reframing sad
It’s fall and as the weather gets colder and staying indoors becomes tempting, unfortunately, the number of people who suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) increases. SAD is characterized as a depression that occurs around the same time every year. For some, seasonal depression is the feeling of sadness and overall unhappiness during the fall-winter months of the year. It can be contributed to the days seeming to get shorter, since it gets darker earlier, or it can be from the onset of the holidays. The holidays can be a difficult time of the year for those suffering from seasonal depression.
As the holiday season approaches, so does the pressure to connect with family and friends, and it can be stressful those who are feeling disconnected. It may be exceptionally difficult for those who have loss family or do not have positive family dynamics. For years, I shrugged off my feeling of loneliness and low moods as being physically tired or financially frustrated. However, as I began to work on my healing, I had to become honest with my feelings. I remember feeling depressive from time to time and it worsened around the holiday months. Years later, I moved away to a new state for graduate school, and I felt even more alone. I celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays alone for years. As the holidays came around again, the very few people who were around me (mostly co-workers) became overly festive and I sunk further into my loneliness. I began to feel more anxious because I couldn’t find a way to emotionally connect. I would force myself to be festive at gatherings, but always felt a sense of hopeless and loneliness.
It took time and self-patience for me to learn to focus on the present and connect with gratitude as my anchor. Within the last few years, I have lost many family members and friends with whom I shared nostalgic memories. Some are holiday memories, but most are not. I lost a childhood best friend a few days before Thanksgiving, and I have vivid memories of my father at Christmas. However, my family isn’t very closed knit, so the holiday season at times are extremely difficult. I have immediate family members who are total strangers and have no desire to be other than that and coming to acceptance with that fact was heartbreaking. So, I understand and am emphatic towards those who experience uneasiness that tends to bubble up around the holiday season.
Over the years, I’ve learned how to ease my SAD. I found that I can ease some of the feelings through my lifestyle changes, such as exercise and mindfulness practices that’s a great start. If you have at least one person that you trust to hold space for you, reach out if possible. However, I do know how difficult that is to do sometimes. If you are still feeling uneasiness please reach out to a healthcare professional or support group for advice in your healing.
