Sad – is it Just the Winter Blues?
You might have observed that many people become very dull and inactive in winter. In fact, some people even experience a deep depression and fail to carry out normal routine tasks. This state is called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. It is also known as the Winter Blues. During winter, many people suffer from SAD. Some of the prominent symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder are that people find it hard to stay awake for long. For some it becomes difficult to sleep. You also feel fatigued and consequently, you are not able to carry out routine matters in a normal way. Feelings of sadness, guilt and despair are also commonly observed.
Dr. Norman Rosenthal coined the term “Winter Blues”. He came up with this expression while he was researching the effects of winter on people’s moods. The Winter Blues is actually a clinical condition, which is primarily caused by lack of sunlight in winter. According to some doctors, lack of sunlight can cause depression. Because of this, SAD is a state that needs to be observed over time. Moreover, they also assert that lack of sunlight alone does not act as a stressor with SAD- in fact, low temperatures also restricts our activity.
