SAD

It’s Fall Y’all! Well, it almost is. We are on the cusp of being done with our summer season. In just a few short weeks we will pass the date that marks the beginning of pumpkin spice everything, golden hued wreaths being sold in the store and of course the plethora of Halloween paraphernalia. But how does the season change affect the residents of Southern California? For awhile we may not see any significant changes to our weather systems for quite some time. But this is the time to have an eye out for the effects of seasonal affective disorder otherwise known as SAD.

SAD is a type of depression that has links to the changes of the seasons. During the fall and winter seasons, the sun is out for less time during our waking hours. This shift can upset our biological clocks which affect our sleep and the production of serotonin in our brains. SAD usually shows the symptoms of listlessness, hunger for more carbohydrates, less interest in normal activities and problems with your relationships.

Now I know what you may be thinking, that in sunny Southern California there is no way that someone would suffer from SAD. We have the sunshine all year long. And where this is true, we do have more sun than many other states that does not mean that we can discount SAD. In fact, because people suffering from SAD are living in Southern California, they may be more likely not to seek treatment because they do not recognize what they are actually suffering from.

If you think that you are suffering or have suffered from SAD in the past, please talk to your doctor. There are a variety of treatments that can help alleviate the strain of this disorder and help you maintain a healthy emotional outlook.