Seasonal Affective Disorder
It happens to me every winter, around January or February. That’s when I feel that I’ve had enough. Enough from cold, form darkness, from misery, enough from winter. I feel always sleepy, have no energy, and no intention to do anything. I know, I am not alone.
If you live somewhere where the sun always shines, it is comfortably warm, there is long daylight, and energy is radiating around you, then you are lucky. For those, who live in the northern part of the northern hemisphere this is a yearly experience. And that is a lot of humans. 
Why?
First of all, there are more people living on the northern hemisphere than on the southern, due to more available landmass. Secondly, the winters are harsher on the northern hemisphere, than on the southern one; again, influenced by the huge landmass, while on the south the huge volume of water somewhat moderates the weather.
Some people handle these changes better than others.
There is a medical term for this, called Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) Basically it is a type of depression. Most people experience it during the winter months, but there are exceptions. Fore some it starts in the fall and lasts till later in the spring; however, some unlucky ones struggle with it through the summer. It is rarely known in the younger generation in their teens or twenties. However, it gets more frequent by aging, and women are more affected than men.
The most probable cause for S.A.D. is chemical changes in the brain caused by the shorter days and less sunlight. During our normal daily cycle our body makes melatonin when it gets later in the day and start to get darker in the evening, preparing our body for sleep. The same system is activated during the darker winter months “tricking” our brain believing that it is time to sleep. Then knowing that it is not late yet, we start to struggle to stay awake, to focus, to think clearly, to complete out tasks that of course is not easy anymore. That frustrates us, and we start to lose self-confidence, we get irritated, and maybe even unfriendly. (I am not sure how otherwise dim people are affected).
How to overcome?
There are various ways to improve this condition.
Use artificial lights to extend the natural daylight. Today’s technology provides good options to replicate natural light. For your information, full-spectrum light bulbs with less blue light and better colour rendering are more beneficial than LED bulbs. However, any bulb can be useful with a CRI (colour rendering index) above 95%.
Other activities you can do to improve your condition:
- Set realistic goals and scale back on your activities as much as possible
- Do not commit to big decisions (mayor buying-selling, moving, carer change, marriage-divorce, etc.)
- Be among others; it is better than being alone
- Maintain a daily regimen (get-up time, meals, walks, calling others, etc.)
- Eat healthy and regularly (no alcohol and drugs)
- Exercise daily (better in group settings)
- Talk to trusted others, don’t afraid to discuss your issues and ask for help
Medical treatments:
also available, mostly light therapy, psychotherapy and antidepressants.
You must know that changes are coming slowly and will return yearly in a very similar manner.
Get ready for it.
While not officially recognized cats and dogs can be affected as well. 
I am still trying to figure out why young people are not affected and why I was not affected when I was younger. I think the simple answer is that we were just so busy with all kinds of other exciting things that we did not care about seasonal affective disorders or other .… like this.
What do you think?
