Seasonal Depression Makes Students’ Return to School Difficult
Liliana Soler '22 Staff Writer
The upcoming winter season is exciting for some. They look forward to holidays, snow, traditions and spending time with family and friends. But for others, winter means less sunlight, bad weather and seasonal depression.
Seasonal depression, officially known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a mood disorder that causes depression during the change of seasons. While SAD is mostly associated with the colder seasons, people also experience it during the summer, though this is rarer than winter based seasonal depression. Summer seasonal depression is also known as Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder (Reverse SAD). Reverse SAD can be caused by many things, such as dreading the beginning of the school year. For children, it can be hard to enjoy summer because it feels like they must constantly be doing something fun and noteworthy. When kids return to school, everyone asks them the same question, “What did you do this summer?” Everyone thinks their answer isn’t good enough. The pressure of having a summer that lives up to the high expectations created all year leads to the anxiety and depression surrounding the summer season. Symptoms of summer based SAD are trouble sleeping, weight loss, decrease in appetite, and anxiety, while common symptoms of fall/winter based SAD are a loss of energy, oversleeping, weight gain, and appetite changes. Winter based SAD is caused by a lack of sunlight in the winter and fall, which leads to a drop in serotonin and melanin levels in the body. Summer based SAD is caused by too much exposure to sunlight, also damaging the body’s circadian rhythms, disrupting the body’s normal 24-hour schedule, including sleep and eating patterns. These both affect the body’s balance and mood.
The change in seasons coincides with the height of the school year. Students around the world struggle with mood changes at this time. Senior Mary Akinrogbe describes her seasonal depression, saying, “It feels like once it gets dark, gets colder, like, there’s a heavy weight on you. Like, you just feel gloomier.” Akinrogbe says her seasonal depression is more connected to winter, like most of the population. Renee Jaranson, a senior who does not experience seasonal depression, has still witnessed it affect others. Her take on it is, “I feel like generally during the winter months the mood shifts because like, as soon as you get home, it’s basically dark, so then everything inside of your family, like your house is dimly lit, it’s like very dark, so it’s definitely not as fun and you can’t really spend as much time outside, which probably does affect people who already do have seasonal affective disorder.” The changing schedules that come with the school year become even harder with the colder, darker winter environment. SAD is heightened with the end of Daylight Saving Time, which this year ends on November 7th, 2021. On the 7th, clocks will be moved back one hour, giving people an extra hour of sleep but causing the sun to set an hour earlier. The days are already gradually getting shorter after the Summer Solstice, and the changing of the clocks accelerates this process and the onset of seasonal depression.
Both Akinrogbe and Senior Aisha Alam say seasonal depression is “gradual”, and acknowledge that while SAD is a chronic struggle, there are strategies to counter it. Akinrogbe counters her SAD by, “...keeping myself busy, trying not to dwell on it too much, hanging out with people I love, like my friends or family.” These strategies help Akinrogbe to feel happy, helping with her serotonin levels and improving her mood.
Some also seek professional help for their seasonal depression, receiving treatments such as light therapy, where a box called a light box gives off artificial light which imitates natural light, and psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy. There are also purchasable light boxes which allow for at - home, do-it-yourself light treatment. Akinrogbe says these treatments, “...could help a lot with people who struggle with it, like strongly.” While professional help is not a necessary treatment, it can help many people and can be used as a strategy on top of at - home strategies like socialization to counteract seasonal depression.
There are many ways to relieve seasonal depression. Socialization and a healthy sleep schedule are two doable ways to do so. Take advantage of the sunlight by pulling back the blinds and spending time outside when the weather permits. Even a short walk or sitting outside can help your body and brain adjust and feel much better. While seasonal depression is a struggle, there are many exciting parts of winter, such as the first snowfall, holidays, and winter break. Keeping these tips in mind will help all of us counter SAD and survive, and maybe even enjoy the winter.
