As the days darken and sunlight fades early in the evening, some students on campus feel their moods darken and their happiness fade. For social work junior Christine Hernandez, the contrast between the light and dark halves of the year has an extreme effect on her mental and emotional state.
“It was my mother … who first noticed my depression symptoms during my senior year of high school,” Hernandez said. “It became apparent the summer after sophomore year of college that my depressive moods came and went with the sunlight. A sunny day would find me happy, motivated, productive and energized. A rainy day would leave me apathetic, unsatisfied with most aspects of my life and sometimes incapable of getting out of bed.”
Battling the blues
While most people have experienced the “winter blues” at some point in their lives, those blues can lead to a depression that coincides with the dark, cold months of the year for some.
This seasonal depression, known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, affects millions of people every year particularly during the months of December, January and February, according to the National Organization for Seasonal Affective Disorder or NOSAD.
Hernandez has experienced firsthand the shift in mood that accompanies SAD.
“Physically, I am usually exhausted. I can never seem to get enough sleep. My emotions are in overdrive when depressed, jumping around from anger to regret to intense sadness. Sometimes my emotions are in such an overload that I simply break down and cry from the intensity of it,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said while her depressive episodes can occur at any time of the year, if the weather turns rainy or dark her symptoms are most common during the winter, as the short days decrease her exposure to natural sunlight and cause her episodes to become worse and occur more frequently.
“The worst part of seasonal depression is the way it snowballs on itself. I start to feel dissatisfied with my life, and I don’t want to get out of bed. So I stay in bed and realize I’m not doing anything productive,” she said. “This makes me feel worthlessness, and I realize there’s no point in getting out of bed, no one would care if I did anyway. And it can continue like this until I’m exhausted and fall back asleep, starting the cycle over when I wake next.”
All in the brain
According to both NOSAD and Mayo Clinic, SAD is linked to a chemical imbalance caused by shortened daylight hours and less exposure to natural light.
Mayo Clinic also states there is another theory that less sunlight causes less production of the neurotransmitter serotonin, a “happy” calming chemical in the brain, and an increase in melatonin, a sleep-related hormone. This combination causes depression-like symptoms.
“Anyone can get SAD, but it’s most commonly seen in adults, especially those who live in climates or geographical regions where sunlight is lacking,” said Dr. Jennifer Grzegorek, Ph.D., an MSU Counseling Center psychologist. “Research also tends to show that it’s more common in women than men. There are MSU students who experience seasonal depression. Michigan is one of those places where SAD is more likely, due to the cold and dark winter days that occur here in the northern sections of the United States.”
This can be bad news for those like Hernandez who are living in Michigan, which has much less year-round sunlight than, for example, a country near the equator.
According to the Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms (SLTBR), about 25 percent of people living in the middle to northern latitudes of the United States experience winter-related sadness.
Although he doesn’t suffer from SAD, theater sophomore Tyler VanCamp said he is affected by Michigan’s winters.
“I feel like I don’t have enough time to get things done when it’s dark, and the cold weather makes me less ambitious to get things done,” VanCamp said. “It does not really affect my social life, but it’s hard to get motivated. So, in a way it affects my academics but nothing drastic. I would say it makes it harder to get started on things like homework.”
Prenursing freshman Jeff Stackhouse agreed that the season affects his level of motivation.
“It’s such a hassle to go outside and button all your stuff up and trudge through the snow,” he said. “It just all snowballs on top of each other. I’m more tired. I really don’t have the motivation to go out and do anything. I just want to chill in the dorms. I’m pretty disciplined, but sometimes it’s just harder to start my homework.”
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Living in the dark
Grzegorek said the symptoms of SAD are similar to those of depression — low mood, low energy, loss of interest in activities, getting too much or not enough sleep, loss of appetite or overeating and difficulties concentrating.
“One of the first signs that people with SAD notice is that their mood is low. Many people with SAD say that they just don’t feel like themselves anymore,” Grzegorek said.
Hernandez said her SAD symptoms interfere with her daily life and ability to complete even simple tasks.
“It makes it very difficult to do the simplest things I need to get done for the day,” Hernandez said. “I don’t want to get out of bed. I don’t want to shower. I don’t want to get dressed. I don’t want to make lunch. I don’t want to go grocery shopping. I have to force myself to get these necessary tasks done.”
There isn’t an area in Hernandez’s life that isn’t affected by her mood disorder, she said.
“I am physically incapable of getting schoolwork done during an episode. I can’t get my reading done, finish assignments that are due or study for upcoming tests. It is also quite difficult to get myself to go to class during such times,” Hernandez said.
“My relationships suffer a lot from my depression. A lack of motivation keeps me from leaving my room or going out with friends. Frustration often arises because people think I don’t care.”
Seeing the light
Fortunately, in the day and age of modern technology and artificial light that can mimic sunlight, there is hope for treatment for MSU students dealing with the disorder.
“Treatments for SAD are similar to treatments for depression. These include therapy, medications or a combination of both,” Grzegorek said. “In addition, SAD is sometimes treated with phototherapy, also called ‘light therapy.’ This involves having the person with SAD sit under a special, bright light, usually first thing in the morning.”
Hernandez said that she has no desire to be prescribed medication and prefers to alleviate her symptoms more naturally.
“Medication has never been an option. Antidepressants can increase suicidal thoughts in teens and young adults. That was a risk I was not willing to take, nor did I want to have my happiness dependent on pills,” Hernandez said. “I am currently trying light therapy, which consists of me sitting in range of a special lamp for about 30 minutes a day. My depressive episodes only occur on days when the sun is not out fully. Exposure to the lamp acts as a substitute for the sun.”
The SLTBR recommends the use of light therapy to alleviate SAD symptoms. A light box, which contains fluorescent bulbs, is put on a table or desk, which allows a person to sit near it during treatment and work on daily activities. For Hernandez and MSU students in general, this could mean while studying and doing homework.
“We recommend that you open the blinds or curtains as soon as you wake up so that you have as much exposure to natural light as possible. It can be helpful to spend time outdoors each day so that you have exposure to natural light,” Grzegorek said. “SAD can also be helped by some of the same things that help with depression, such as exercising, getting seven to eight hours of sleep per night, eating healthfully, connecting with friends and loved ones, staying connected with your spirituality or community of faith or meditating.”
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