Lakeland Mirror

Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: News

Media Credit: www.shadesofpanic.com

During the fall and winter months, many people may complain of having the "winter blues," feeling tired and slightly depressed. Though many people are never diagnosed, there is a disorder associated with "winter blues" symptoms.

Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, is a "type of winter depression caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus [the part of the brain that controls metabolic processes such as body temperature, hunger, thirst, fatigue, and body clock cycles] due to lack of sunlight," says Director of Counseling Services Cary Knier. SAD affects an estimated half a million people nationwide.

There are varying degrees of the disorder, from mild (similar to the winter blues) to severe. A diagnosis can be made after the pattern of symptoms has been observed in three or more winters.

Symptoms of SAD include a desire to oversleep or difficulty staying awake, craving carbohydrates and sweet foods, weight gain, a feeling of desire or apathy, sadness or depression, anxiety, irritability, a desire to isolate oneself, and an inability to tolerate stress. An individual's immune system is also weakened while suffering from SAD, so he or she is more likely to get sick.

These symptoms are noticeable from the months of September to April, but they become more prominent during December, January, and February when the days become shorter and there is less sunlight. As the days become shorter, the symptoms gradually become more severe, and once the days start getting longer in early spring, the symptoms gradually decrease.

"To me, it's almost like hibernation," Knier says.

People are most often diagnosed with SAD between ages 18 and 30, but Knier said that many are never diagnosed because the mild case of the disorder is most common, and people often aren't aware that they have anything other than the "winter blues."

It is rare for individuals who live close to the equator to have SAD, because they are exposed to more sunlight than those living further away from it. In Wisconsin, it has been estimated that 150,000 people, about 2.7 percent of the state's population, suffer from SAD (encyclopedia.com).
Comparatively, in Alaska, roughly 8.9 percent or more of the population suffer from the disorder (sadbegone.com).

Knier has given presentations about SAD to the Global Student Association in order to inform them of "what to expect" in the winter months and in the residence halls. Information about SAD is also included in the News Flush, an informational sheet Counseling Services publishes throughout the year.

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