S. A D.

I can never remember what the initials stand for but SAD is the winter condition where with shorter days you head down towards depression and longer days you begin to come out of it. I normally compensate by finding myself overworking, not the thing to do in depression whether it comes from a particular incident as my first bout, or is a seasonal thing as seems to happen now.

But the problem for me is not when I'm heading down, but when I finally start coming up again. Going down is a gentle slide, but coming up is a real roller-coaster. Which is why when people talk about the risk of suicide for some anti-depressants I go - it's probably because they finally start to have the energy. That is just the perspective of one who's studied from the inside and done some light reading from the outside, but perhaps should be looked at.

And I mention SAD with that because, while I probably experienced some of it before my bout of depression that required medicine, therapy and a lot of pray, since my depression I notice it every winter. I go down and then as the days are long have a roller-coaster on up.

I suspect that some of my readers have experienced depression or have someone in their family who is going through depression. It's not just in the mind, but has repercussions for the whole of the person. And family and friends will be affected. Help the depressed person get some help and spend a little time in a support group. Recovery is sometimes harder than just living with the depression so... just a word of thought

What I've described is some of my own experience. There are a number of other ways people can eexperience depression and recovery. Check with the person rather than assume I have thngs correct for you (or someone else). But as spring is coming (and my mother's birthday has just passed with the memories of her death and the start of her depression) my thoughts and prayers turn to those who are still in the depths.

There is hope. There is a way out. It's not easy, but it is worth it.