What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Feeling the winter blues? Me too. It’s commonly experienced during the months of January and February. I tackle Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) by using tricks like light therapy, taking my vitamins, and most importantly: giving myself some grace.*
*If you are experiencing depression or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to support services such as your physician, the local ER, the suicide prevention hotline in ASL (https://988lifeline.org/ and click ASL NOW), and local resources such as National Deaf Therapy, Deaf LEAD, Deaf Counseling Center, and more.
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Video Description and Transcript
Video Description:
The post has a video thumbnail with blue shading overlaid. The middle has a text bubble that reads “Managing SAD” in white text with rose background. In the video: A young woman with brown curly hair is standing in front of the camera with a green couch and decorative items behind her. She is wearing a black shirt with clear-framed glasses.
Transcript:
It’s the middle of winter. It is normal for us to feel worn out, tired, and withdrawn. Of course, we want to stay at home and maybe we gain weight. During the winter, daylight hours are short. Especially during January and February. The shorter daylight hours have a chemical impact on our brain, just like animals. However, animals can hibernate. So, what can we do? We can give ourselves a break! Some tips I use during the winter to help me include: Using light therapy to mimic daylight, and using vitamin D is a big help! If you or anyone you know is experiencing a severe impact, and are experiencing symptoms like depression, please do not hesitate to reach out and get help. [The screen fades to show a thumbnail of a faded white background of a doctor holding hands with another individual] Deaf. Healthy. DeafHealth. Learn more at www.deafhealthaccess.org.]