As the days begin to shorten and the weather gains a crisp chill in the air, the signs of the changing seasons are impossible to miss. On one end of the spectrum, excitement for holidays and semester breaks begins to grow and students feel festive cheer creeping closer. But, on the opposite end, is the darker feeling that comes with the end of the year: Fall-Onset Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
More commonly known as seasonal depression, this disorder is characterized as recurrent depressive episodes triggered by a change in seasons. There are two kinds of SAD, fall-onset which is most common and summer-onset which is less common. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, SAD affects over a million Americans with symptoms including feelings of restlessness, decreased energy, changes in sleep patterns, social withdrawal and isolation.
“A lot of people are familiar with the fact that in the winter, people can feel depressed and lose motivation,” said Jessica Spissinger, Psychiatric Physician Assistant and Instructor in an Interview with the MGH- Institute of Health Professions. “They can lose interest in things they have otherwise been interested in before, they can start overeating and feeling bad about themselves. And so there can be kind of a general malaise.”
SAD is not to be confused with the “holiday blues”, a broad term for the feelings of sadness and anxiety that can occur during the holidays. Instead, SAD is a mental illness that must be diagnosed by a health care provider or mental health specialist after SAD-specific symptoms have occurred consistently for 2 or more years.
“It’s just recognizing every year at this time of year ‘I feel really terrible,’” said Spissinger. “But once they get to spring, they feel a lot better. The problem kind of solves itself, but sometimes they do need some extra tools and resources to get through that period.”
If you think that you are suffering from SAD, Texas Woman’s University offers mental health aid through Counseling and Psychological Services. TWU CAPS services are available to enrolled TWU students, free of charge, to help address mental health concerns students may be experiencing and provide support to college students through online and in-person counseling. While CAPS cannot provide an official diagnosis, they can assist in working towards receiving one.
“CAPS offers brief individual therapy, couples therapy, single session therapy, 24/7 crisis services, as well as group therapy that is available throughout the fall semester,” said Angela Adams, the Associate Director of Clinical Services at CAPS. “We are now offering drop-in therapy groups so there is no commitment. Please check out our CAPS website to see the available group offerings this semester as well as what topics are discussed each week. If you are unsure which service modality may be a good fit for you, please use the CAPS Services Exploration Tool (CSET) on our TWU CAPS website.”
To make an appointment with CAPS, stop by their office on the second floor of Jones Hall or call at (940) 898-3801. Although mental health carries a strong stigma, it is nothing to be ashamed of and is an essential part of ensuring well-being. Support is always available; just take that first step and ask for help.
Bella Castillo can be reached via email at icastillo4@twu.edu
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