November 2021: Seasonal Affective Disorder + My Personal Experiences w/SAD

Hello everyone! 

I know I'm a bit late with this month's post; I was in a bit of a depressive funk for nearly two weeks, and I had very little to NO motivation to do anything besides what needed to be done around my apartment to keep my environment somewhat organized (even though my thoughts weren't). 

ANYWAY, I actually wanted to use this post to discuss a common mental health problem that happens in areas that 'practice' Daylight Savings Time: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). 

I was actually aware of my SAD symptoms back when I was a teenager, and as far as I was aware, this term didn't exist back then. I was probably 15-16 years old when I'd noticed my bouts of insomnia increased during seasonal changes, specially between the fall and winters months. Also, I live near Cleveland, Ohio - so we already don't get a lot of sun outside of the late spring/summer months (which doesn't help things). 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of SAD increase as winter transitions to spring. It is a form of depression that can become so severe, it affects one's daily life. Surprisingly - or, maybe not so surprisingly? - SAD affects 75% of women. 

SAD can be exacerbated by other mood disorders, including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Some symptoms to look out for include the following: 

• sadness and anxiety 
• carbohydrates cravings (as I sit here eating a bowl of pasta salad for lunch - thanks for calling me out, research! *wink*) and weight gain
• extreme fatigue and lack of energy 
• lack of interest in activities that typically bring joy

There are many causes and symptoms of SAD; if you feel that you may be affected by the changing of the seasons, I highly recommend that you speak with your doctor to see what forms of treatment are available. 

One form of treatment that my group therapy psychologist recommended I try is Light Therapy. Basically, it's a small 'box of light' - that I jokingly refer to as fake sun, and if you're an early riser during the Daylight Savings Time change, it is helpful for those morning hours that are darker than usual. I actually received mine as a birthday gift from my mother-in-law, but you can find many types with multiple features through Amazon. 

Here I'll list some other treatments of SAD that have been beneficial for me, and they've been recommended by both my psychiatrist AND my therapist: 

• Vitamin D3 + Calcium (we get Vitamin D from sunlight; Calcium helps our bodies absorb it)
• Tracking my symptoms using a habit tracker or daily journaling
• Journaling about my symptoms/thoughts to clear them from my mind 
• Improving sleep hygiene* 

*Sleep hygiene is essential for combating symptoms of SAD; I used to get up anywhere between 10am-noon. Now that I'm getting up between 7-7:30am (sometimes even 6:30am these days thanks to Daylight Savings Time), I'm finding that I'm MUCH more productive in the mornings with completing what absolutely needs to be done around the house, as well as running errands. Then, if I need to take a nap in the mid-early afternoon, I do so for no more than an hour. 

That's all I have for this update. I'll be back in a couple of weeks to let you all know how things are going! 

By the way, I'm going back to work full time on December 3rd! I've been off since August 31st, and I'm ready to get back to the daily grind. In this month of thankfulness, I am grateful to not only have been employed throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, but to have the benefits I need in order to properly take care of myself so I can be a more effective employee. 

What are YOU grateful for this Thanksgiving season? 

Sending you all the brightest of blessings. Happy Holidays! 

~Melanie