The seasons have changed and the time for sandals and sunglasses has passed. For a lot of us, this
change makes us feel a bit blue but for some of us, feeling more than just blue can be indicative of
something more.
The cold weather and fewer hours of sunshine can sometimes set off Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Just as the name suggests, this is a depressive episode that has its onset at the beginning of a new
season, most commonly in Autumn/Winter (far less common is a Spring/Summer onset).
So how do you know if what you’re experiencing is seasonal depression?
 Feeling sad or low on most days
 Feelings of worthlessness (often manifests as an increase in overly critical self-talk)
 Difficulty concentrating and being more forgetful than usual
 Being more irritable (may manifest as impatience or being quick to anger)
 Fatigue
 Increased sleep, decreased sleep or sleep that isn’t restful
 Changes in appetite (increased, decreased or noticeably fluctuating with intense feelings)
 Feeling quite restless or being noticeably sluggish
 Loss of interest in things you usually enjoy
 Thoughts of death or harming yourself (an intense wish to escape your life)
If you’ve been experiencing many of these symptoms for 2 weeks or more, you could use some help
to navigate your way out of this space.
Do any of these symptoms sound familiar?