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Seasonal Affective Disorder is a mood disorder associated with the seasons. The most common type of SAD is called winter depression. It usually begins in late fall or early winter and goes away by summer. It is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter. As many as 6 of every 100 people in the United States may experience winter depression. A less common type of SAD, known as summer depression, usually begins in the late spring or early summer. SAD is more common in women than in men, and as may be expected, is more common in northern geographic regions. Symptoms may include sleep disturbances, lethargy, overeating, weight gain, depression, anxiety, irritability and decreased sex drive. Light therapy has proven effective in up to 85 percent of diagnosed cases. The non-sedative selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications are effective in alleviating the depressive symptoms of SAD and combine well with light therapy.