Winter blues When to consider drugs.(seasonal affective disorder)

Bupropion (Wellbutrin XL) is the first drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of seasonal affective disorder, or winter depression. About 5 percent of Americans, three-quarters of them women, experience SAD each year. But do you need medication to prevent or treat it? Here are answers to five questions about this type of depression.

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How do I know it's winter depression?

Some symptoms are similar to those associated with other types of depression: sadness, fatigue, excessive sleepiness, social withdrawal, and trouble concentrating. But people with SAD also tend to move slowly, crave carbohydrates, and gain weight. And they're less likely than people with conventional depression to have feelings of worthlessness or thoughts of suicide. The nonprofit Center for Environmental Therapeutics, at www.cet.org, has an online questionnaire that can help you determine whether you have the disorder.

Can I get SAD if I live in a warm and sunny climate?

Yes, but it's less likely. It occurs most often in people who live in northern latitudes, where winter days are shorter and darker. For example, about 10 percent of the people living in Alaska experience symptoms of SAD, compared with only 1 percent of those in Florida, where the sun shines for more hours in the winter.

If I've had the disorder, will I get it every year?