bengaluru feeling gloomy getting tearyeyed or procrastinating this time of the year the weather could be the reason behind what is called seasonal affective disorder sad city doctors said confirming that they are seeing many such cases sad according to doctors is a depressive condition that makes one dread getting out of bed and feel a general lack of energy but unlike depression it is linked to the weather in some cases ones genes or even hormonal changes could determine susceptibility to sad dr shradha shejekar consultantpsychiatry aster rv hospital opined that women in their 20s and 30s are prone to sad and more so if they have a genetic constitution of disturbed levels of vitamin d serotonin and melatonin low mood prompted by sad is seen among the elderly too dr raghu k chief psychiatrist bgs gleneagles global hospital said the elder population being more prone to sad could be because of a less active life and their choice to stay indoors he noted that just 12 have severe sad which is diagnosed and treated as depression dr raghu observed that of every 6080 patients with depression he sees 12 are cases of sad bruhat bengaluru mahanagara palike bbmp psychiatrist dr vikram agreed that sad is a common phenomenon in the winter its similar to depression but in a milder form with people being in a low mood tired and losing interest in activities that they earlier enjoyed he said he however has been seeing the phenomenon more in adolescents and early adults who have a chemical disturbance in their body affecting them as well doctors said lifestyle changes can help individuals with mild levels of sad like sleeping and waking up in time having a routine and getting adequate sunlight and exercise however those with moderate to severe sad who have their serotonin levels plummeting are usually given medication meanwhile dr shejekar suggested that the yearend celebrations may have done some people good helping them break out of their low mood dr manamohan n psychiatrist and mental health professional sagar hospitals said two of every 10 patients he sees during winter come with sad he said people dont wake up early during winter he has seen adolescents and young adults susceptible to sad due to hormonal fluctuations smoking consumption of alcohol and use of substances can trigger moodrelated issues he added doctors agree that about 1 of the general population could be facing this problem but they are less likely to be diagnosed as sad as the symptoms are akin to depression however sad is not just a winter phenomenon while the disorder can cause a depressionlike state it can also render people hypomanic restless and energetic