Alabama NewsCenter — Seasonal affective disorder not just a case of the holiday blues

By David Pelfrey
UAB News

When the days become shorter and the weather gets colder, many people experience sadness, fatigue and a lack of interest in daily life. Those feelings could be nothing more than “holiday blues” or exhaustion. But more severe, persistent depression that comes and goes with the seasons may be a medical condition known as seasonal affective disorder or SAD. A medical expert from the University of Alabama at Birmingham recommends learning how to spot the signs of SAD and getting help if you think you may have the condition.

Matthew Macaluso, D.O., clinical director of UAB Medicine’s Depression and Suicide Center, says SAD is a form of depression with a recurrent seasonal pattern, with symptoms lasting four to five months per year or longer.

There are two kinds of SAD. Winter-pattern SAD starts in the late fall or early winter and resolves during the spring and summer. Other people may experience depressive episodes during the spring and summer, although summer-pattern SAD is less common.

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