The SAD Lawyer

November is here. The days are getting shorter. The stores are starting to advertise for Black Friday. Travel plans for Thanksgiving are getting finalized. And people, including legal professionals, are starting to struggle with SAD.

SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, is a type of depressive disorder where the typical lethargy and emptiness associated with depression is felt acutely during a particular time of year. While SAD can technically occur with any seasonal change (yes some people are SAD in summer), the most common by far is onset during fall and winter.

And this can be a challenge to manage on its own. However, if you are already dealing with anxiety or depression from the stress of the legal profession, SAD can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back so to speak. But the good news is we have been there and we are here to help.

In addition to reaching out to us for peer support, we wanted to use this opportunity to share a few other tips.

• Consult your doctor to ensure there isn’t a physical problem causing your symptoms;

• Develop a routine;

• Consider buying a sun lamp to simulate sunshine;

• Engage with friends and family, like other forms of depression, SAD thrives in isolation;

• reach out to a therapist; and

• consider trying a short regimen of anti-depressants.

And like we said, we have been through plenty of our own periods of SAD. We are more than happy to help and share what has worked for us. Together, we can keep the SAD from getting too bad.