London in the summertime seems to be bathed with the iridescent colours of a romantic comedy; all cotton candy pink skies, endless Pimms in the park, boozy bottomless brunches and of course, rooftop bar season. Being exposed to a healthy dose of Vitamin D for almost three months straight can lull you into such a false sense of security, the grey skies and blustery rain that await seem relegated to an alternate dystopia. Until one day you wake up and it is mid-November and the radiator can’t seem to warm up quickly enough. The change of seasons can often feel instantaneous and overwhelming, almost like an icy slap in the face. Conversely, the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder can manifest in a much more insidious manner. The lackadaisical attitude towards your wellbeing quickly dismissed; the yawning tiredness that envelops your body throughout the day attributed to crankiness. Seasonal Affective Disorder is something everyone should be aware of.
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of cyclic depression, commonly prompted by lack of exposure to sunlight during autumnal and winter seasons. SAD is thought to affect around 2 million people in the UK and 12 million people across Northern Europe, with women reported being three times more likely to be affected than men. Scientific discourse attributes lack of sunlight as possibly affecting three bodily functions, resulting in certain individuals experiencing symptoms of SAD: Increased production of melatonin resulting in feelings of sleepiness; decreased production of serotonin linked to feelings of listlessness and negativity and disruption of the body’s circadian rhythm responsible for regulating a healthy body clock.
Symptoms of SAD
According to the NHS website, symptoms of SAD include a loss of pleasure or interest in everyday activities, irritability, feelings of lethargy and fatigue, difficulty waking up in the morning and an increase in appetite marked by cravings for carbohydrates. It is important to note that SAD can be thought of as an umbrella term for a spectrum, wherein debilitating winter depression lies on one end while on the other lies a milder form of subsyndromal SAD, colloquially termed as the “winter blues”. The intensity and variety of symptoms experienced by an individual may be dependent upon what scale of the spectrum they fall within.
University Students
Uni students, especially freshers, may be more susceptible to experiencing SAD. The possibilities that come with living on your own for the first time can seem endless. Unfortunately, the freedom to choose when to eat, sleep or go to lectures can be a double-edged sword, resulting in a vicious cycle of inadvertently perpetuating your SAD. International students experiencing winter for the first time in an unfamiliar environment may also feel vulnerable if not given access to the proper resources. Winter can also represent a time period of increased university pressures; being bombarded with essay deadlines and the impending doom of January exams can leave students feeling overwhelmed at managing a work-life balance, instead choosing to resort to unhealthy habits.
Suggested Methods of combatting SAD
As tempting as it may feel to be ensconced in your bed binge-watching Netflix when the weather turns chilly, making an effort to form a routine of going to uni everyday and meeting friends can reduce feelings of isolation associated with SAD. Light therapy box devices designed to mimic natural outdoor lighting in the comfort of your own room, are easily available over the internet and have been shown to alleviate symptoms of SAD. Help is always available and so counselling may also prove useful for professional advice on how to manage symptoms and feelings of negativity for individuals with SAD. KCL students can access counselling and mental health support services through this link: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/campuslife/services/counselling/index.aspx
At the end of the day, the experience of coping with SAD manifests differently for each individual. It is essential to seek out a treatment option that works for you. Seasonal Affective Disorder is not something that needs to be “gotten over” or ignored, you can always take steps to improve your mental health during the long wintery months. Winter need not be something to fear or hide away from so go forth and make the most of the London winter food markets!