Dealing With Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

 

For a lot of people the colder months are an exciting time. Wooly jumpers, cute scarves, cozy nights .. all of it can be pretty ideal. If you're like me however you may very well get a huge sense of dread when someone so much as mutters the word Autumn. It's not that I don't like Autumn or Winter, it's actually something to do with SAD.

Whether you believe that Seasonal Affective Disorder is real or not is totally up to you, but I personally do and have been dealing with it for years. So what is SAD? According to the NHS "Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern".  

Symptoms can include low mood, irritability, feelings of guilt and despair, change in sleeping patterns and weight gain.. to name a few. For a lot of people this occurs around December time, but this does vary depending on the individual. For me it starts to make it's gloomy appearance around September.

You may be thinking everyone feels a little crappy when the days get dark early, but let me assure you these feelings are a lot more than feeling a bit meh every now and then. So how do you cope with SAD? It's important to see a GP if you develop any of the symptoms I mentioned previously. I have sat down a number of times and had a cry to the doctor. They don't judge.

I'm of course no expert but I tend to use a light to help in the mornings. Sounds strange I know, but SAD is thought to be caused by the lack of sunlight and the Lumie Bodyclock  uses this idea to help. The light is very natural looking when lit and it acts as a gradual sunrise to wake you up without the use of a panic-inducing alarm. It's surprisingly very calming whilst still being able to easily wake you up. Does it help my mood? Not as much as I would like, but it does something. 

I'm trying to keep my positive mojo and hope that this year will be a little easier. If you suffer with SAD and have some tips and tricks, I'd love to hear them.