Senior Akshaya Lingala finds it difficult to explain the feelings the winter months bring out in her.
“I definitely feel more tired and less motivated to get out of my bed, which also contributes to increased laziness and decreased productivity. Along with that, not being able to open your window and see light outside at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., compared to how you can during the summer, it’s just a really drastic change,” Lingala said.
What Lingala is describing is not an uncommon phenomenon. According to the American Psychiatric Association, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects around 5% of American adults annually, with symptoms including low energy levels, excessive sleeping and a loss of interest in certain activities.
Thomas Misetic, mental health counselor at Franciscan St. Francis Health and CHS, said “SAD is very similar to clinical depression, but it’s more predictable because it usually happens during the winter months. So you’re looking at fatigue, loss of energy, no motivation and sleep disturbance.”
Junior and IB Psychology student Aleeza Asad said, “In IB Psychology, we have not learned about (SAD), however we have had an in-depth unit including depression, its causes and symptoms. And I think it’s okay to say that a lot of the symptoms people have from SAD are similar to some symptoms of depression.”
Misetic also noted how he takes in many patients during the winter months, claiming they’ve never experienced symptoms of depression previously.
“It’s always on the back of my mind,” Misetic said. “There are some clients that are cyclical. Starting from the fall to beginning of winter, they’ll have an increase of symptoms again, claiming that they might have SAD or something of that sort. It’s hard to diagnose because it’s not commonly talked about.”
Daylight Savings’ Impact
Every first Sunday of November, clocks across North America are set one hour back. This practice, known as Daylight Saving Time, is done to make better use of daylight and conserve energy and was first established in 1918, according to the Astronomical Applications Department. According to Misetic, the fall daylight savings, along with the sun’s reduced path in the winter, significantly reduces the number of hours the sun is up, which worsens symptoms of SAD.
“With less sunlight, your circadian rhythm, your 24-hour body cycle just gets messed up,” Misetic said. “So you could sleep a lot more just because your body is producing more melatonin because you don’t have sunlight.”
Lingala said she noticed a shift in her sleep schedule due to daylight savings.
“Along with that, not being able to open your window and see light outside at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., compared to how you can during the summer, it’s just a really drastic change,” Lingala said.
The stigma surrounding SAD
Within conversations about mental health, SAD is often dismissed and treated as an illegitimate diagnosis. Lingala expressed her discontent with this, stating that SAD gets brushed aside as “winter blues.”
“Most of my friends prefer winter over summer,” Lingala said. “They love the cold and thrive in it. So when I bring up how I feel during winter, they don’t really understand it. So I feel kind of silly for saying that, ‘oh, you know, I might have SAD’ or something of that sort because it’s not commonly talked about. It’s not really seen as a significant mental health issue.”
Misetic acknowledged what distinguishes depression from regular sadness.
“We all feel sadness but when it gets to the extent where it affects your ability to function daily. You could be sad about something, but still go through your day. But if you’re not sleeping well and you’re always fatigued and just not motivated, you’re not gonna come to school. On top of that, teenagers have academic stressors and social dynamics, which doesn’t help seasonal depression,” Misetic said.
Treatment Options for SAD
Mistec said he treats clinical depression and SAD using many of the same methods.
“I think the most important part of treatment is maintaining a healthy routine, you gotta get out of the house,” Misetic said. “When there is sunlight, you gotta be socially and physically active. Socializing is very important to deal with seasonal depression. You need to have a very balanced lifestyle.”
Asad said she tries to see the positives that come with the winter season.
“I like to have hot chocolate and enjoy the night or spend time with my friends. It’s important to find ways to feel better when symptoms of SAD creep in,” Asad said.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, treatments like vitamin D and light therapy hold exclusive to SAD due to negative effects associated with lack of sunlight.
“Another thing that I do. So I try to teach my students how to achieve that, that healthy routine,” Misetic said. “Another way is through light therapy. So it mimics the sun and so those, if you do have seasonal affective disorder every morning or once a day, you turn that on and I mean, it’s not right up but it mimics the sunlight and you don’t stare at it.”
According to Lingala, substituting natural light with a bright artificial one might mimic the effect of sunlight exposure.
“I feel like if it being dark outside is a significant problem for you, especially in terms of your productivity, then turning on your big light and making sure that it’s bright because that can help keep you awake,” Lingala said.
Supporting Peers
“I think teenagers are more sensitive to getting (SAD) just because they’re more sensitive to changes in their environment because they’re still physically and emotionally maturing,” Misetic said. “There’s a lot of stress on teenagers now academically and socially. So I think it might affect them a little more because they might not have the skills to learn how to deal with depression.”
Asad emphasized the importance of supporting peers with SAD.
“I think something we can all do in general is to believe people who say they’re struggling,” Asad said. “SAD is a real disorder and it’s important to let people know if they reach (out) for help, they will receive it.”