A 37-year-old female presents with a history of recurrent depressive episodes during the fall and winter months that improve in the spring and summer. She reports excessive sleeping, overeating, and weight gain during these depressive episodes. What might be the potential diagnosis and next steps?
The patient's recurrent depressive episodes with a seasonal pattern, along with atypical symptoms like hypersomnia and overeating, suggest a diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a subtype of major depressive disorder. The next steps involve confirming this pattern over at least a couple of years, ruling out other causes of her symptoms, and discussing treatment options. Treatment for SAD often includes light therapy, psychotherapy, and potentially antidepressant medications.