Weather might put people down in the dumps

As the winter season approaches, some students might find themselves negatively affected by the weather.

Seasonal Affective Disorder might become an obstacle for some students. Dr. Carolyn Lee, a psychologist at the IU Health Center, said SAD is a recurring depression related to the changing seasons.

Lee said symptoms of SAD include extreme fatigue, over-sleeping and overeating. She said day-to-day functioning is affected.

“In the winter I never want to leave my apartment; (class) is the last thing I want to go to,” said junior Erick Westrick. “I want to lay in bed all day.”

Junior Elizabeth Carroll said her friend once experienced SAD symptoms.

“I have a friend that has (SAD), and she had no idea she had it until she went to a therapist and they told her,” Carroll said.

A popular method for treating SAD is light therapy, which involves the exposure of a patient to a full spectrum of high-intensity lights, known as a light box. The exposure takes place at specific intervals during the day, thus simulating a longer day for the patient, Lee said.  

Originally, according to Psychology Now, researchers believed utilizing light boxes for at least 30 minutes a day was enough to battle SAD. However, researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle found Dawn Simulators, similar to the light box, were more effective than a sudden burst of light because the simulation of dawn was more concurrent with everyday light exposure. Most therapists utilize light therapy when treating patients with SAD.

There is a major difference between SAD and the winter blues. It is more common for people to feel the blues as opposed to having SAD.

“A lot of people feel kind of blue when winter comes,” Lee said. “(People) have a tendency to want to stay inside, and (their) mood might be a little more down, but if there’s a party going on, (people) will get up for it.”

Unlike SAD, people with the winter blues choose to stay in bed. Unfortunately, this begins a vicious cycle where the lazier a person feels, the more he or she will not want to go outside.

“One thing people can do if they have (the winter blues),” Lee said, “is get out into what available sunlight there is and take advantage of it.”

While the blues can easily be treated, SAD is a serious disorder that should be discussed with a doctor, Lee said. The Counseling and Psychological Services is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For an appointment, CAPS can be contacted at 855-5711.