Seasonal Affective Disorder: Should Floridians Be Concerned?
In Florida, we usually enjoy temperate and/or balmy comfortable weather…unless, it’s hurricane season. Northeners (among others from various places) don’t always have the luxury of predictably warmer/comfortable/sunny weather and year-round. So, should us Floridians be concerned whatsoever with Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Here is one definition of SAD from Mayo Clinic on-line:
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you’re like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, SAD causes depression in the Spring and Summer SAD
Yes, even Floridians could suffer from SAD! Notice these symptoms (and excerpt again from Mayo Clinic):
In most cases, seasonal affective disorder symptoms appear during late fall or early winter and go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer. However, some people with the opposite pattern have symptoms that begin in spring or summer. In either case, symptoms may start out mild and become more severe as the season progresses.
Spring and summer SAD
Symptoms specific to summer-onset seasonal affective disorder, sometimes called summer depression, may include:
- Depression
- Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- Weight loss
- Poor appetite
- Agitation or anxiety
Please think carefully about these symptoms and “weather” or not …You may need expert/professional help to cope and/or treat. The Mayo-clinic encourages all of us to do the following:
“If you feel down for days at a time and you can’t get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy, see your doctor. This is especially important if your sleep patterns and appetite have changed or if you feel hopeless, think about suicide, or turn to alcohol for comfort or relaxation.”
Depression can strike no matter the weather or season or state in the USA or elsewhere. Be prepared and Act accordingly…We all want to be Happy and not SAD, right?
Please join me for a follow-up post (Part 2) on this timely topic.