T'is the season to be sad

At the moment all my friends are sad. No, it's not because I'm their friend! Quite the contrary!

People
are having marital, business, financial problems... and any other kind
you can imagine. With most of us 'nothing goes smoothly'. The common
explanation: "It's 'that' time of the year again..."

I know when
spring is in the air - my glandular fever announces it yearly towards
the end of August... I get really miserable when I'm too exhausted to
go outside to enjoy the beautiful weather! This however is the first
year I've connected the link between the season and my friends' misery.
(that said with the sincerest of sympathies!) The darkness of winter
mornings and late afternoons really gets me down and the smell of smoke
in Gauteng starting late summer already.

With the Christmas
season around the corner too, it is possible that those who have
memories of loved ones who have passed on during this time are causing
the sadness. It's said that during the Christmas season the suicide
rate is higher due to loneliness.

Be as it may, there is hope
for those suffering with Seasonal Affected Disorder. According to
www.outsidein.co.uk, these are the ways in which SAD affects you:

Sleep problems - oversleeping but not refreshed, cannot get out of bed, needing
a nap in the afternoon
Overeating - carbohydrate craving leading to weight gain
Depression,despair, misery, guilt, anxiety - normal tasks become frustratingly difficult
Family / social problems -avoiding company, irritability, loss of libido, loss of feeling
Lethargy - too tired to cope, everything an effort
Physical symptoms -often joint pain or stomach problems, lowered resistance to infection
Behavioural problems - especially in young people

Don't suffer in silence! There's a lot you can do to feel better - find some info in the blog archives on this site, or elsewhere on the net.