COVER STORY

COVER STORY SHINING A LIGHT

ON SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER

BY CADEN MCDERMOTT

With the winter months finally arriving, the temperature starts to drop, the snow begins sticking to the ground and a holiday spirit still permeates our quaint downtown. However, for some students it is not a winter wonderland; instead they anticipate shorter days, less sunlight and seasonal depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly referred to as SAD or seasonal depression, is a mood disorder characterized by depression that occurs at the same time every year, most commonly during the winter months. In the past, SAD was commonly referred to as the winter blues; it is important not to confuse the dip in mood that winter blues describes with the depressive levels of difficulty that occur with seasonal affective disorder.

According to the Cleveland Clinic and SAMHSA, symptoms of SAD include anxiety, social isolation, and loss of motivation and interest in hobbies. For people who experience SAD in the winter, common symptoms are also excess sleepiness and overeating.

“It’s hard to discern where seasonal affective disorder begins and where depression ends because the symptoms are so similar,'' school counselor Cody Masters said. “There is a spectrum, for sure; some people just get a little bit of the winter blues, while others feel it heavily.”

What differentiates SAD from depression and the “winter blues” is it occurs around seasonal change and is not just isolated to the winter months. The effects and criteria of SAD is similar to depression, however, SAD repeats on a seasonal pat-

Artwork by Sophia Crestale

tern.

“We know every year around this time, there will be an uptick in students coming in for depression or anxiety, normally dealing with grades or exams,” Masters said. “There is a clear dip in grades right around the end of the second semester.”

The drop in grades around the seasonal change can be attributed to a loss of motivation from SAD. Many members of the high school struggle with motivation during winter mornings because of the darkness. Along with the grades, there is an evident drop in emotional state in students and staff.

“I noticed in the winters that I would tend to have a dip in my mood,” science teacher Diane Mc-

Donald said. “Somewhere in the midfall, I feel like students become more tired, they don’t handle stress as well, and overall struggle more”

While there is an increase in students' demand for mental health assistance, Diane McDonald points out that this uptick could be attributed to a variety of factors.

“This could correspond with all sorts of stuff,” McDonald said. “The curriculum is getting harder, they are not getting the sunlight they need, stuff they said yes to in the summer starting to build up, but it was around the same time that I knew I needed to start taking vitamin D” What differentiates

According to a research study conducted by SAD from depression Harvard University, there is a link be- and the “winter blues” tween the amount of sunlight and seasonal affective is it occurs around disorder. Sunlight plays a role in the seasonal change and is production of melatonin and serotonin, and limited not just isolated to the production of these causes less sleep winter months. and mood problems.

“With the sun setting earlier, the day feels like it is over at 5:30,” Masters said. “There is a strong correlation with productivity and sunlight.”

Adjusting to daylight savings can be a challenge, suddenly the sunsets at 6 o’clock and the days feel like they have been cut in half.

“Daylight savings is the worst day of the year for me,” Masters said.

Ohio’s weather makes it hard to manage the Vitamin D in the body.

“Living in Ohio, after Nov. 19 all the way through Valentine's Day, your body does not make enough vitamin D,” McDonald said.

Seasonal Affective Disorder can create feelings of loneliness and social isolation, so taking part in a sport or other activity may help boost mood “When I coached basketball, that was one thing that I thought helped,” Masters said. “The darkness was going to be there regardless, but this gave me something else to put my energy into and allowed me to be more social.” The COVID-19 pandemic has definitely exacerbated the effects of seasonal affective disorder, considering the number of limits that were put into place, including social distancing, limits on people gathering and online school. Those dealing with the effects of SAD may feel hopeless and that there is no way to escape their symptoms; however, there are a number of different ways to fight back against SAD. Some of the remedies include getting more daylight, exercising, taking vitamin D supplements, reducing stress and using a daylight lamp. For McDonald, she found that vitamin D supplementation helped to increase her mood during the winter months and boost her overall health. “Through the D Minder app, I learned that once school started my body was not producing Vitamin D,” Mcdonald said. “So I decided to start taking vitamin D the whole school year and it definitely supports a more positive outlook for me personally.” It is important for students going through this to talk to someone, they are not alone in this. If you are feeling this way and think you are suffering from seasonal affective disorder, talk to a guidance counselor or your own doctor.

DO YOU HAVE SAD?

BY CADEN MCDERMOTT

1. Is it hard for you to get out of bed in the winter?

A. Yes, it is very difficult B. Maybe a little harder than normal C. No, it isn’t a problem

2. How tired do you feel during winter?

A. Always tired during winter B. I don’t notice a difference C. Not often tired

3. How did you feel about daylight savings?

A. Excited, means that christmas is on the way B. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either C. I hate it, nothing but darkness ahead

4. In the winter, do you find yourself craving carbs more?

A. Yes, much more B. Now and then, they’re hard to resist C. No, not really

5. What do you like to do in the winter?

A. Spend lots of time inside and warm B. Hang out with friends and family C. Being outside and playing in the snow

6. Does winter make you feel less motivated?

A. Yes, all the time B. Now and then C. No, never

7. Do you find it hard to keep up with your hobbies/interests?

A. Yes, I do not venture out much B. The cold puts of some of my activities, but I stay busy C. Not at all

If you have answered "A" to some or all of these questions, you may be experiencing some symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder.