http://news.hamlethub.com/brewster/life/3296-5-of-americans-suffer-from-seasonal-affective-disorder
There’s a certain cruel irony that the acronym for this disorder is literally SAD. It is a very real thing and one that I suspect affects more than just the 5% quoted in this article.
When I lived in Oakland, CA the winter months were a bit of a shift for me. I grew up in Hawaii and winters there just meant more rain and a bit of wind, nothing as face-biting as the cold nights of the Bay Area. It’s nice that they list some quick coping mechanisms like getting more light exposure, but I’ll be honest winter is when I have the hardest time getting out there or harder still trying to be physically active.
My marriage came to a close in Dec of 2015 with the legal dissolution a few months later in April. The double whammy of the seasonal change and my dysthymia was rough and I can only imagine it’s even more of a challenge to folks with severe depression. I hope to keep myself busy in the kitchen for the winter months, trying to focus on eating healthy and not so much on what’s outside (gray skies, and people I’d rather not engage). Whatever your tool is try to keep yourself active, get out if you’re able, even if it’s just solitary activity to get some sun light.
