Seasonal Adjustment Disorder (SAD)

On balance this past week has been a fairly down one (so what's new??). I suspect it has to do with the weather changes.

I always wonder whether they came up with "Seasonal Adjustment Disorder (SAD)" because it's associated with sadness or if it was just a coincidence.

Continuing on my theme of yesterday, I'd like to talk about SAD and expectations. Summer is approaching fast in Cape Town, warm blue-sky days, crystal clear seas, long white beaches. But for me and my moods - it is like storm clouds gathering. Every year in about November my depression reaches its worst levels.

Usually SAD makes people get depressed in winter, long nights, cold grey days. But not me, and I know for a fact that the whole thing is related to expectations. If you've been following my blog you will have noticed that I spend more time down than up. This is usual for BiPolars - the downs are long and lingering and the ups short and intense. Because I spend so much time down, my most time-consuming activity (besides work) is lying in bed reading. On cold rainy winter days this goes down well. But on hot summer days in this outdoor, sport-obsessed country there is a sort of implied expectation that everybody is out surfing, hiking in the mountains and generally running around with huge healthy grins. Suddenly lying in bed reading becomes very uncool.

Of course the trick is NOT to worry about societal norms and expectations. Everybody to their own, and if you don't like it lump it!

But it's easier said than done. I just hope the new medication that I've been on since the beginning of the year (which has worked wonders the whole year so far) survives the REAL test of November. But I'm sure I'll be letting you know about it.