Change of Seasons, Change of Feelings

It could be Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD It is a kind of depression that appears at certain times of the year. It usually begins in the fall when the days get shorter and lasts through the winter. SAD doesn’t only happen in the colder months.  A less common form of seasonal affective disorder affects people in the summer months and usually starts in the spring. It is not clear what causes SAD, but it’s thought that winter Seasonal Affective Disorder may be caused by lack of sunlight. But this may not be the only answer, it is also thought to run in families; 13-17% of people who develop SAD have an immediate family member with the disorder.

Do I have Seasonal Affective Disorder?

• I feel like sleeping all the time, or I am having trouble getting a good night’s sleep
• I am tired all the time; it makes it hard for me to carry out my daily tasks
• My appetite has changed, particularly more cravings for sugary and starchy foods
• I am gaining weight
• I feel sad, guilty and down on myself
• I feel hopeless
• I am irritable
• I am avoiding people or activities I used to enjoy
• I feel tense and stressed
• I have lost interest in sex and other physical contact

If you identified with most of these feelings, seem to happen each year, have a real impact on your life and improve during certain seasons, SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP!

The Faith Based Perspective

Where do our feelings come from?  When the weather changes and the days get shorter, where do our feelings of lacking energy and moodiness and short-temperedness come from?  Is it possible that they come from SAD?  Yes, it  is also possible, however, that our negative feelings can come from a lack of realization of God being over the universe and over the seasons Surrendering to the fact that he is working out his purpose in the seasons – even the dead of winter.  In other words, these negative feelings can come from a forgetfulness of the truth of God’s plan and purpose in the world.  If this is the case, believers who believe they are suffering from SAD should treat their negative feelings with faith in these three truths:

1. God has a purpose in winter.Winter is not a curse.  It is a part of the good way that God has designed the world to function.  In fact, there are several beneficial things that happen through the freezing and thawing of the land and vegetation (Isaiah 55.10).  For instance, in winter, the land has a forced rest from being cultivated, giving the soil time to regenerate its nutrients and moisture to be ready for the next planting season so that we can have food to eat.  The ground recuperates its moisture content through the melting of the snow.  Vegetation dies and regenerates, bringing about its seeds and spreading them across the land in order to reproduce.  God has designed winter to be exactly the way that it is, for his good purposes (Psalm 147.16).  If winter brings you down, remember that God is working in it and through it, and that it is actually a sign of his mercy and care for the earth and the people on it (Job 38.22).  Knowing that your Lord is at work – even in the bleakest days of the year – should help you reframe how you think about those short days and cold nights.
2. Winter is evidence of God’s unchanging nature. The changing seasons are natural evidence that prove the truth that God never changes.  Each year the seasons come and go in the same way.  Summer is hot, autumn cools the earth, winter is cold, and spring brings back the warmth.  The leaves always change colors and fall in the autumn.  Winter brings the cold and snow.  The seasons always come in the exact same order – never changing, always the same.  We can look at the changing of the seasons and remember that God never changes (Malachi 3.6).  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Rather than thinking negative thoughts, allow the changing of the seasons to remind you of this truth.
3. Winter will end. The Christian life can often be characterized by a time of waiting.  We exist in this broken world, in broken bodies, longing for the time when our bodies will be remade (Romans 8.19-23).  We are waiting for the “winter” of our sinful, painful existence to come to an end, and for the glorious “spring” of the resurrection.  We comfort ourselves during this time with the reality that the resurrection is coming – the day is coming when Christ will return and make all things new.  In other words, we have hope for a new beginning. (Romans 6). This hope and period of waiting defines the Christian lifestyle.  Christians are taught the benefits of being patience.  This reality should help us get through the few months of bad weather that we must endure each year.  Remember that there is a season for everything, and all things come to an end (Ecclesiastes 3.1).

Vision of Recovery believes in a non-denominational Christian perspective to wellness. We integrate biblically based beliefs with counseling and coaching interventions to treat the whole person—emotionally, physically and spiritually. I came that you might have an abundant life (John 10:10).

Father, I have struggled with depression in my past and every once in awhile it comes back to draw me into isolation and suffering. I pray against depression and oppression in Jesus name. I pray for others who are depressed. Please lift them up, bring light to their dark world and shine like never before. Let your love, joy and peace surround and strengthen us. We claim healing and freedom from depression in the name that is above every name Jesus Amen

©Wanda Currie

Vision of Recovery believes in and practices a non-denominational Christian perspective to Addiction Recovery/Mental Health Care. Vision of Recovery integrates biblically based information with coaching and counseling interventions to treat the whole person: Spiritually, Emotionally and Physically.