How to Deal with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

Every year, millions of people deal with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), and I happen to be one of them. I tend to have symptoms of depression such as sadness, little interest in doing things, and loss of concentration right around the time where the leaves begin to turn colors and the air becomes a bit colder. It usually lasts for a few months until the spring finally comes around. For me, I was not even aware that it existed until a few years ago when my doctor had brought it up during an appointment.

I was a bit nervous at first describing the way that I felt around depression, feeling fatigued, and not having the same mood that I usually do since it was impacting both my work and school; however, my doctor brought it up as a potential issue and after hearing the symptoms figured that it matched my situation.

To deal with the symptoms, I personally have used a special kind of lamp that has a flat surface and emits bright light. You can put it on either earlier in the day when you wake up to get a fresh boost of energy or at night before you go to sleep. I’ve found it especially helpful during those dark and cold winter days when you cannot even see a peek of sunshine.

Have you heard of SAD before? If you are coping with it, what are some things that help you? If you experience more depressive symptoms around this time of year, do you think you would bring it up with your doctor?