in middle-aged people. Jim Hagen, a clinical psychologist at the Scioto Paint Valley Mental Health Center, spoke about the disorder with members of the campus and general communities Thursday at Ohio University-Chillicothe.

Considering the seasonal focus of his presentation, there was some congruity in the fact his appearance Thursday was actually a rescheduled date as a result of inclement winter weather.

Hagen said seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, usually begins in late fall or early winter and goes away completely in people affected by it as the days lengthen into summer.

“SAD may be related to changes in the amount of daylight,” Hagen said.

According to WebMD, the lack of sunlight during the winter months resulting from fewer daylight hours and often cloudy conditions leads to the brain having to work harder producing melatonin, a hormone tied to such things as regulating the internal body clock and sleep patterns.

Symptoms of SAD include oversleeping, lethargy and mood changes that may be extreme, in addition to increased difficulties with premenstrual syndrome in women. Hagen said the disorder was discovered before 1845 and is more commonly found in women than men.

It affects about 1 in every 20 adults, Hagen said, with the risk of it decreasing as people push through middle age. For people suffering with SAD, there are several treatment options, he said.

One of them includes daily sessions of light therapy, which alters the level of certain mood-altering brain chemicals such as serotonin. Light therapy simply involves about a half-hour of daily exposure, usually during the morning hours, to a special light box designed to mimic the sun’s rays.

In addition, Hagen also said therapy and counseling can be sought, and doctors can be consulted about the possibility of antidepressant medications such as Zoloft and Prozac.