Why Some Will Struggle On Bears Game Day
CHICAGO (WBBM) -- The Bears upcoming NFC Championship game against Green Bay is a great midwinter mood-lifter--but not for everyone.
To those who have seasonal affective disorder, which causes sufferers to become depressed because of the lack of sunlight during the winter, this Sunday is just another day.
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In fact, for those with moderate to severe cases of SAD, it could be a worse-than-normal Sunday.
Dr. Danesh Alam, medical director of Behavioral Health at Central DuPage Hospital says, "They start to very quickly understand their peers or their friends or families might be having a much more positive response on their mood related to a game, but their emotions are, essentially, non-responsive."
Dr. Alam says many Chicagoans with Seasonal Affective Disorder may try to avoid social situations altogether Sunday because of that.
In other cases, Dr. Alam says, people with moderate to severe cases of SAD may go out with others and find themselves drinking alcohol. Adding alcohol and prescription medication for SAD is a combination that could make them even more depressed.