Many people celebrate the arrival of autumn and the impending pumpkin spiced lattes, cosy knitwear and hibernation, but for those with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the annual transition can be a far less exciting prospect.
SAD is a type of depression that comes and goes seasonally, and for most sufferers this peaks during the colder, darker, and wetter days of winter.
And as today (Monday) marks the equilux - where days and nights are of equal length - from here on out we’ll be seeing a lot more darkness.
In the interest of grieving the end of summer, here are 14 things that all people with SAD will know too well.
1. Trying to get on board with the arrival of Autumn.
2. Telling yourself that this year is going to be better.
3. Resenting that it makes you hate the changing seasons.
4. Being convinced it arrives earlier and earlier every year.
5. Fighting it off for as long as is humanly possible.
6. Thinking you’re fine until the sun starts to set at 5 o’clock.
7. Accepting your inevitable seasonal fate.
8. Cancelling all plans that don’t involve staying on the sofa.
9. Realising you are effectively hibernating in your own home.
10. Trying to block out the cold with all the junk food.
11. Wasting all your money on fancy gadgets that promise to help.
12. Feeling personally victimised by the weather.
13. Knowing you’ve got months of this to come.
14. Realising that actually this is a 365-days-a-year struggle.