Quiz: How much do you know about seasonal affective disorder?
With this week’s cooldown, many people in the Chicago area are already dreading the return of winter. While many dislike the below freezing temps, others dread the winter months for a different reason. If you ever notice that you feel particularly sad or depressed starting in late fall or early winter until spring, you may have a common disorder, called seasonal affective disorder, aka SAD.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, SAD is a form of depression that recurs seasonally, affecting 4 to 10 percent of the population, with possibly as many as 20 percent suffering from mild forms of the condition.
It’s believed SAD is caused by a biochemical change in the brain from winter’s shorter days and reduced sunlight.
How much do you know about the disorder?
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health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.
