Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Most of us know what sad feels like and means to us, but not it actually being an acronym!!

S.A.D. stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder* but feels like “winter blues”, you know when the weather changes and you’re stuck in the house while most of your favorite outdoor activities are limited by the cold, rain, snow, or ice, and the Sun isn’t out as long as it usuallly is. FYI: SAD can occur during any season.

I didn’t know that I suffered from this until one day, I found myself crying in my bedroom because I couldn’t go on a hike, something my body, emotions, and mental health were in desperate need of. Two things occurred to me at that moment, 1) why am I feeling like this, is this depression coming back. and 2) This is something that has never happened before.

So naturally, as a persistent don’t-hold-me-back type of person, I changed into my outdoor clothes while crying and sobbing uncontrollably. Did you know I actually drove and made it to the trail, but could not get out of the car. I felt trapped in an unexplainable chokehold of emotions and could’t understand wny something I loved doing, was bringing me so much saddness at this moment. It felt as if my mind and body had broke up with hiking and I didn’t get the message.

As anyone worried with “what’s wrong with me” I immediately starting searching for answers to why I felt the way I felt., and thanks for those searches I now now how to describe to others how I feel. What good is finding the reason for something if you don’t have a plan of action for change.

  • Light therapy

  • Psychotherapy

  • Antidepressant medication

  • Vitamin D

Those are different methods to help aid in your progress through the season. Now while I do remember at this time, I had decided to no longer take my antidepressant medication (I spoke with my phyciatrist and he helped me taper off, and knew what the side effects could be), I knew talking about what I was experiencing was important (thank you therapist), and I knew I needed to be out in the sun for vitamin D, but how do I get this if I don’t go outside?

ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT THERE ARE VITAMINS/MINERALS THAT HELP WITH THIS? Yes.

Here’s my biggest take away from combating SAD, not one method is guaranteed to work, and sometimes a combination of things may work better, but the whole point, is to slow down and take care of yourself. Our bodies go through changes and are affected by seasons, environments, etc, so it’s important that we love it enough to take care of it, and listen to it. Remember, an emotion is information to help you read your internal compass.