Why Do I Feel Better When It's Nice Out?: Seasonal Affective Disorder
By: Isabella Scala
Hooray! Spring is finally here, which means it’s once again sundress season! I know I for one could not be happier that this winter is over, and everyone is excited about spring. However, do you feel like you might be a little bit more excited than some of your friends for the warm weather? Do you also maybe feel like the winter months get you down more than usual?
If your feelings of happiness for the summer season seem to juxtapose sharply with feelings of depression during the winter, you might have something going on than just the usual excitement for beach days and ice cream. If you have extreme mood swings that last for months at a time and align with the seasons, you might have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as SAD, is a disorder that is not commonly talked about, mostly because people simply have not heard of it. SAD is a type of depression that can occur due to changes in the seasons. Sufferers from SAD typically feel extremely depressed during the winter months, and extremely joyous or hopeful during the summer months (depression and anxiety can occur during the summer, but it is less common). While the cause of this disorder has not yet been discovered, medical professionals cite a disruption in one’s circadian rhythm (a change in your sleep cycles from season to season) as a likely source.
Another likely cause could be found in the drop in serotonin levels from the reduction in sunlight during the winter. The vitamin D we receive during the summer months gives us a large increase in serotonin, and winter’s cloudy weather causes a sharp reduction in the amount of vitamin D we receive. The symptoms of SAD are relatively common and occur amongst many people during seasonal changes, such as feeling more down during the winter months and happier during the summer months. However, people who suffer from SAD often have more severe symptoms than others, and these can include:
During the winter months:
Oversleeping
Hopelessness
Loss of interest in day to day activities
Changes in appetite or weight (most commonly, weight gain)
Low energy and exhaustion
Craving for foods high in carbs
During the summer months: (these symptoms occur less often than the winter symptoms, but they still matter)
Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
Low appetite and subsequent weight loss
Increased levels of anxiety or agitation
Restlessness
So, what should I do if I feel like I have SAD? What treatments are available for me?
While it’s normal to sometimes get a case of the “winter blues”, if your symptoms line up more with the ones outlined above, then you might have Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you are feeling particularly hopeless during the winter months, or are considering thoughts of suicide, please do not try to deal with this on your own. SAD is often a symptom of larger mental health issues, such as Major Depression or Bipolar Disorder, and can be treated with light therapy, medications, and one-on-one counseling. Some resources for students suffering from mental health issues include:
Villanova Counseling Center
Second Floor, Health Services Building
610-519-4050
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255 (800-273-TALK)
I’m Alive - Live Chat Suicide Lifeline
Crisis Chat
