Effective Ways to Combat SAD:
- Spend more time outdoors.
- Exercise regularly.
- Find fun. Do activities that will help you relax and have a good time.
- Spend time out of your room – and with friends or family.
- Use full-spectrum light bulbs (found at hardware stores).
- Use a light therapy box (found online).
- Avoid alcohol and other mood-altering, non-prescription drugs.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.)
The Other St. Louis Blues
By Brent Beam, Psychologist, Mental Health Services, Habif Health & Wellness Center
St. Louis is known for its blues. Musically, you’ll find them in listening rooms and darkened bars. In the sports arena, local spectators cheer and jeer our professional hockey team. But there’s another kind of blues common to St. Louis, one you’re less likely to seek out – the dreaded “winter blues.”
Clinically, the winter blues are referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or S.A.D. What distinguishes S.A.D. from typical depression is the predictability of symptom onset – usually beginning in late autumn and remitting by early spring. Symptoms often include low energy, difficulty waking and staying alert, increased carbohydrate craving, and weight gain.
It’s called the “winter blues,” basically, because we’re solar-powered. Compared with other U.S. cities, St. Louis receives a lower-than-average number of sunny days per year, which is most noticeable during the winter months. Sunlight stimulates the production of serotonin and adrenalin, chemicals that make us active and alert. By contrast, when it’s dark outside, the body produces melatonin, a chemical leading to lethargy and a desire to socially withdraw (translate: hibernate). How is this relevant to you? Serotonin and melatonin are natural components of our biological clock, aiding in the wake/sleep cycle. Lack of sunlight can cause an imbalance, and predictable symptoms of the “winter blues” are likely to follow.
It’s not an uncommon experience, and the good news is that treatment is easy and uncomplicated. While the ideal treatment might involve a long trip to the Caribbean, you probably can’t swing that right now, so here are some simple, effective things you can do to get back on track:
- Spend more time outdoors.
- Exercise regularly.
- Find fun. Do activities that will help you relax and have a good time.
- Spend time out of your room – and with friends or family.
- Use full-spectrum light bulbs (found at hardware stores).
- Use a light therapy box (found online).
- Avoid alcohol and other mood-altering, non-prescription drugs.
As you engage in these things and/or if your symptoms persist, consider meeting with a counselor or psychiatrist at Student Health Services. Both counseling and antidepressant medication have been proven to help alleviate S.A.D. Appointments are easy to make. Call 935-6695 to schedule your first visit. You may make return appointments online at shs.wustl.edu.
