What is Seasonal Affective Disorder and how is that different from depression?

A Seasonal Affective Disorder is when you have "seasonal depression". Most people say it is the weather that brings them down or something that has happened in their past during that time. Some sort of depression disorder is year round.

It's where the season/weather affects you. Example: where there's not as much sun in the winter this may make someone sad. Depression doesn't depend on weather or seasons

I get seasonal affective disorder every single winter due to the lack of natural sunlight. Change of season brings on changes of how we feel about ourselves and the world at large, it can be challenging to deal with. I use a light generator to make sure I get plenty of full spectrum light to keep my brain from going goofy.

SAD is sometimes known as "winter depression" because the symptoms are more apparent and tend to be more severe during the winter. The symptoms often begin in the autumn as the days start getting shorter. They're typically most severe during December, January and February. SAD often improves and disappears in the spring and summer, although it may return each autumn and winter in a repetitive pattern.

Seasonal Affective Disorder only occurs one time per year. Where as Depression is year round, always there. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a seasonal depression, and it comes around at the same time every year.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (also known as SAD) is a subtype of depression that only happens during a certain time of the year (typically during the months with the least amount of sun.) It often has to do with the amount of sunlight (or lack thereof) that a person receives and can be helped by using things such as light therapy. Unlike other kinds of depression it would normally clear up on its own once that period of the year is over. Other forms of depression don’t really respond to light therapy as well the way Seasonal Affective Disorder does.

I do not know very much about this topic, but found a link to a website that may help you. I hope you find it useful! The article compares the two, and does a good job of explaining their similarities and differences. From what I read, I found that SAD is a type of depression. The only major difference is that SAD occurs during different times of the year, hence the word "seasonal." Basically, SAD is caused by changes in season, and major depression is not. Imagine it being a more severe and debilitating version of the "winter blues." I hope I answered your question as well as possible. https://www.allure.com/story/seasonal-affective-disorder-vs-depression