Tips on identifying if you have S.A.D and how to fight back

Now that the days are shorter and darker, many people understandably feel a little miserable. But an estimated half a million of them aren’t just a little low — they have seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

And that means their malaise could last from around now until April, when spring is in the air again.

For up to 2% of the population, SAD is a seriously disabling psychiatric disorder that prevents them from functioning normally without medical treatment. Symptoms can include depression, extreme lethargy, sleep problems, overeating, anxiety, social problems, mood changes and loss of libido.