Confession: I never could get the hang of January.
This year I am blessed. I have energy and focus and I love my life, but some days some days I worry myself sick over the silliest things, and I just can’t think of that WORD while I’m talking to my children (and so I stammer until they supply it for me) (multiple times in a day). Some days I can feel it like ghostly fingers: tendrils of SAD fear and fog creeping into my mind.
I have been here before and I remember how to cope, to live, to heal; and I know that I am loved and that spring will come again before I know it. So I hang in there, and I bless Jesus for conquering darkness. I make small goals for myself and do them—even just cleaning my bathroom or making that phone call. I eat protein and fruit. And I tell my husband how I feel.
Dorcas Smucker wrote an article called What Works for Me: the SAD Regimen. Read it, if you or someone you love has down feelings in the winter. It’s excellent advice, the best I’ve read on the topic for a long time.
April is coming!
Losing sight of hope is the worst thing that can possibly happen, because without hope, you cannot live. I just came through this dark valley and had never quite experienced it to the extreme I did this time. I hope I never get that low again. Praise God I can now again see hope these last couple days. I did change my medicine a couple days ago, too, which probably helped.
I hear you! I struggle with SAD as well. Last year was the first year my Dr diagnosed me with it. I like what Dorcas wrote too!
In addition to that my Dr put me on Kava Forte and St. John’s Wort by Medi-Herb an herbal supplement only prescribed by Dr’s because of it’s strength. It is amazing how it works! In just a day or 2 I felt the “fog cloud” lift and I actually felt happy feelings for no reason! 🙂 Imagine that! 🙂
On the positive side you are not living in MN where spring doesn’t come around until July!
It is great that you are conquering this by sharing with your family and with Christ’s help.
mmmm…. so that’s why I crave donuts …ate 2 the other evening (except threw the last bite in trash). This morning is VERY gloomy, but one thing that helps me is to set goals….I want to do some organizing..(don’t laugh, Gloria) You see, I am one of those persons who LOVES to read all about organizing! I have “piles” of books about it, BUT…….
Sorry about the SAD! I, for one, will take January any day over November! Maybe it has to do with the school teacher’s Jan. schedule….back to normal school life after program and Christmas….and ordinary life is just wonderful after a crazy month of December. Anyway, thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for sharing. And sharing Dorcas’s post. She put into words better than I ever have what it was like. When I was in the middle of it, it was so hard to describe. It made no sense, I could hardly remember anything different, but I was just pretty sure I hadn’t always been like this. For me it wasn’t exactly SAD, winter made it worse, but it was ongoing for several years. I still don’t know what all it was, adrenal fatigue, post-partum depression, major life changes, stress. I’m so thankful to be well past the worst of it, but I’m still learning how to care for myself and live and love well.