Seasons and SAD

The calendar has turned to fall, and while there are many things people like about fall and winter, those who live with seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, might have a different view.

While SAD can apply to any season, with some struggling with SAD during summer months for example, it is most commonly something that people deal with in the fall and winter months. And for those individuals, the leaves changing and the temperatures getting colder and the days getting shorter can all be reasons for distress.

Yet as with other mental health conditions, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disease, and schizophrenia, there are things that can be done to help with SAD. These tips aren’t cures, but they can help.

For example, you can order UV lamps or sun lamps that will mimic more hours of sunlight. You can find new and different ways to engage with your friends and loved ones. You can seek out therapy or peer-support sessions.

And the most important thing to remember if you are living with SAD, is that you don’t have to be sad alone. Others are dealing with similar struggles, and together we can pull ourselves out of the darkest of winter nights and find our way back into the sunny days of spring.