As winter approaches, the world’s environment changes: temperatures drop, time moves back, and it gets darker faster. While these are all normal things that come with winter, these changes affect more than just the environment. With winter on its way, seasonal depression follows close behind.
“There’s this thing called a DSM5 which is a diagnostic handbook of all the mental health diagnoses with all the criteria and all the information you need to know,” social worker Alex Valdez said. “It basically says if it’s during a specific season, and you notice your mood is being impacted, and you know that you don’t typically feel this way during summertime and early fall, It’s most likely seasonal depression.”
Unlike a standard diagnosis of depression, seasonal depression can occur during all months of the year. People with the condition typically have lower moods, and a loss of pleasure while participating in formally liked activities.
“Although I don’t work with the DSM5 as a school social worker I brought it up to distinguish its differences between Seasonal Depression from other types of depression and that it is specific to mood in seasons,” Valdez said.
According to Ellipsis, data suggest that adults are more likely than teengers to experience seasonal depression symptoms. Although, that means the older the teenager is, the higher the probability that they will experience seasonal depression.
“I definitely notice seasonal depression in teenagers working in the school but I don’t feel like it’s more impactful for teenagers specifically,” Valdez said. “From what I’ve noticed a lot of people get to a point where they’re not outside, and if you’re not getting sunlight, or if you’re not doing all of these things that your body kinda needs, you may start experiencing symptoms.”
Even though people who are educated on specific matters sometimes aren’t actually exposed to them, seasonal depression is an actual matter that students at DGN battle.
“Recently I’ve had to up my dosage of depression meds,” senior Ioanna Koukoutsakis said. “There’s something about the weather change that just makes things harder.”
Although people with depression experience symptoms year round, the colder months can amplify those feelings. For some people with this disorder, winter time is when they experience their all time lows.
“As it starts getting darker outside at like 4:00, which is crazy to me, I feel like the darkness changes peoples’ moods,” Koukoutsakis said. “You wake up and go to school and when you get home it’s dark, which is depressing.”
It may seem silly, but the changing world that students live in can really make an impact on their lives.
“Every single winter it gets so gloomy and so cold, I find it hard to get out of my bed,” junior Sawyer Hansen said.
VNS Health explains that there is a link between darkness and health issues such as depression.
“There’s a specific correlation to the more sunlight you get the more feel good chemicals your brain releases,” Valdez said. “If you go for walks, if you exercise, guess what those feel good chemicals they just naturally release.”
Going out into the sun, even if that sunlight is artificial ultraviolet light, can be beneficial for one’s mental state.
“I like going to the tanning beds, it simulates the summer and just makes me feel better about myself,” Hansen said.
Each individual has different coping strategies that they use to help them. These strategies can help make significant changes in a person’s mental state.
“Shopping, sleeping, coloring books, and lighting candles are all things I like to do to help me through my depression,” Koukoutsakis said.
While seasonal depression can be rough, there are plenty of resources for people to get the help that they need.
“Everyone in the building has a counselor and a social worker and a psychologist that they can go to if need be,” Valdez said. “In terms of resources for that, here at the school students get therapists and families get therapists if that’s helpful. It kind of depends on what you’re looking for and where you’re at.”
