Visit your GP if you have symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Effective treatments are available if you're diagnosed with the condition.
Your GP may do a psychological assessment to check your mental health.
They may ask about:
- your mood
- your lifestyle
- your eating and sleeping patterns
- any seasonal changes in your thoughts and behaviour
- your symptoms and if they stop you from doing normal activities
- you and your family's mental health history
Your GP may also do a brief physical examination to rule out other conditions that may be causing your symptoms.
Confirming a diagnosis of SAD
SAD can be difficult to diagnose because there are many other types of depression that have similar symptoms.
A diagnosis of SAD can usually be confirmed if:
- your depression happens at a similar time each year
- periods of depression are followed by periods without depression
- you've had symptoms during the same time of year for 2 or more years in a row
Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE