Fall is the...equivalent of a Sunday evening.The latest tweets in my feed are about how excited all the white girls on Twitter are about Fall coming.
I, too, enjoy wearing sweaters and boots. I, too, enjoy pumpkin-spice flavored everything! I like the holidays, the smell of the old leaves still on the tree, the fun squashes and gourds that grow in Autumn, and I like the scent of cinnamon always on the air. But I'm also scared of Fall, because of what it means regarding my emotional state.
I must be blunt: Fall is the seasonal equivalent of a Sunday evening.
It's not the very worst moment of the week (or year) but it IS the harbinger of the very worst day (or season) and so it's still pretty rocky.
That's right, folks, today's post is all about SEASONAL DEPRESSION!
To begin, I'd like to define what I mean by depression. So everybody has ups and downs, right? This is the normal human condition. Some people call their low points "depressions." This term is perfectly fine, but it's not the definition I mean to use in this post. I'm talking about chemical imbalances in the brain that physically alter a person's ability to stabilize their emotions.
During the Late Autumn, Winter, and Early Spring months, the human body gets less sunlight, which allows for fewer of the "happy hormones" to be created in the brain. All people experience this lack of light, and most people feel it, at least to some degree; but not everybody feels it equally. I speak especially of those who, like me, suffer from depression (see previous paragraph) and anxiety disorders. Seasonal Affective Disorder ( or S.A.D. as it is appropriately acronymned) increases the "sadness" felt by those with depression, as well as their risk for suicidal thoughts or actions. (1) For instance, because the Earth is tilted on its axis, there are parts of the world where the winter evenings are all but a few minutes of the day. During the winter months in these places, suicide rates are higher, and more people are admitted to mental hospitals than in warmer months.
During the Late Autumn, Winter, and Early Spring months, the human body gets less sunlight, which allows for fewer of the "happy hormones" to be created in the brain. All people experience this lack of light, and most people feel it, at least to some degree; but not everybody feels it equally. I speak especially of those who, like me, suffer from depression (see previous paragraph) and anxiety disorders. Seasonal Affective Disorder ( or S.A.D. as it is appropriately acronymned) increases the "sadness" felt by those with depression, as well as their risk for suicidal thoughts or actions. (1) For instance, because the Earth is tilted on its axis, there are parts of the world where the winter evenings are all but a few minutes of the day. During the winter months in these places, suicide rates are higher, and more people are admitted to mental hospitals than in warmer months.
"Remember: It will pass. You WILL feel better if you just hold on. And I'm always here if you need somebody who's been through...hell...and come out the other side intact."
Last year, around this time of year, I hit "rock-bottom" with my depression and anxiety. I won't dwell on the details, but let me just say that hell is in the mind.I got through it, though. It was terrible through the winter, but IT GOT BETTER. My depression will never fully go away, but it is much more manageable the rest of the year. The point is, Seasonal Depression is very real, and it's very common. So be aware of how you're feeling! Your thoughts will tend to get darker as the nights get longer and the sunlight loses its warmth. But remember: it will pass. You WILL feel better if you just hold on. And of course, I'm always here if you need somebody who's been through the hell of depression and come out the other side intact.
- http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/in-depth/CON-20021047
- http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/neurological_institute/center-for-behavorial-health/disease-conditions/hic-seasonal-depression