Seasonal depression, officially known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a mood disorder that causes depression during the change of seasons. While SAD is mostly associated with the colder seasons, people also experience it during the summer, though this is rarer than winter based seasonal depression. Summer seasonal depression is also known as Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder (Reverse SAD). Reverse SAD can be caused by many things, such as dreading the beginning of the school year. For children, it can be hard to enjoy summer because it feels like they must constantly be doing something fun and noteworthy. When kids return to school, everyone asks them the same question, “What did you do this summer?” Everyone thinks their answer isn’t good enough. The pressure of having a summer that lives up to the high expectations created all year leads to the anxiety and depression surrounding the summer season. Symptoms of summer based SAD are trouble sleeping, weight loss, decrease in appetite, and anxiety, while common symptoms of fall/winter based SAD are a loss of energy, oversleeping, weight gain, and appetite changes. Winter based SAD is caused by a lack of sunlight in the winter and fall, which leads to a drop in serotonin and melanin levels in the body. Summer based SAD is caused by too much exposure to sunlight, also damaging the body’s circadian rhythms, disrupting the body’s normal 24-hour schedule, including sleep and eating patterns. These both affect the body’s balance and mood.
The change in seasons coincides with the height of the school year. Students around the world struggle with mood changes at this time. Senior Mary Akinrogbe describes her seasonal depression, saying, “It feels like once it gets dark, gets colder, like, there’s a heavy weight on you. Like, you just feel gloomier.” Akinrogbe says her seasonal depression is more connected to winter, like most of the population. Renee Jaranson, a senior who does not experience seasonal depression, has still witnessed it affect others. Her take on it is, “I feel like generally during the winter months the mood shifts because like, as soon as you get home, it’s basically dark, so then everything inside of your family, like your house is dimly lit, it’s like very dark, so it’s definitely not as fun and you can’t really spend as much time outside, which probably does affect people who already do have seasonal affective disorder.” The changing schedules that come with the school year become even harder with the colder, darker winter environment. SAD is heightened with the end of Daylight Saving Time, which this year ends on November 7th, 2021. On the 7th, clocks will be moved back one hour, giving people an extra hour of sleep but causing the sun to set an hour earlier. The days are already gradually getting shorter after the Summer Solstice, and the changing of the clocks accelerates this process and the onset of seasonal depression.
Both Akinrogbe and Senior Aisha Alam say seasonal depression is “gradual”, and acknowledge that while SAD is a chronic struggle, there are strategies to counter it. Akinrogbe counters her SAD by, “...keeping myself busy, trying not to dwell on it too much, hanging out with people I love, like my friends or family.” These strategies help Akinrogbe to feel happy, helping with her serotonin levels and improving her mood.
Some also seek professional help for their seasonal depression, receiving treatments such as light therapy, where a box called a light box gives off artificial light which imitates natural light, and psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy. There are also purchasable light boxes which allow for at - home, do-it-yourself light treatment. Akinrogbe says these treatments, “...could help a lot with people who struggle with it, like strongly.” While professional help is not a necessary treatment, it can help many people and can be used as a strategy on top of at - home strategies like socialization to counteract seasonal depression.
There are many ways to relieve seasonal depression. Socialization and a healthy sleep schedule are two doable ways to do so. Take advantage of the sunlight by pulling back the blinds and spending time outside when the weather permits. Even a short walk or sitting outside can help your body and brain adjust and feel much better. While seasonal depression is a struggle, there are many exciting parts of winter, such as the first snowfall, holidays, and winter break. Keeping these tips in mind will help all of us counter SAD and survive, and maybe even enjoy the winter.
A couple of tips on how to counter seasonal depression from a CBS interview with psychiatrist Dr. Sue Varma. These tips will help your body and brain adjust and react less negatively to Daylight Savings and the changing seasons. “Beating The Clock - Outwitting Seasonal Depression Caused By Time Change”, CBS NEWS.