With the onset of colder weather comes shorter, darker and gloomier days, and some people find that their mood follows suit. While this is commonly referred to as the ‘winter blues’, it’s technically defined as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. A most fitting acronym if there ever was one.

SADA (the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association) estimates that around 500,000 people suffer from SAD every winter, with December, January and February being the worst months.

The lack of sunshine seems to initiate a chemical imbalance in the hypothalamus of the brain, which then triggers SAD. There’s research that suggests that it’s a lack of the brain chemical serotonin which then causes the symptoms of depression, while other research points to the involvement of the sleep-related hormone melatonin. While the precise chemical changes that take place are still not totally understood, symptoms should not be taken lightly.

Here are some of the possible signs of SAD, assuming occurance during the fall and/or winter months:

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