Although it has been warmer and sunnier than usual this winter, some students may start to feel out of sorts once the temperature drops to seasonal levels and weather worsens. Those who feel depressed during the winter may have seasonal affective disorder.
"I do usually get bummed out when it starts getting colder," said Olivia Clayton, a senior in the School of Communication. "But I feel like this year [so far] has been the exception. For whatever reason, it's been relatively mild - and except for the occasional rainy day the sun has been shining."
Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder usually begin around September or October and continue until March or April, when the days become longer and the weather becomes warmer.
The symptoms that affect most people who have the disorder are increased sleep and appetite, weight gain and severe cravings for carbohydrates. Other symptoms include fatigue, inability to complete normal routines, avoiding social contacts and other symptoms commonly associated with non-seasonal depression.
The difference between the two types of depression is that those who have seasonal depression typically only have symptoms during the winter months, while those with non-seasonal depression are prone to depression year-round, according to Dona Bowens, executive director of the D.C. Mental Health Association. People with seasonal depression feel no symptoms once the days become longer.
"I don't think people realize the effect that sunlight has on well-being," Bowens said. "During the winter months, people are getting up and going to work in the darkness, and then sitting in an office all day. By the time they are driving home at night, it is dark again."
Bowens said that light therapy is usually prescribed for patients, meaning that they sit under lights that mimic sunlight for a few minutes each day.
Abigail Lipson, director of AU's Counseling Center, said she occasionally sees seasonal affective disorder in students, although she did not know whether or not it was something that affected students from different parts of the United States.
"We don't diagnose it as that," Lipson said, "but it is something that we do see."
It is also common for people to become depressed during the holiday season this time of year, Bowens said.
"The coupling of the holiday season and seasonal depression is dangerous," she said. "At this time of year, people can get upset thinking about the upcoming holidays and those they have lost."
Both Lipson and Bowens said it was hard to pin down a specific number of how many people have this disorder because so many of the symptoms overlapped with non-seasonal depression.
"At any time, there are 19 [million] to 20 million people suffering from depression," Bowens said.
