It’s officially December, a time known for eggnog, warm fires, and mistletoe, but not all winter experiences are warm and cozy. For a lot of people, the winter season can bring about a unique kind of sadness known as seasonal depression.
So what is Seasonal Depression?
Seasonal Affective Disorder (also known as SAD), commonly known as seasonal depression, was first recognized in 1984 by scientist Norman Rosenthal as a “syndrome characterized by recurrent depressions that occur annually at the same time each year.” One common misconception is that seasonal depression only occurs in the winter, but that isn’t true. In fact, according to WebMD, 10% of people experience a summertime variant of the disorder. SAD is only one part of what’s known as Major Depressive Disorder. Depression, and therefore SAD, have a variety of symptoms and effects such as fatigue, apathy, anxiety, and the list goes on. (this does not mean every person with depression will experience all of these symptoms, this list is only a few of the possible symptoms people may experience)
We Interviewed Junior Bones Walfish about their experience with Seasonal Depression. They told us how they were diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder in 2019. The most unique aspect of their experience with Seasonal Affective Disorder is the fact that they are a part of the 10% that experience SAD during the summer months. They had this to say on their experiences with the disorder, “I personally get incredibly depressed in the spring and the summer… During these periods it becomes harder than normal to even get out of bed, which really hurts not only my grades but also my relationships.” They also told us how social media has impacted their depression during the summer, a time when most students are experiencing immense joy away from school. “I think being on social media also makes me feel even worse about being so sad during the spring and the summer.”
How to handle Seasonal Depression
Mr. Mellon, an AICE psychology teacher here at APK let us know his philosophy when it comes to seeking help for mental health issues, “If you’re having uncomfortable thoughts, whether it’s depressive or anxious thoughts, if you’re not mentally feeling good, going to a therapist is always good advice.” He also expounded upon the shifting attitudes towards mental health care, “I love hearing kids that are talking about ‘oh, my therapist said’, where when I was in school, if you’d had a therapist, you hid that like it was some deep dark secret.”
However, these shifting attitudes have massively changed how we go about discussing mental health, and where those discussions take place. Mrs. Ramos, our school social worker, shared some concerns with recent mental health trends on social media, “there are a lot of people on there that don’t know what they’re talking about. So I would just say be cautious about what you see on the internet. Look for reputable sources from actual therapists or people that work in mental health.” In our interview, she expressed concerns about the over-pathologizing of mental health on social media. “We have to normalize that you’re in a stage of your life where there’s a lot of things happening, especially with your brain. So a lot of that is normal, and we should normalize it, because oftentimes it’s not a disorder.” On the same topic, Mr. Mellon is less worried, “Maybe you feel anxious, and you go, ‘Oh, I have an anxiety disorder.’ Maybe you don’t really, but if you go see a therapist, and they start making that anxiety diminish, okay, so it wasn’t an actual disorder, but you feel better. So to me, it’s all positive.”
At the end of the day, winter is a time of immense joy for a lot of people, but it also brings about unique struggles for some. As we make our way through the final month of the year, it’s important to approach each other with kindness and understanding.
