Saber Psychiatry specializes in evaluating and treating mental health conditions, During the winter months, the American Psychiatric Association reports that about ten million people in the United States experience seasonal depression each year.
If you notice significant changes in your mood and behavior when the seasons change, you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression. Symptoms may begin in late fall or early winter and go away during the spring and summer months.
The National Institute of Mental Health lists the symptoms of major depression that may include:
- Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day
- Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Experiencing changes in appetite or weight
- Having problems with sleep
- Feeling sluggish or agitated
- Having low energy
- Feeling hopeless or worthless
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide
For winter-pattern SAD, additional specific symptoms may include:
- Oversleeping (hypersomnia)
- Overeating, particularly with a craving for carbohydrates
- Weight gain
- Social withdrawal (feeling like “hibernating”)
Specific symptoms for summer-pattern SAD may include:
- Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- Poor appetite, leading to weight loss
- Restlessness and agitation
- Anxiety
- Episodes of violent behavior
Call Us Today!
If you think you or a loved one may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder, we can help. In 2020, Dr. Sricharan Moturi founded Saber Psychiatry to evaluate and treatpsychiatric disorders in children, adolescents, and adults in Franklin and Middle Tennessee. Saber Psychiatry is currently accepting new patients ages 2 to 65. Call our offices at 615.678.7839 to schedule an appointment.