For a lot of students, September, October, and November mark the start of the season of carving pumpkins, making snowmen, and staying indoors. As we make the shift into the seemingly never-ending Oregon rain, a lot of students at Wilsonville High School feel this decline isn’t only in temperature but in their mental well-being, leading to seasonal depression.
Many students who experience this attempt to cope by doing various activities to keep their mood up and stay optimistic about the season, including getting together with friends and doing fall and winter traditions that remind them about the good things about the season.
Sophomore Carissa Parry is one of the many who notice this change in mood during the fall and winter months. “With it getting darker earlier, it just sets off my whole energy level.” To deal with this, Perry describes, “I try to keep up with my hobbies and friends, keeping myself busy pretty much.”
Mental health issues such as seasonal depression can be difficult to address, with some students thinking it should be spoken on and normalized and others believing it’s not as important to share with peers.
Ellie Williams, a Junior, feels this change as well but doesn’t believe it’s important to talk about it with others: “I don’t think it a big problem, but I do think it happens.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms include losing interest in daily activities, having low energy, and oversleeping. This can be caused due to time changes, serotonin levels, and melatonin levels, and it is treatable with the right help.
Having feelings of depression as the season progresses can be just a case of the “Winter Blues” or can be a sign of SAD, also known as seasonal affective disorder. If you or someone you know believes you have this, don’t be afraid to ask for help, call 1-800-985-5990, the national hotline for Disaster Distress Hotline.