When I was a kid, I LOVED winter. Playing in the snow with my friends, tobogganing, ice skating…having the neighbourhood Great Dane pull us down the street with our slip sliders firmly attached to our winter boots. Getting all ready to go outside and realizing I had to pee…really, the fun never ended.
Wait, yes it did. I now hate, loathe, detest and despise winter. Which, coming from someone who lives in Canada, is pretty funny.
Snow. Ice. -40. It all contributes to my hatred of winter. But all of those things pale in comparison to the darkness that envelops us for 4 – 5 months out of the year.
As someone who has suffered from depression most of my adult life, the darkness of the winter months turns me into a hormonal, weepy, angry slug. I have no energy. I eat too much. I drink too much. The littlest things can set me off – the big things seem overwhelming. All I want to do is curl up into a ball, pull the covers over my head and wait for April to roll around. It’s called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.
What is seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?
Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that affects a person during the same season each year. If you get depressed in the winter but feel much better in spring and summer, you may have SAD.
Anyone can get SAD, but it is more common in:
- People who live in areas where winter days are very short or there are big changes in the amount of daylight in different seasons.
- People between the ages of 15 and 55. The risk of getting SAD for the first time goes down as you age.
- People who have a close relative with SAD.
What causes SAD?
Experts are not sure what causes SAD, but they think it may be caused by a lack of sunlight. Lack of light may upset your sleep-wake cycle and other circadian rhythms. And it may cause problems with a brain chemical called serotonin that affects mood.
What are the symptoms?
If you have SAD, you may:
- Feel sad, grumpy, moody, or anxious.
- Lose interest in your usual activities.
- Eat more and crave carbohydrates, such as bread and pasta.
- Gain weight.
- Sleep more and feel drowsy during the daytime.
Symptoms come and go at about the same time each year. For most people with SAD, symptoms start in September or October and end in April or May (information courtesy of WebMD)
My symptoms started this past week – moody, weepy, tired – drinking and eating too much…and it’s very frustrating, because I KNOW what it is, yet I don’t seem to be able to put a stop to it – it’s sort of like having PMS for 4 entire months – it’s hard enough for me, but the people around me must be just THRILLED (insert apology to all, here).
Work is especially delightful this time of year, because I find it very difficult to be around people and in my job, most days are spent with large groups of them and for the most part, all I want to do is poke each and every one of them in the eye. Not because they’ve done anything wrong – I just don’t like people this time of year.
It’s gonna be a long winter, folks.