By Brooke Markworth

The winter months are full of happiness and joy as people start looking forward to the new year. With so many reasons to delight in the snow and indulge in warm hot chocolate and cookies, winter brings some sadness to many lives.

During the winter, many people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as winter or seasonal depression. The disorder is caused by a Vitamin D deficiency in your body. People who have seasonal depression lack exposure to sunlight or are sensitive to it.

Some symptoms of seasonal depression are fatigue, hopelessness, loss of energy, difficulty concentrating, oversleeping, and lose of interest in doing things that used to be enjoyable.

Although there’s not much to prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder there are some treatments to help lessen the symptoms. One example is phototherapy, a medical treatment involving natural or artificial light to improve a health condition. In this case, phototherapy mimics the natural sunlight and causes a change in the brain chemicals that are linked to your mood. Medications such as Wellbutrin XL and Aplenzin may help the symptoms over time. At Sheyenne High School, the staff and administrators are well aware of seasonal depression and it’s symptoms. The counselors especially are apprehensive about the sensitive topic.

Mrs. Krystal Haugen, a counselor at Sheyenne stated “There are so many factors that can contribute to a student struggling with mental health; genetics, school stress, past trauma, social media, family issues, etc.”
When asked about ways to cope with stress, the counselors at Sheyenne High School explained that there are both positive and negative ways to cope with stress and depression. Some positive ways would be exercise, art, music, and mindfulness. Anything harmful such as drugs, alcohol, not talking about it, and distancing yourself would fall under the negative outcomes of stress.

Along with talking about the issue, the counseling office tries their best to advertise depression as well as other mental health disorders. In May 2022, you will find many posters and items around the school giving information on the topic and other sources students may need to get help. Mrs. Haugen said “The best thing you can do if you know someone who is struggling is to stand up for them and be a good human in general. When in doubt, tell an adult you trust to help. Seizetheawkward.org is a great resource that offers help!”

With the winter months staying for awhile, it’s important to recognize the symptoms and get help if needed!