Have the winter blues got you down? Seasonal Affective Disorder can be a very traumatic for some this time of year
About 20 million American adults suffer from various forms of depression each year including Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Greg Nuessle is a Licensed Certified Social Worker with the Behavioral Health Division of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York. Nuessle says the disorder is described as a depression that can begin in the fall when there's less sun light and run through these cold winter months.
Symptoms range from persistent sadness, anxiety and empty feelings to irritability, loss of interest in activities, fatigue, restlessness and extremes in behaviors such as sleeping or appetite.
Nuessle notes these symptoms are serious if they start to impact your daily routine.
"When these symptoms start to impact peoples lives, their activity levels, their relationships, their work productivity, then it starts to take on greater emphasis in their life and then it really falls into that category of Season Affective Disorder."
Nuessle advises to seek help from your doctor if you feel as though you may be suffering from Season Affective Disorder.