Depression During Winter

QUESTION: My husband tells my I'm exaggerating when I tell him I'm feeling
down again, but it's real and it happens every winter. I know there is a
sickness like this because I read about it, and I hope you can include a
description of my problem in your column.
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ANSWER: It is a real disorder, and each winter my mail contains requests
similar to yours just about this time. Its name, Seasonal Affective Disorder
(SAD), and its initials pretty well describe how victims feel when it strikes.
Their depression is marked by impaired performance on the job, problems at
home, diminished sexual drive, increased appetite particularly for
carbohydrates, and a feeling of general sadness and anxiety. It's more common
in women than men, about 6 to 1, and usually first appears when patients are
in their early 20s. Doctors have been advised to look for four criteria
before making this diagnosis. They include a history of at least one episode
of a major depression, depressions occurring during the winter for at least
two consecutive years in which the springs and summers were without problems,
absence of any other major psychiatric problem, and absence of any life
stresses that could explain the depression. While treatment can include the
use of antidepressant medication, exposure to full-spectrum bright artificial
light on a regular basis has also been found to be effective. The patient
receives the bright light treatment for two hours each evening, between 6 pm
and 8 pm, may read or watch television, and generally are helped within 3
days.