Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Picture this: its 11:37 p.m. and you are sitting at your desk working on a paper. After many unforgiving hours of wracking your brain for bright ideas you give up and go to bed. When your alarm goes off at 7a.m. you wake up, get dressed and feel around in the dark for your keys and backpack. You sit in class all day. When you finally get out, you trudge through the wind and snow in the darkness to your car. That night it begins again.
Seasonal affective disorder is more commonly known as “the winter blues”. The low-down, sad and lethargic feeling we experience mid-winter is caused by a hormonal imbalance in our brains, causing us to feel unlike our regular cheery selves.
With the days getting shorter and hours of sunlight dwindling away in the early afternoon, many of us students are literally left in the dark. What we do not realize his how important the little bit of sunlight we see is to the functioning of our brains and bodies. The lack of sunlight experienced during the short winter days affects our internal circadian clocks.
Here is the lowdown on circadian clocks: We have all heard people referring to their “biological clock”, yet most of us never thought we have an actual clock built into our bodies. Listen up folks, we do.
The brain’s circadian clock is a small grouping of neurons behind our eyes in an area of the brain called the hypothalamus. This group of neurons is constantly sending out signals to control the body’s daily rhythms such as sleep and wake patterns, hormone secretions, body temperature changes, etc. (the same clock that tells animals when to hibernate, birds to fly south for the winter, and so on).
Serotonin and Melatonin are two important components in the functioning of our circadian clocks. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter in our brain, is commonly boosted and released by exercise. Melatonin is our hormone responsible for telling us when to feel tired.
The combination of prolonged darkness and lack of exercise we usually experience in the winter months causes the brain to convert greater amounts of serotonin into melatonin, increasing levels of melatonin in our bodies. Lowered levels of serotonin, and high levels of melatonin are what allow the symptoms of SAD to develop.
These small yet significant hormones are major players in our bodies. It is responsible for not only our sleep patterns, but our sex drives, mood swings, emotions, and immune system to name just a few.
When our circadian clock is thrown out of whack, we develop a cyclic tendency to become psychologically depressed, especially during the winter. A combination of these feelings of lethargy, depression, anxiety, irritability and sleepiness is generally known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Originally identified in 1845, SAD was not officially classified until 1984 when a psychiatrist named Norman E. Rosenthal began to study cases of depression that for some reason were prevalent only in the winter months. After studying the symptoms and publishing an article in The Washington Post about his research, Rosenthal received nationwide response from people suffering the same symptoms. It was then the disease was classified as legitimate, and steps were taken to try to find a cure.
Seasonal affective disorder has become prevalent among students over the years. Combined with the stress of a full course load, never-ending assignments, lack of sunlight and exercise can really start to take a toll on the student’s body.
“Waking up to go to work in the dark is so depressing, and its dark again when I go home at night.” Said Gavin Tse, 24, a Masters degree candidate at the University of Toronto, “I tend to never want to wake up in the winter.”
Studies have confirmed that six to ten percent of people living in the northern parts of North America are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder.
“Sunny winter days make me happy, but I need sun to have fun,” Ashley Burke, 22, HBA student at Richard Ivey School of Business joked, “Overcast makes me sad; summer makes me glad!”
“It’s more common for me to be in a good mood in the summertime, because there are a million things to do outside,” said Juri Kongats, 22, who works full time in a factory, “As long as I stay active in the winter doing things like snowboarding, it definitely helps to keep the winter blues at bay.”
Not everyone is affected by SAD. Certain lifestyle choices can ward off any potential seasonal depression. “I walk to work. It’s 30 minutes each way,” explained Joshua Fattore, 24, a recent Queens University graduate who is now an executive recruiter, “Then at lunch I eat quickly and go for another walk.”
There are a few remedies to these mid-winter blues experienced by so many.
“When I can get away to my house in Florida I feel so much better. Even if it’s just for a few days,” said Suzanne Muyshondt, a fourth year student at McGill preparing for her MCATs, proving that even just limited exposure to the sun can improve mood and elevation of spirits, refreshing us for another semester at school.
Light therapy is the most common solution to overcoming symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. The most common form of light therapy involves exposing oneself to prolonged periods of bright light. Many physicians recommend sitting in front of a light-box fitted with high intensity bulbs for 15 to 20 minutes a day. These light boxes have a special 10,000 lux capacity (a lux is the international unit of illumination, one lumen square meter).
Another option provided for those suffering from severe SAD, is hormone-inducing drugs. Some physicians may prescribe anti-depressant medications to treat the symptoms, yet a lot of these drugs have more side effects than benefits. Light therapy is the less intrusive, healthier option for most students.
Since most of us do not have a spare light-box sitting around at home, some colleges and universities have them in their heath centres that students are welcome to use at their discretion. This is an easy and stress-free way to cure the blues, as well as more healthy approach then the administration of drugs.