Some hit with Seasonal Affectedness Disorder as stormy weather
continues
Gilroy – Three weeks into spring and local residents are still suffering from the winter blues. Those stuck indoors or under umbrellas are looking for a sign that the end of record rainfall is near.
“I’m just sick of this weather. It definitely does affect me,” said Sarah Morris, manager of the Beauty Lounge tanning salon. “I’m a lot happier when it’s sunny.”
She isn’t alone.
Business is picking up as those tired of gray skies are coming in for a break from the unseasonably cold and wet weather.
“More people tend to come in when it’s colder,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s depression or if people just want to get warm for awhile.”
Parishioners at the Foothills Foursquare Church are starting to feel frustrated about the constant gloom overhead, Pastor Mark Wilson said.
“I believe that the weather can have a play on our moods and effect our disposition,” he said. “What I’ve noticed, not just in myself and people in our church, but from conversations, is a general feeling of frustration and anticipation for spring.”
While living in Williams, Ariz. – an area plagued with constant heavy winds and cool temperatures – Wilson learned that many people in town were afflicted with seasonal mood changes.
He believes people’s faith and sense of humor will help them cope with depression.
“We can trust that something good can come out of this for all of us,” he said. “See the big picture. God is in control. He knows what he’s doing. He knows every drop of rain that’s falling. You can’t do anything about it so you might as well relax and find ways to keep your spirits up. It will get warm again.”
But sometimes, just knowing the weather is bound to change is not enough.
According to Pam Umann, a medical social worker at Saint Louise Regional Hospital, there is actually a condition called Seasonal Affectedness Disorder (SAD) that accounts for this mood change in people during the winter months.
“It’s actually a sub-division of depression,” she said. “You might start to notice people are more irritable, a little flaky or coming into work late because they can’t get up in the morning. It’s the same thing you see when people are grieving.”
Individuals may feel more lethargic or even eat more, she said.
SAD was first described by psychiatrist Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal in the 1980s. Sufferers number in the millions worldwide – many living in climates where overcast skies or rain persist for prolonged periods of time.
“In extreme lengths of time like this – the weather really is disruptive to our system,” Umann said. “We have an internal clock that tells us what season it is – it’s spring – so why doesn’t the world notice? A preference for warmth and sunshine is hard wired in us.”
Umann recommends combating the winter blues with lots of light and heat. And if possible, take a vacation.
“Don’t be afraid to use your heater and be warm. And especially, don’t be afraid to use your lights,” she said. “They even make special lights to help with SAD.”
Umann herself is taking her grandchildren to New Orleans for an escape from the storms National Weather Service forecasters predict will hit the area Thursday night and Friday. Additional rain storms are projected for Saturday night and Sunday.
“I’ve checked the weather – there’s no rain. It’s going to be gorgeous. That’s my cure,” she said.
But for some residents, the weather isn’t so bad.
“I’m kind of ready for spring, but it’s all relative,” said Vermont native Jim Rogers, who serves on the board of the Gilroy Unified School District. “I would definitely be depressed if I had to shovel snow. In April I was just happy to get out on the golf course a couple of times and not have the ground frozen.”
