If You're Struggling With Seasonal Affective Disorder, Read This For The Sake Of Your Mental Health
Stay strong this winter.
Getty By: Rosie Wylor-Owen
For some people, December and wintertime bring more problems than just darker days and colder weather. The further we delve into the depths of winter, the greater the chance that our spirits will plummet.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects a huge number of people, and it contributes to symptoms of depression.
As December approached us, I have seen many people cast aside our rose-tinted lenses on social media. People discard the positive-heavy posts in favor of candid revelations about their struggles with mental health.
Life is difficult, and without the daylight, good weather, and beauty of summer, coping with seasonal depression becomes harder.
Maybe, your problems are even worse. Perhaps, your life is full of hard events,and you are unsure how to cope. Maybe, your mental health spiraled downward for no reason, and you’re lacking a sympathetic ear.
Perhaps, everything is really OK, but you still feel depressed.
Watching people trip over their happiness at difficult times isn’t easy, either.
You may be left wondering what to when depressed, and the truth is, it can be really hard to determine.
There are different types of depression, and how to stop being depressed depends on many things.
In an effort to raise your morale if you’re battling with seasonal affective disorder, here are a few things I want you to remember.
You will get through this
All good things must come to an end, but mercifully, so must the bad things.
Even though life is difficult now, you won’t struggle with depression forever. Your challenges are temporary; a test of your resolve and another hurdle to vault.
It doesn’t even matter if you trip and fall. If you’re low, there’s only one way left to go… and that’s up.
I hope you find a glimmer of happiness in your day that can turn into something spectacular. I wish you a good day; a sun-filled open window to shine into all your dark places.
I hope you discover a spark of something to let you know that you will be fine. Maybe, you’ll feel it on Thanksgiving, when your family surrounds you.
You may discover it on Christmas, when you send gifts to all your favorite people.
Maybe, you’ll just wake up one day and not feel like your day will be a struggle.
Tough times might come around more often for you than for others, but, whether you feel it or not, those experiences make you stronger.
Someday soon, you won’t have to be so strong.
You don’t need to explain yourself
Nothing about feeling down or depressed obligates you to explain why you feel the way you do.
People ask your reasoning because it helps them understand your feelings and potentially help you. You have asked yourself “why” so often, though, that it doesn’t even sound like a word anymore.
Still, you don’t need to explain to anyone this December, not even yourself, why you feel depressed. Perhaps there’s a reason for your emotions, but not every hard feeling has a definitive root cause.
If having a lengthy, circular conversation about the cause of your feelings takes away from the time and energy you need to cope, then don’t waste your breath explaining.
Your real friends may not understand, but they will accept you regardless. Answering other peoples’ questions shouldn’t necessarily be your priority, but your recovery is.
You are loved this December
Even if the people around you aren’t sure how they can help, they still love you. Wanting to help someone you love but being unable to isn’t easy, but it’s definitely easier than what you’re experiencing.
Circumstance doesn’t chip real love away. No matter how low you feel, the people who truly love you will continue to support you through this winter depression.
If you are tempted to feign happiness; to pretend everything is OK out of fear that people might turn their backs on you, don’t.
The people who love you unconditionally will stick with you no matter what, even when things get tough.
Whether you feel strong or not, your strength has gotten you this far, and it will take you even further.
Hard times come and go, but sometimes, they stretch on for longer than you think you can cope. You haven’t fallen yet, though, and you never will.
Remember that you are strong enough to battle these feelings, you don’t need a reason to feel this way, and you are the apple of someone’s eye.
Rosie Wylor-Owen is an author and writer who covers mental illness, mood disorders, and overcoming them for a better life. Follow her on Twitter for more great content.