You’ve heard it before, go touch some grass.
And for seasonal depression, clinically known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, it can be part of the solution.
University of North Georgia Staff Therapist, Julie Matsunaga, says, “SAD is a specifier of a major depressive disorder, but it’s a seasonal pattern of symptoms, meaning that you get the depression symptoms, usually in the fall and winter.”
She continues, “Regular major depressive disorder is all the time, or it can be an episode, it’s not connected to different seasons. Whereas the seasonal is major depression, it’s just connected to a certain time of the year, usually January or February.” Matsunaga says that it can occur in the summer months, but it is significantly less common.
Matsunaga says, “People with SAD often experience increased carbohydrate cravings, hypersomnia and social withdrawal. Severity can vary. For some people, it’s mild, for others it’s really severe.”
She explains that these are the same symptoms as major depressive disorder, but the distinction is that SAD occurs only in certain seasons.
Bailey Trammel, a junior art education major at UNG, who is diagnosed with SAD, says “It’s always been there, but it started to get worse when I got into high school. It feels as though I am disconnected and not fully in the place that I’m in. I feel as though I can’t leave my home because I don’t have the energy.”
Trammel says that in order to cope with SAD, she “went to therapy and started to work out more. I started to get around more people.” She advises others dealing with SAD not to “dwell in it. Find a way out, and stay out.”
Mental Health America says, “The main age of onset of seasonal depression is between 20 and 30 years of age, however symptoms can appear earlier.”
With the seasons changing, combined with academic pressures, Mental Health America recommends that students “focus on how you’re feeling, what you might need, and how to make a plan moving forward. Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common and treatable.”
Matsunaga says students who are struggling can contact Student Counseling at 706-864-1819. And if you need immediate help, dialing 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline connects you directly to mental health counselors.