Sad, or SAD?

It’s that not-so-wonderful time of the year…

I don’t meet many people that look forward to the end of summer and the drawing in of the evenings!

Whilst the loss of opportunities to sup on a cold drink while chatting with friends is clearly something that we all find difficult to deal with, there is a serious side to the impact that the changing of the seasons can have on our mental health.

Despite tens of thousands of winters having come and gone throughout human history, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) itself was only first systematically reported and named in the 1980s.

The symptoms, which include sadness, reduced energy, loss of interest in activities, upset sleep patterns and feelings of worthlessness, are so similar to those of what we might call clinical depression, that these can be difficult and confusing times for some.

Add on to all of the above the various rampant viruses that wreak havoc during this time of year, a splash of high workload, and a sprinkling of the stress of Christmas planning, all against a backdrop of adverts and songs telling you that you should be having the time of your life, it can feel a cold and lonely place.

But You Are Not Alone!

SAD affects 1 in 20 people in the UK, with men being twice as likely to be affected as women. That might also explain why Man Flu is so much worse than the mild inconvenience that us women get!!

Whilst it is nice to know that you’re not alone, it’s not so nice to know that this can affect some people for virtually half of the year, and this is absolutely no laughing matter.

So What Can Be Done?

The easy thing would be to just stay in bed for 6 months. If only that were possible!

Guidelines suggest that three of the most important things that you can do for yourself are making sure you get as much sunlight as possible, exercise as much as possible, and be sure to eat a balanced, varied diet. All very easy things to type in a blog, but we know that the symptoms of SAD makes each one of these seem like a mountain to climb.

From experience (my own and my friends and clients), the endorphins, the distraction, and positive thoughts generated by achieving one or all of the above far outweigh the effort required.

..and Talk

I suppose a counsellor would say that!

The benefits of talking to people about what you’re going through are immeasurable.

You might find that you have friends who are going through the same thing as you, and that you could both benefit from a chat.

Or they might have other friends that struggle, and are able to provide you with some coping tips.

Or you might find that merely having the opportunity to try and put your thoughts into words is a powerful enough experience in itself.

Hopefully the process will help you answer the question - sad or SAD?

If you think that none of the above applies to you, please do consider your nearest and dearest at this time of year. The mate who didn’t come out on your 11th Xmas party of the season could just be a Scrooge-in-the-making, or they could need some help, or even just a text to make sure that they’re OK and let them know that someone cares or understands.

Whether it’s sad or SAD, the symptoms and the coping mechanisms are very similar.

Look after yourself, none of this is your fault.