January Blues
Dull, grey, windy. It is a new year, which means the roll over into the long January month. It feels like a constant battle to reach the end, every day seems to go past longer and longer. January can be a really tough month for some people; especially with the added pressure of ‘SAD’. Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern. It clings onto you during the dreaded winter months, causing it to succumb to the term “winter depression”. It can be tough to drag yourself through each day, when the weather creates such a low mood for some people, even tearing them apart during the January month. Sunlight is needed. However, a few people who suffer from SAD, deal with the disorder in summer, instead of winter.
The symptoms of SAD include: o A persistent low mood o Loss of pleasure in everyday life o Irritability o Feelings of despair, sadness, guilt and worthlessness o Tiredness during the day o Sleeping pattern is longer o Gaining weight o Feeling lethargic For me personally, I feel like January has dragged on for so long, almost like it’s swallowing me up, which I know I share this common feeling with other people. Having the weather play such a big part in your life can be intoxicating, almost like it’s hard to find a season where your mental state is well…happy. SAD shouldn’t make you feel so helpless and alone during certain months, no one deserves to deal with low, uncontrollable periods by themselves.
Everyone has the right to reach out and seek help. Anyone suffering should consider seeing their GP who can carry out an assessment on your mental health, making sure to delve deep into how you’re really feeling. It’s hard when you feel constantly lost during the winter months, when you have no idea what SAD is. It is a disorder which isn’t fully understood. Why do people suffer from it? Is it due to the lack of sunlight, or really just the cold, dampened skies we live under? January, as well as the other winter months are feared among people who deal with this suffocating disorder, however it should not be something that puts a stop in our busy lives for a couple of months. Do you constantly want to feel SAD? I surely don’t, so reach out, embody how you feel and continue beating this harsh feeling. Sun is only around the corner or grey clouds, whatever you prefer is only round the corner.
By Eve Shipley
