Join our conversation on #seasonalaffectivedisorder, this month with have one of our community talking to us about their personal experiences with SAD.
What is SAD?
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that usually affects individuals on a seasonal basis and although it is not fully understood, it is thought to occur due to lack of sunlight and drop in temperature. SAD affects 1-3% of adults, predominantly women, who live in temperate climates (Magnusson & Boivin, 2009). SAD is sometimes referred to as “winter depression” or “winter blues” due to symptoms being more severe and common during the winter period. According to the NHS (2021), symptoms such as a persistent low mood can have a negative impact on daily activities and although symptoms are predominantly seasonal, the symptoms adversely affect the standard of physical and mental health, thus making it extremely difficult for those who suffer from SAD to carry out normal daily activities. In conclusion SAD is a condition that can have severe effects on daily life as it puts those who suffer from it at risk by lowering the quality of their life.
When did you notice it starting?
I don't know when it started, but since I've been married, been a parent and I've been working 9-5. I found that towards the winter months that’s when it starts, I couldn’t recognise it at the time but my wife Jules could pinpoint it and she noticed my mood changing. Christmas for me was a bad one, it was hard, really hard. If somebody gives me a Christmas present, I don't like to open anything in front of anybody! I'm not as bad now, I can actually sit in a room and do it, and if I want to pull myself away. People understand and respect that I don't like all that fuss. Its great watching the kids open the presents and things like that, but the rest is just not for me.
How long have you had SAD?
When I was younger I didn't know what it was but I’d say I’ve had it for 30+ years. I can remember probably 20 years ago feeling that down because of the dark nights that I’d almost got suicidal thoughts, and then obviously I thought about the kids and the family and everything else which helped pull me out of that. It just shows you where it can take you.
How did you first deal with experiencing SAD?
I didn’t deal with it well at all. Some years were harder than others. In the early days that’s when I struggled to get up and out, its just remembering that its not me it’s the SADs. Its hard when you get down everything starts to become negative but I’ve passed that point now, I understand it and I do force myself to go to things even though I don’t want too.
Did you know about SAD when you first suffered symptoms?
I didn’t know about SAD until about 19 years ago, but once I’d heard about it I thought “God that's just like me” and we sort of twigged it. I went to the doctor's one year, probably 15-20 years ago, and I'd mentioned that I was getting down and depressed and he said “have you had any suicidal thoughts?” I said “Well yeah I’ve thought about it a couple of times” not thinking anything of it, wondering well should I have really said that! I wasn't really considering it, but you just get that down you think “God I could do without this”
Did you talk to anyone about suffering with sad?
No, Not really at first, I just accepted the fact that I had it. Someone asked me why I was a miserable sod, I said “it’s the time of year, If the suns shining you’ll see me smiling, during the winter months and I get down”. Now I love talking to people, who feel similar. I just try and give a bit of advice and tell people “don’t let it get hold of you.” I almost feel like I’d like to be on people shoulders watching what they are doing, making sure they are looking after themselves but you can’t be everywhere. Now I’ve had time to come to terms and understand it more, I’ll always put helping others first as I feel like I’ve got something to offer with my experiences.
When did symptoms of SAD start to become noticeable to you?
It starts to happen when the nights draw in until the beginning of March, I’d get the tiredness, the anxiety and everything else. You just want to hibernate, that's a sign of it. I’ll be constantly fatigued, craving the carbs, coffee, snapping at people, being tired and not actually going to bed because I have to get up and go back to work the next day. Which makes it worse and creates a knock on affect. The other thing is, I’d make excuses not to go somewhere, somebody says “oh do you want to go somewhere” and I’d go “yeah fine it'd be great.” Then when you get to it and you get home and its dark that’s the last place you want to be, you just want to draw yourself away from things.
How did it affect your work?
I was struggling at work but you just muddle through. After awhile I turned around and said to myself “I am capable, I'm more than capable of my job role” Six months earlier though, I was hiding under a table because I'd done one calculation three times – it grates you down.
The days are a hell of a lot shorter and it feels all you're doing is working, coming to work and going home in the dark. If you don’t get outside that can bring you down but you need to know that’s happening, its not you, its nothing you’ve done. The best thing to do is acknowledge its there, look for the signs. Try something different with your routine when this time of year comes round, a new hobby just something to look forward to. Some of the worst times can be straight after Christmas in January and February.
What do you do to combat symptoms of SAD and how has it changed over time?
Top Tips
- Get sunlight
- SAD alarm clock
- Bananas & Nuts
- Have a purpose
- Get into nature
I use a SAD alarm clock, as well as making sure I get more sunlight everyday. I reduce my coffee intake, also eating bananas and nuts. I don't get as down as I used too, because I know it's coming. I try to make myself do things, getting out into nature is important to me, it's so easy to switch off once you get home and its dark, you can cocoon yourself if you’ve got nothing to do. I have a workshop/cabin in one of my friends fields, I like to go up there at the end of the week and enjoy nature. After work, if I've got to the field and gone to sleep, Saturday morning I’m all wrapped up nice (on my camping bed and sleeping bag), when I wake up it's quite dull and dark. If I haven't got a purpose to get up for, I could just stay in bed and I know I'm not tired anymore I just don’t want to get out of bed, so I have to give myself a job or a purpose to get up. And it's like today, today is the shortest day. So for me sunlight is everything. So I know from today on, it's going to get lighter and lighter, that's something to look forward to.
If you knew then what you knew now about SAD, what advice would you give yourself?
It’s a condition that needs controlling. Do things that help cope with the symptoms and understand that it’s not your fault. You can control it. When you do get really low, get out into nature, look outside, watch the birds, its the little things that go along way. Its gotten easier to manage it over the years because I know what it is and I can recognise the signs, If you start feeling slightly down, try not to worry about it to much it’ll pass.
What advice would you give other people suffering with SAD?
I will say that if you have any self doubt, and you've got skeletons in the closet or anything like that, they kind of play on your mind when it gets to this time of the year and its dark, but its just the lack of serotonin, the lack of sunshine. It can bring you down but the older I get the more know about it and the more you understand it. Starting in autumn get out as much as possible, enjoy nature and do some research on SAD. Change your diet around the winter months, this time of year the sugar and chocolate comes out and you’re in a sugar low which doesn’t help your mood. Multi-vitamins, extra vitamin D, lemon and ginger and cutting out the caffeine, When January comes around I’ll try and swap to the fruit teas to unclog the system a bit which will then make me feel better upstairs.
There are so many different coping mechanisms, once know you've got it. You can do something every day to completely take your mind off it, having something to go home to do is important. The best thing is to learn about it and try to control it yourself because its there every year come rain or shine. Have a plan in place on how to deal with it can be so beneficial, you can be in tune with your body then the doctors will always be there if you really need it but you’ll have all this ammo you can deploy when you start to feel low.
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