March 15, 2021
By Ella Tozduman
Staff Writer
COVID-19 has had a major impact on peoples’ mental health since it emerged, but now as winter progresses, seasonal depression is also affected. Seasonal depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, occurs when people suffer from depression or symptoms of depression due to the changing seasons. The complications and restrictions that COVID-19 entails make dealing with SAD harder for some.
The most common time people experience SAD is fall, but people may experience it in spring or the beginning of summer. Some symptoms include constantly feeling sad or depressed, losing some interest in activities, having low energy or having trouble sleeping. People also experience having low or no appetite, dramatic changes in weight whether it be loss or gain and having the feeling of hopelessness.
Guidance counselor Ms. Leidemer said there are key giveaways to tell if you have SAD.
“Seasonal depression happens usually for people when the days start to get darker and colder, usually in late fall and early winter. You sort of feel not yourself, and you will start to exhibit symptoms of depression,” Leidemer said. “It could range from being mild, somewhere in the middle or could be severe.”
It is important to use helpful coping mechanisms to remain positive while dealing with SAD. Some coping mechanisms include finding hobbies, shortening the amount of screen time, going outside and getting fresh air and possibly seeing a therapist or counselor.
Leidemer said there are many ways to relieve the stress of COVID-19 or SAD.
“Try to stay as connected as possible. There are a lot of virtual groups people can join. Stay connected with friends and family, even if it’s over Zoom where people can get together and feel that connection,” Leidemer said. “ Try and be creative with indoor hobbies…. Try to get out even though you’re supposed to stay socially distant but especially during the day when it’s light out.”
Leidemer said there are ways to reduce symptoms of depression when they are getting to a point where they are extreme.
“Seasonal depression happens usually for people when the days start to get darker and colder usually in late fall and early winter. You sort of feel not yourself and you will start to exhibit symptoms of depression.”
“If you start feeling that bad or that depressed, it is important to reach out and talk to somebody. If you are a teenager, reach out to your school counselor, let a parent know, reach out and find a therapist or there is the suicide hotline you can call and get help that way,” Leidemer said.
Junior Maria Hantzaras said she feels COVID-19 has had an effect on her own seasonal depression because it causes people to become disconnected from each other.
“[The virus] caused everyone to go into lockdown and be isolated from family and friends. I know from my own experience that COVID-19 has impacted me greatly on the basis that I was isolated from friends and family who were big contributors to me feeling joy or happiness,” Hantzaras said.
Hantzaras said despite all the hardships of learning how to cope, there are positives that COVID-19 has brought to her mindset.
“[COVID-19 has] also helped me discover myself in a way. Despite the loneliness being a big factor in why I was in such a funk, it was also in some way beneficial,” Hantzaras said. “All the time alone allowed me to learn more about myself and really find out things I may not have prior to the virus.”
Junior Isabella DiPisa said the pandemic has brought on additional stressors, and how one learns to cope with them will determine how mild or severe their SAD is.
“[The virus] adds another risk factor in daily life by living in fear, which lets the depression kind of take over easily,” DiPisa said. “You can’t go out anymore, you can’t do things that you’d normally be able to do and it has a twinge of hopelessness to it because the pandemic seems never-ending.”
Even though people are scared of getting and spreading the virus, DiPisa offers advice and hope for the future.
“Hang in there, and that no matter what everything will be okay in the end,” DiPisa said. “Pandemics don’t last forever, and if history repeats itself, we will have a Roaring Twenties after this is all over, just like last time.”
