Winter is approaching quickly this year; the weather is getting colder, rainier, and darker. With these extreme changes from the summer weather, it is normal to feel a little down. In fact, seasonal depression is an actual condition that affects much of the population.”I always feel more tired and out of it when it starts getting cold. It really can get annoying,” said Chelsea Cush, a sophomore biology major at Point Park University.”I feel like when the weather gets cold I just want to lay around, watch TV and cat nap all day long. Not to mention how I don’t want to get out of sweats,” said Holly Shrum, senior accounting major.Those sorts of feelings are normally associated with what is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, SAD is “a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. If you’re like most people with seasonal affective disorder, your symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody.”Symptoms usually include depression, hopelessness, anxiety, loss of energy, “leaden” feeling in the arms or legs, social withdrawal, oversleeping, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, appetite changes, weight gain and difficulty concentrating.Some factors that play into SAD include changes with one’s biological clock, which are affected by the reduced levels of sunlight. These disruptions can lead to feelings of depression. Another factor is a drop in serotonin levels colder months. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that affects mood, which could cause depression. Melatonin levels, which effect mood and sleep patterns, are reduced and can trigger these feelings as well.This disorder typically resolves itself when light levels increase again in the spring and summer.”Right after the snow is gone for good, I feel all better,” Shrum said.SAD is not a detrimental affliction but it can lead to more dangerous symptoms of depression.Students, can be subjected to high levels of stress and anxiety, reduced hours of sleep per night and poor eating habits. Students can be subject to symptoms of depression not only during the seasonal changes, but year round. Midterms and finals can be an especially stressful time of the semester, and it is not uncommon to feel a little down.”Usually around finals, I get extremely stressed out,” Cush said. “It’s a really rough time of the semester and normally I don’t get a lot of sleep. That probably doesn’t help my stress levels, but I guess I don’t have much of a choice.”However, students need to be aware of their feelings because the symptoms of depression can intensify over time or with the addition of new stimuli such as an exam, or changes in weather. If one is feeling overwhelmed with feelings of depression or stress, it is important to be proactive and address them. The best tool students have access to is the mental health counseling services offered on campus. All students have access to this service which is not only completely confidential, but is free of charge.According to Patti Schwartz, M.Ed., LPC, mental health counselor, no problem is too small to seek counseling.”If a student is thinking about getting help they should just go,” Schwartz said. “It does not hurt to check it out and it doesn’t cost anything.”The counseling center is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and appointments are normally encouraged, but not always necessary. According to the Mental Health and Counseling Center’s page on Point Park’s web site, the center provides counseling, support, and referrals for many problems that students face, stress, lifestyle changes, and other health problems.Whether one is are dealing with afflictions such as SAD or depression, or just need someone to talk to about how the semester is going, counselors at Point Park, such as Schwartz, would be more than happy to talk to any student.Schwartz can be contacted by phone at (412) 392-3959, or by email at  [email protected]. The Point Park webpage also lists two phone numbers for crisis and emergency hotlines: LifeSolutions at 1-800-647-3327 and Resolve Crisis Network at 1-888-796-8226, both of which can be contacted 24 hours a day, seven days a week.