East Green Campaign Helps Students Battle Blues

by Becca Manning
For The Post

The dreary weather might have some students feeling S.A.D. this winter.

The Ohio University East Green Residence Life staff planned a campaign this month to educate students about symptoms of and ways to deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder and the mild winter blues, said Jim Warner, resident director of Lincoln and Johnson halls.

"I think it probably affects more people than we realize," he said.

S.A.D, a clinical depression, is an extreme form of the winter blues, said Sandy Watt, outpatient supervisor at Tri-County Mental Health and Counseling Service, 90 Hospital Drive.

S.A.D. can be traced to when human tribes migrated south for the winter to follow the sun, she said. Now that people are less migratory and remain north during winter months, they must cope with the consequences.

The winter weather affects each person in a different way.

"Sometimes when it's really yucky and gray outside I feel like I just want to lay down and do nothing," OU sophomore Carrie Harris said.

Yet OU freshman William Keating said the dreary weather does not bother him.

"I actually prefer the winter weather and gray skies," he said.

Not all winter depression can be classified as S.A.D. Symptoms of less severe seasonal depression – or "cabin fever" – can be decreased by increased social activity, being outside for even brief periods during the day or by exercising, Watt said.

S.A.D. persists for at least three weeks and affects an individual’s job, relationships and basic needs.

A family doctor can diagnose S.A.D. after charting mood patterns during a period of four to five years, Watt said. Because individuals often are deprived of natural light during winter, a treatment called light therapy can ease the symptoms.

Light therapy light boxes are used to expose an individual to full-spectrum fluorescent light for about 15 minutes a day, Watt said. But the boxes cost $400 to $600, not a practical cost for college students.

"I think it would be neat to have a light therapy room at the health care center or at Ping," she said.

Sometimes students try to ease their seasonal depression by partying, Watt said.

"I think sometimes that’s what all the drinking is about," she said. "It is a way for students to numb themselves."

Consuming alcohol causes students to sleep by day and drink by night, decreasing their exposure to natural light, she said.

Residence Life staff members placed informative posters in the main lobbies of all East Green residence halls and hung fliers around their floors for the campaign.

Students can learn more about S.A.D. by contacting Counseling and Psychological Services at Hudson Health Center or Tri-County Mental Health and Counseling Services.