The weather is warming up and the sun is coming out, so many students may be feeling better than they have in a while. Many have heard of ‘the winter blues’ or seasonal depression but may not fully understand it let alone know that many suffer from it without realizing it.
According to Kirkwood Community College’s Counseling Service Manager Karol White, “There is a very real chemical process within the body with sunlight exposure. Sunlight exposure actually allows our bodies to not only absorb but convert vitamin D into a usable source. When you have low vitamin D levels you tend to exhibit having symptoms of depression. When you shrink the amount of sunlight exposure you get in the winter months, people’s vitamin D levels naturally drops.”
White continued, “There is a difference between what people call ‘the winter blues’ and seasonal depression… When we talk about diagnostic categories, it’s usually something we measure a little bit more specifically, so like this is saying mild symptoms lasting less than two weeks, mild symptoms they’re talking about is feeling down, but being able to take care of myself and others, having some trouble sleep not a lot, having less energy than usual but still able to do my jobs, going to school. Then is this category said symptoms lasting more than two weeks, social withdraw, oversleeping, gaining weight, craving a lot of food, trouble getting up and doing the things I need to do. So that’s kind of our diagnostic between having the winter blues.”
White added, “The main difference between seasonal depression, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and regular depression is [regular] depression tends to be year-round… it can come and go, but it doesn’t follow the same pattern. Whereas SAD or seasonal depression you can almost set your calendar.”
People who are from warmer, sunnier places who move to a cooler and cloudy climate are more likely to experience SAD in their new climate. They also may have it longer compared to locals of that cooler climate. In Iowa, many experience symptoms of SAD between October or November and it ends by March or April, but some may experience as early as September.
Another group that can be at a higher risk for SAD are athletes. According to White, “Students that are active athletes in certain seasons… Somebody in two sport seasons and for whatever reason are not active in another season, we can see this similar thing happen. What happens most of the time is when they have spring and summer sports and then they don’t have a winter sport. They are less physically active plus that whole vitamin D sunlight we got going on. You put these together and that can be a really difficult combination.”
Then, at the beginning of the calendar year there are no major holidays and it is also the cloudiest time of year in Iowa. This may leave many feeling lonely with an unmet need of social interaction. In February, society tell us to celebrate Valentine’s Day and spend a lot of money to prove how much we love someone, but some are reminded of not being in a relationship or being in an unhappy relationship.
The good news is that there are ways to overcome SAD, though the effectiveness of the suggested activities will vary person to person. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, ways to overcome SAD include, “Doing something you enjoy, going outside in the sunlight, spending time with family and friends and eating healthy and avoiding foods with lots of sugar.” Winter activities students can do alone or with others can be puzzles, yoga, games, drawing, painting and overall moving one’s body a bit more, whether that’s going for a walk or climbing an extra set of stairs. The institute also suggests, “light therapy, psychotherapy (talk therapy), medications, and vitamin D supplements.” While these options are great, it’s also important to discuss these options with a primary doctor to ensure it’s the best option as White warned, “…just taking an extra supplement doesn’t always get the vitamin D level up where you need it to be. There’s actually a vitamin D protocol that physicians used to get people’s vitamin D levels back up to a sustainable level.”
For students who may be concerned about someone experiencing SAD, or any other mental health condition, White suggested to start with “I” statements such as “I noticed that…,” “I’m concerned…,” “I care about you” and state the facts of what you have noticed or why you’re concerned. She said to offer support and encourage ways that may improve their symptoms and help figure out what works and doesn’t work. But, she added, you shouldn’t be responsible for another’s mental health.
Kirkwood resource cards have information from Kirkwood’s counselors to organizations such as Foundation Two and CommUnity. Foundation Two in Cedar Rapids and CommUnity in Iowa City are crisis centers students can call or text to reach out for mental health help at any time. These are for anyone who is experiencing mental health struggles.
Foundation Two also helps those who are trying to help others but may need guidance on how to help friends and family. “You can receive help to help somebody else,” White explained.
Outreach Coordinator | Distribution Manager
Categories: Feature
