The symptoms of seasonal affective disorder can be very similar to a low grade depression, dysphoric mood, sleeping too much, sleeping too little, a change in appetite, a change in activity, a loss of interest in things that a patient would have typically taken interest in. So around here, it is very common to have those hobbies that you have in the summer. Playing golf is a good example. Lot of folks love to play golf. In the winter you can’t play golf. So, you can lose interest in it. They can all be associated with seasonal affective disorder.
How is seasonal affective disorder treated?
Seasonal affective disorder can be treated in multiple ways. There are folks that do use medication for this, but there are also over-the-counter, if you will, treatments such as light boxes. These light boxes use a different wavelength, typically a blue wavelength of light that will help kind of trick your body into thinking we’re seeing more sunlight than we are, which can treat seasonal affective disorder. They have been shown to be quite effective and we do have lots of patients that do use them with good effect.
