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Developing a yearly SAD plan

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Renee C.

Renee C.

Fri, September 11, 2009

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"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile." - William Cullen Bryant
~~~


Here in the Northern Hemisphere, September is under way, and Labor Day-that unofficial last day of summer-has come and gone.

I love Autumn. I love crisp weather, September blue skies, and the gilded edges of the outdoor world. Still, as a person who suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), autumn is a time to be cherished and appreciated mainly because of what is to come.

THAT time.

Winter time.

If you're reading this, I assume that, like me, you share my SADness, which means you probably also understand why this time of the year is so bittersweet. Around the time that the neighborhood kids go back to school I begin my frantic attempt to organize my life in a way that will take into account what winter does to me: the fatigue, the apathy, the feeling of distance from my "real" life.

Over the years I've developed a small arsenal of things that help hold the darkness at bay. Some of them are methods that are well-known among SAD sufferers; getting outdoor exercise, even when it's cold, or the 10,000 lux light box that my best friend bought me as a gift (note: you know you're a real thrill to be around when that's the kind of gift you're getting). But some of the ways I try to combat the winter blues are-I think-particular to me. Or at least they're not things I usually hear other people talking about.

And I thought if I have these small, odd things that help me, then maybe you do too. Feel free to share your methods of combating SAD in the comments. I'd love to get some tips.

As for me, here are a few things on my current "SAD Plan." Please bear in mind that these are personal-they may work for you, and they may not. But most of them are free, so it may not hurt to try!

Celebrate Seasonality: Bear with me here. I know it sounds like a trick to say that we should celebrate the season that is hardest, but part of what makes winter such a drudge is how everlastingly LONG it is. I live in the Midwest, so winter around here lasts almost half the year.

And let's face it, except for the brief shining glory of Christmas in late December there's a whole lot of nothing at all for most of those months. So part of my SAD Plan is to fill up my winter calendar with "holidays" and celebrations that couldn't happen at any other time: apple picking in September at a local farm, a pumpkin carving party (even if it's a party for one) in October, and other private rituals throughout the winter. I even have seasonal books and desktop decorations I pull out as the winter progresses-things that help me feel anchored to the months as time to be enjoyed, instead of simply weeks to get through.

Organize: All of that seasonality doesn't come easy, believe me. It means that for the last weeks of summer I drive my family and friends crazy trying to plan get-togethers that they'd prefer to think about a few days beforehand. But that isn't going to work for me. On a dark, bad day, anything sounds more appealing than getting dressed and going to see a play, and I know I'm going to feel that way in advance, which means it's even more important to have things to do. Pre-planned things. Things I can't cancel easily.

9/12/09 10:58am

Hello there

 

Nice to meet you.  I must say...your article is so well written...it could easily be in a magazine somewhere.  I know I am supposed to be commenting on the content of what you say but...as a fellow writer...uh...wow.  Your ease with words and how well you articulate your thoughts...this is a pretty piece of writing!

 

Now...onto the topic.  I don't think I suffer from SAD.  For me...depression knows no season.  I also love the fall...I always think of it as a time for renewal...perhaps it is because school always starts in fall and I am one who has always loved school. 

 

But yeah...these ideas are great.  I just got my first Ipod Touch recently and I found "Ambiance"...isn't it cool?  How did we do without these things?  I love the chimes and the monk guttural throat singing...do you know the one? 

 

What helps me through the winter months is to make totaly use of that cozy indoor feeling...watch good movies...eat comfort foods...read books and enjoy feeling safe and snug.  It can be a good time for family activities...playing monopoly or baking cookies...telling family stories...looking at old photos.

 

Marvelous article.  Thanks for writing it!

9/12/09 5:13pm

I have a 2nd gen Touch too. I was thinking I'd be envious when the 3rd gen came out but as it stands now, it does not a camera like rumors running rampant said it might, just more memory, the Nano got the camera.

 

Another Ambiance fan here, only I'm more into rain and thunderstorms, chimes. Should try that BluWave..., on the other hand, if you're going to try it, might just wait to see what you think. I like using it to read sometimes, especially when having to wait somewhere, like doctor's offices. 

 

If technology could be a friend, I would be it's best friend. :)

 

As for SAD, though I may not understand what it is exactly, it seems it, or a close cousin, a year long companion and fights hard not to leave, though I've encouraged it to, many times.

9/25/09 10:31am

I am dreading the shorter days.  I may have to try the light box this year.  I get worse every year.  Undecided

 

Charles Bivona

http://charlesbivona.com

Anonymous
depression/c/913903
12/19/09 1:49am

This year is particularly harder as I just barely got a tree up, not decorated yet, working with a therapist and a helper lady in dejunking or letting go of things that clutter up my life, I guess my brain. So it  has been really hard right now and I'm not on an antidepressant I had been on for years, but still taking Wellbutrin. I just want to lose weight gain from my son's death and not have dry mouth, etc. that comes with some antidepressants. So I"m really fighting SAD right now. Just knowing that Solstice is coming up soon makes me happy.

Because then the days begin to get longer. Yippee! I also have OTT lamps to help me, but need to use them more.

 

I like all of your ideas and feel the same way, why get out of bed to do an activity when I really prefer to just hunker down, even though that is detrimental to my sanity! 

 

So I realized I had SAD when I left California to go to college in a snowy/cold/gray state during the winter. No ocean to visit, etc. and I would gain weight also, just to lose the the lbs when I got back home to my sunny city and lifeguarding job. I finally got control of my weight gain, having my own vehicle in college helped and increased social life and change of major did it. 

 

But did end up marrying someone who lives in the colder northern states, so I've had to really work on my SAD.

 

Thanks for posting your ideas.

Ivory

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