By Bianca Shmulevich
Winter comes with the cold, the snow, the ice and 16 hours of darkness per day. Every year, there is wide-spread concern for physical dangers and discomfort. Yet, for one in four people, the cold weather may have an emotional effect as well. Commonly called the “winter blues,” Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a serious depression that often goes unnoticed.
SAD is a depression that coincides just as the days begin to get shorter and the air temperature drops. According to medicine.net, “What is Seasonal Affective Disorder” SAD seems to develop from inadequate bright light during the winter months. Research has found that bright light affects the chemicals in the brain.
“The symptoms of the depression usually begin in the fall and last until spring, in particular in December, January and February,” Merry E. McVey-Noble, clinical psychologist, said.
According to medicine.net, the symptoms are more intense during the darkest months, and also depend upon how far away one lives from the equator.
“The symptoms usually are very similar to depression,” McVey-Noble, a professor at the University, said. “The symptoms include tiredness, fatigue, depression, irritability, body aches, loss of sex drive, poor sleeping and overeating.
In The Hoya online of Georgetown University, Kathy Hogan-Bruen, senior director of Prevention for the National Association of Mental Health, wrote that many of the symptoms are caused by less exposure to light and an increased production of melatonin.
“The characteristic symptoms of SAD and the winter blues are thought to be caused by increased levels of melatonin production,” Hogan-Bruen said. “This hormone is produced at increased levels in the day, and bodies are programmed to produce this hormone without the cue of sunlight, which as a result can decrease energy levels and motivation.”
SAD is a relatively new condition. Although some believe it has been around for many years, it was first documented in 1985. Latitude seems to directly affect which people suffer, the National Organization for Seasonal Affective Disorder, said.
According to a study from the organization, less than five percent of the population suffers from the disorder in southern states like Arizona and Florida. In northern states such as Washington or Alaska, the number rises up to thirty percent. New York falls somewhere in between. Women are three times more likely to fuffer from the disorder than men. Being the most common between the ages of 18 to 30, college students are put at a greater risk.
“Light therapy, phototherapy, is often used as treatment, and has proved effective in up to 85 percent of the cases,” McVey-Noble said. “Any form of depression is a lack of serotonin levels, and the light increases serotonin in the body.”
The light therapy is used daily, up to four hours a day. It consists of exposure to very bright lighting, at least ten times the intensity of “ordinary domestic lighting.”
In more extreme cases, non-sedative antidepressant drugs are used, such as Lustral, Seroxat and Prozac. These medications are usually combined with the light therapy to be more effective.
“Some people need antidepressants all year round,” McVey-Noble said. “Psychotherapy or counseling can also be particularly healthy, as it encourages to gain a better understanding of their illness, and come to deal with the effects of it.”
The National Organization for Seasonal Affective Disorder, recommends counseling as a way to help the sufferer relax as well.
McVey-Noble, who has been counseling patients for seven years, believes that students can take charge of their own health as well.
“It is important to take care of yourself and your health. Exercise, avoiding abusive substances, and eating a healthy diet is always a plus,” she said. “Trying to maintain some sun exposure can be beneficial as well. So many college students keep their feelings to themselves, and go through this in silence and confusion. It’s always so important to get out there and talk to somebody.”