When we think about the fall and winter months, many people get excited about the holidays and spending time with family and friends, and some may even be excited about the cooler weather. However, what about those who dread these seasons and know that shorter days and cooler temperatures mean that their Seasonal Affective Disorder cycle is back? Well, for those it means it’s time to spend extra time and effort taking care of ourselves and focusing on getting our mental health in the best shape it can be, even in our busy schedules.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

If you’re reading this, you either struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder or are you maybe curious as to what S.A.D, Seasonal Affective Disorder, even is. Well, according to John Hopkins Medicine, it is a type of depression that happens during specific seasons of the year, typically fall and winter. It is believed that shorter days and a decrease in sunlight are the triggers for changes in the brain's chemicals that can trigger depression-like symptoms. According to the American Psychiatry Association, about 5% of adults struggle with some sort of S.A.D. and this typically lasts about 40% of the year. However, many times S.A.D gets diagnosed as Depressive Disorder, which means that 5% could be much larger. For instance, research done by Frontiers in Public Health found that globally about 48.9% of college students are experiencing depression.  

Okay, now we know how many people this affects and what, by definition, Seasonal Affective Disorder is. But, what does that mean? How does Seasonal Affective Disorder affect people? Well, symptoms of S.A.D., according to the National Institute of Mental Health, are persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, and anxiety. More physical symptoms include loss of interest in hobbies, decreased energy, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep patterns and eating habits, and suicidal ideation. I feel it is important to state that you do not need to experience all of these symptoms, nor are you limited to these symptoms. Each person's experience with Seasonal Affective Disorder will look slightly different from another’s.

What Does This Mean?

We have established a baseline here. We now know what S.A.D is and its symptoms, but what does it all mean? Why should we take time out of our busy schedules and dedicate precious time to taking care of ourselves? Well to answer that important question, we can turn to what not taking care of our mental health can lead to. According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, not taking care of our mental health as college students can lead to a decrease in grades and academic performance, as well as an increased risk factor of dropping out.  When speaking with a student who attends Waubonsee Community College, out of Sugar Grove, Illinois, he mentioned how his Seasonal Affective Disorder cycle hits him hard every year. He stated, “Every time this time of year hits, I just know my life is going to become more difficult. I lack motivation to do anything at all, things like taking care of myself, my school work, and spending time with people I love”. When I asked him why he doesn’t prioritize taking care of himself, his response was enlightening. “I just don’t have the time. Between working when I don’t have class, and having class when I don’t work, I’m too exhausted by the time I get home.” I found that to be the key, we don’t take care of ourselves because we feel like we don’t have time.

Coping Skills for The Busy College Student

I decided to split this section into two smaller sections. I want to preface by saying all methods listed below have some sort of research attached to them. The first section is about treatments that have been clinically proven in some way, shape, or form. The second section of this post will go more into coping strategies that you can do at your own pace. These are backed by research but will take more effort, consistency, and time to see your results.

Medical Treatments to Managing Seasonal Affective Disorder

1.    Light Therapy

Light therapy is a very common treatment when it comes to Seasonal Affective Disorder. According to Harvard Medical School, light therapy is when we sit next to a special light source for about 30 minutes a day.  This specific light source they are talking about is called a light box which essentially mimics the sunlight to our brain. Many people believe that sitting in front of any lamp is helpful, however, when speaking with Matthew Marajan, LPC, he stated that lamp light has too much of a yellow hue to stimulate the part of our brain that the sun stimulates. Instead, these light boxes have a blue hue to them. Many light boxes are out there, so one may ask themselves which one we choose. The Mayo Clinic has us covered, they state things to consider such as is the light box designed to treat S.A.D., how bright it is, whether it will affect your eyes, whether it is the style you need, and can you put it in the right place. When speaking with Heather Olsson, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), she stated that light therapy is her favorite treatment when it comes to S.A.D. She followed this up, that for this method to be effective, one should start about one to two months before the time change goes into effect. This is not to say that light therapy can’t be effective if you don’t start a few months in advance. You must remain consistent, however, to see results.

2.    Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of the vitamins we receive from the sun, it makes our body produce it. According to the Mayo Clinic, when we get less sunlight and we don’t eat enough food with Vitamin D in them this can put us at an increased risk of developing worse symptoms for S.A.D.  What does this mean and how do we take care of this? The answer is pretty simple, you can start taking Vitamin D supplements. But here is the trick, you may not know how much you need to take, or if your Vitamin D levels are even a problem at all. When speaking with Dr. Sara Hung, she stated that when people get blood work done to test the Vitamin D levels they are shocked by how little or how much they need. That is the key for the treatment method. You have to get blood work done to test your Vitamin D levels for this treatment to be effective. You will need to talk to your primary care physician to get that lab work set up. When talking to Heather Olsson, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), she stated that the first thing she tells her patients is to get lab work done, so she can rule out any physiological reason that they may be experiencing S.A.D. symptoms. Lab work can also check your levels of other vitamins and how well your thyroid is functioning.

3.    Antidepressants

For some, your typical coping mechanisms for S.A.D. may need to be treated by a prescription-strength antidepressant. This is typically only used for severe cases of S.A.D., but I feel it is important to list it here because it is clinically the most effective treatment when dealing with S.A.D. SSRIs, or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, are the most common antidepressant when being prescribed. According to the Cleveland Clinic, SSRIs work by blocking the reabsorption of Serotonin, this block helps create a higher level of serotonin in your brain. It is important to note that with antidepressants, you will not see results right away, and in fact you may have to try a few different ones before you find your match. This is why this treatment is only used for severe cases of S.A.D. According to NHS, a few things we should remain aware of are; the medicine can take up to 4-6 weeks to see full effect, it should be taken as prescribed by your doctor until you are advised to gradually stop, and that antidepressant can have side effects and interact with other medications so alert your physician to any medication you are currently taking.