By Lily Collins

Editor-in-Chief

Seasonal depression is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Symptoms usually start in the fall and continue in the winter months. As the warm weather and the sun start coming back in the spring, SAD goes away. SAD is a type of depression that becomes more common when the days grow shorter and the sunlight exposure becomes scarcer.

Sophomore, Adam Davisson said, “It feels like I have to stay inside, and the cold is restricting me. I just miss the summer when I could go outside at 9 o’clock, and the sun was just setting…The darkness just brings a gloom on you, and you can’t do as much.”

There are also increased negativity and stress-inducing topics in the winter than in the summer, such as midterms and sports. Sophomore, Kaison Anderson said, “In the winter, you are colder and tired and miserable, but in the summer you’re freer and having more fun. The stress isn’t on you as much with school and sports. “ 

SAD and chronic depression are two different things. Chronic depression is a form of depression that can last for months to years. It is a persistent mental health condition, while SAD is a temporary thing that lasts when the seasons change. “The difference of it actually being a mental disorder is how persistent and chronic it’s impacting your day-to-day functioning.” Alyssa Reese, Ferndale High School’s mental health specialist, said. 

Previous mental conditions, such as chronic depression and anxiety, make people more susceptible to SAD. 40% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness according to the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey. “Even when you don’t realize it’s happening, it can happen to you”, said Sophomore, Samantha De La Mora

Sunlight exposure stimulates the part of the brain that helps control your circadian rhythm (body’s internal clock). The lack of light throws it off, which can cause your brain to make too much melatonin but not enough serotonin. Whether you think you have SAD or not, light therapy during the winter may help prevent it. 

Light therapy uses light boxes to produce a bright white light. To your brain, it works the same as natural light and can help regulate your circadian rhythm, which has been thrown off by the dark outdoors. If you are interested in getting a light box, make sure to get one that has 10,000 lux. A bright sunny day is on average 50,000 lux. Keep your eyes open, but don’t stare directly at it. Try to absorb 30 minutes a day while you are getting ready, reading, or watching TV. Getting this light in the morning is much more effective than the night. Some other coping mechanisms to help prevent SAD are maintaining a routine, exercising regularly, prioritizing self-care and hobbies, staying connected with loved ones, etc. 

It is important that if you think you have chronic depression, you should go to a doctor instead of self-diagnosing. “It can be a very vulnerable thing to reach out and say that you’re struggling,” Reese says, “Once you start, I think you’ll find a lot of comfort in kind of unwinding. Telling someone else is usually the hardest part.” You can be sad when the sun goes away, but not necessarily have seasonal depression. The two can look very similar, but they are not the same thing.