What you need to know about seasonal depression

As the winter months inch closer and daylight hours continue to shrink, local healthcare providers are urging Granite Staters to protect themselves from seasonal depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly known as SAD, is often brought on by environmental factors as seasons change, according to Catherine Dorr, a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner at Cheshire Medical Center. “Seasonal Affective Disorder is very much like what you would think of as typical depression in terms of symptoms,” Dorr said. “So, sleeping more or sleeping less, change in appetite, eating more, eating less, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, feeling suicidal, not enjoying things you used to do — that kind of thing.” Per the National Institutes of Health, SAD comes in two forms: winter pattern and summer pattern. The most common form of the disorder is winter pattern, which affects approximately 13 million people, roughly 5% of the U.S.

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