by Aaron Butts
With the winter months dragging on, students all over campus are feeling the drag of the low winter sun. Students are more prone to depression during the winter months than any other season. This is because of a common disorder known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
“It’s a mood disorder because people that typically report having this disorder report having changes in their mood and affect,” Directory of Health and Wellness Director, Cathy McDaniels-Wilson, said. “Often it starts with people around September or October saying that they have noticed a change in their mood. They feel sad or depressed and sometimes they can’t explain it but they just know that they’re in a funk.”
SAD is unique because, unlike other mental disorders, it is specific to only winter.
“It has something to do with the days being shorter and a lack of exposure to the sunlight,” McDaniels-Wilson said.
A problem that some might have with this illness is that it is so misunderstood. SAD doesn’t spring up out of nowhere.
“It’s usually something that they’ve been experiencing for many years,” McDaniels-Wilson said.
SAD is very similar to the more commonly known illness of depression, which McDaniels-Wilson says might have other similarities.
“The symptoms are pretty much the same,” she said. “What makes it different is the duration. It has more to do with the season. Sometimes also there is a family history of depression and that might be a precursor.”
For those who think they may be suffering from SAD, she says that there are a few easy things they can do themselves to counteract the effects:
1) Move your bed closer to your window. A big cause of SAD is lack of sunlight.
2) Tanning can sometimes help. Even artificial light can help make up for that lack of sunlight in your life. Try also reading a few chapters of a book from the light coming from a therapeutic light box.
3) Talk to a person who specializes in mood disorders.
4) In extreme cases, sometimes medication is warranted.
If you feel that you may be affected by SAD or any other disorder, do not hesitate to contact the Center for Health and Wellness located on campus between the library and Battelle Hall. They have walk-in crisis hours every day from 9-10 and are available 24/7 for immediate problems that students may be having. Feel free to drop by and schedule an appointment any time, even if it is just to talk to someone.
abutts@capital.edu
