Winter blues may have a medical cause
by Emily Schmidt, posted March 19, 2008
In the past month, temperatures went well below 32 degrees, and students had a hard time making it a habit to attend classes.
Almost daily snowfall, dreadfully low temperatures, torrential rainfall and gusty winds may have contributed to low attendance in some classes.
MU rarely cancels classes due to inclement weather. With the earliest recorded snow day in 1995 and the second in 2006, MU has had two snow days in about 70 years. Yet all around the MU campus, businesses and schools were closing because of the weather.
“I think it is a little ridiculous that other schools have classes cancelled but we don’t,” freshman Nick Clark said.
Students and faculty alike noted a downturn in the mood and campus activity. According to familydoctor.org, a medical condition could be the cause of the “winter blahs” for as many as half a million people in the United States.
Commonly known as SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or “winter disorder” starts appearing when the days get shorter and sunlight is more rare.
“Personally, I think SAD is a myth, I believe that winter creates somber mood, but I don’t necessarily think there is a disease,” Clark said.
Symptoms of SAD appear when cold temperatures hit: increased appetite, leading to a weight gain, a drop in energy level, general fatigue, oversleeping, irritability, inability to focus and avoidance of social situations.
“Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a subtype of depression,” Renee Powers-Scott, a counselor at the MU counseling center said. “It follows a seasonal pattern and tends to affect younger people more than older people.”
Treatments for SAD include various types of light therapy. Light therapy is a focused session involving direct contact with artificial light for up to 30 minutes. Once diagnosed, this therapy, should continue until real sunlight returns in mid-spring.
Tanning beds are not a source of this artificial light. Tanning bed light bulbs have more UV rays than do the artificial lights used in light therapy and are deemed unsafe for medical use.
Another treatment for SAD is a prescription medication. Usually doctors prescribe both the medication and light therapy.
At the MU Counseling Center, the counselors encourage talking and psychotherapy.
“To prevent SAD, exercise, get outside, stay involved socially with people you enjoy being around, take medications as prescribed and practice healthy stress management,” Powers-Scott said.
Thankfully, SAD, and all of its symptoms, should be disappearing soon. With the spring, and Spring Break approaching, moods on campus seem to be looking up.
