Regardless of your age, gender, locality, culture or race there is no escaping the possibility that you may suffer from the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) at some point in your life, and there is no shame in being a sufferer, as anyone can get it, anytime. The great news for sufferers however, is that your feelings of hopelessness needn’t be a life sentence as SAD is a totally treatable health condition, which just like a cold or flu, can be cured. Importantly, the sooner you spot the signs of SAD and seek help, the sooner you can begin the journey back to good health.
Spotting Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
SAD, unlike a dose of flu or other similar virus, generally indicates little to no tangible clues that you may be suffering from it. You won’t have a running nose or a rasping cough to reveal that you are afflicted, and It can also affect different people in different ways, so one person’s experience will not always feel the same as another person’s. As an illustration, one individual may feel exhausted and irritated, while another may feel a sense of hopelessness, sadness and have an uncontrollable urge to weep. This condition may build up and slowly over years, or can suddenly occur out of the blue.
What are the signs of SAD?
SAD can be hard to detect so, we’ve assembled a list of noteworthy signs to be aware of that might help you to recognise whether you, or someone you love is suffering under SAD’s subjugation.
Before we review the checklist, it’s essential to note the difference between being sad and SAD. To even contemplate if you are a melancholy sufferer, you must first check if you have experienced several of the below indicators for a period of at least two weeks or more.
Feelings
• Hopelessness: You believe that things are terrible, that life will never, get better, and there is nothing anyone can do to change it.
• Unenthusiastic pondering: Most of your feelings have a negative leaning. You view every situation pessimistically. You may spend a lot of time feeling blameworthy or you may concentrate your thoughts on the past.
• Irritability and rage: Things that never troubled you previously have now become real concerns. You’re cantankerous and livid, and you can’t seem to control how you are feeling.
• Self-abhorrence and worthlessness: You don’t like the person that you have become, and you continuously attempt to convince yourself just how useless and detested you are. You may spend spend much of your time, self-loathing and going over things that have been said and done.
• Feeling overwhelmed: Everything is a struggle, You can no longer deal with daily existence.
• Meaninglessness: It feels like there is a big empty hole inside of you. You cannot seem to find meaning anywhere.
• Sadness: You are sad all the time and you can’t stop feeling this way no matter what you do.
• Restlessness: You can’t relax. There’s no specific reason, but you feel as if you are constantly on edge.
Behaviour
• No interest and withdrawal: You have lost interest in life. You used to love going out, whether to a cafe, the beach or a party, but now you don’t. You just want to stay home on the couch for weeks on end. You have little interest in seeing your friends, in spending time with your family, or in doing things that you used to enjoy.
• Poor concentration You used to be able to focus on tasks, but now you can’t force yourself to concentrate on anything.
• Things are harder: Tasks that you once seemed easy, even undemanding tasks like dish washing, now feel like they are huge hurdles to overcome.
• Withdrawal: You renounce friendships and family. You may ignore all forms of communication from the outside world.
• You accomplish nothing: Your work may be falling behind, and your home may be overflowing with unfinished jobs that were once completed easily, but now accumulate one upon the other.
• Drug abuse: Drinking too much alcohol or excessive drug taking, illicit or pharmaceutical, or you may be taking risks that normally you wouldn’t.
• Fatigued: You are weary all the time. Your mind and your body just want to shut off and you find you are dragging yourself through the day.
• Sleep problems: Insomnia or constantly sleeping or broken sleep.
• Changes in appetite: Either you find yourself binge eating, even when you’re not hungry, or you have stopped altogether with no desire to eat anything.
Physical
• Sudden weight changes: Your weight has increased or decreased dramatically over a short period of time.
• Aches and pains: There are no physical issues that could easily explain these symptoms, but your body hurts and aches all the time.
• Self neglect: You no longer care about your personal hygiene, you no longer desire to wear fashionable clothing, and you have no motivation to manifest an appearance normally associated with health and happiness.
What treatments are available?
Depending on your condition and the severity you may see a counsellor, a psychologist or a psychiatrist, and you may have medication prescribed alongside therapy.
Counsellors
Counsellors are qualified to help clients develop an understanding of themselves, clarify their issues and foster coping tactics. Counsellors commonly deal with short-term clients and they are concerned with practical or immediate issues and results. Their skills and knowledge are best suited for people with mild to moderate melancholy and angst.
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