ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2007 > November > 14 > Entry
Are you SAD?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s late November, the time has changed and you leave for work in the dark and return home in the dark. Do you find yourself with lower energy levels during the day, weight gain, social withdrawal, oversleeping, and other signs of depression?
It could be that you’re suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is an often unrecognized contributor to problems on the job such as absenteeism, lower productivity and difficulty getting along with coworkers.
Generally, this disorder is worse the farther North you go in latitude, however, Atlanta is far enough north that the disorder is much more common than you would think.
Although SAD affects women more than men, it can occur in the fall and winter no matter your gender, age or health history. Interestingly and perhaps dangerously, the symptoms of SAD are often misdiagnosed by health care professionals as hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, mononucleosis or other viral diseases. That’s pretty scary considering the recommended treatment for these disorders!
So what can you do if you think SAD has you down? Light therapy at specific intensity, duration and time of day can be helpful, but you should talk with your health care provider or a mental health professional to see if light therapy is what you need or if more extensive treatment is needed. To judge whether your symptoms of depression are significant, there are numerous depression scales available on the net. This tool specifically addresses SAD.
We tend to ignore the possibility of depression or SAD. Our culture puts such a stigma on the inability to function due to problems with the “mind”. We’ve received those messages of “just suck it up and go on” all our lives.
The increasing periods of darkness before and after work can make getting through the day hard, especially if you suffer from depression already. Have you ever experienced SAD, do you have any advice to add or is this just another of excuses people look for?
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