Millions of people suffer from a biologically based depression during the winter months. Although these people may feel fine or even “better than normal” during the spring and summer, late fall and winter are an entirely different experience. Beyond depressed mood, seasonal affective disorder - or SAD - often brings a loss of interest or pleasure in everyday activities that are normally satisfying, such reading a good book or listening to music. Other common problems are a significant reduction in work productivity (or immense effort to get tasks done), and withdrawal from friends and family that is hard to explain or justify.Some of the symptoms of SAD are very physical. Appetite often changes in marked contrast to spring and summer. People can experience uncontrollable cravings for sweet and starchy foods such as cookies, chocolate, pasta and bread, which causes them to put on a few pounds (or more).
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