As the days grow shorter, and both the temperatures and leaves begin to fall, many people also experience seasonal changes affecting their mood and ability to function. For millions of people, the coming of the winter months is more than a dreadful anticipation of cold weather, short days and the inability to enjoy the outdoor activities of summer.
Many people feel mildly depressed during the winter.
Many experience some of the more serious symptoms of clinical depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD as it is commonly referred to, shares many of these symptoms. SAD describes people who have these clinical depressions only in the fall and winter seasons, but during the summer feel normal. The symptoms of SAD are often misdiagnosed as clinical because of the many shared characteristics. However, the key factor in diagnosing SAD is it's seasonal reappearance.