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The Retirement Newsletter: Suffering from the winter doldrums
Issue Number: -48 — Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) — spring will soon be here
Welcome
Welcome to issue -48 — Suffering the winter doldrums.
The good news is that spring will soon be here in the Northern Hemisphere.
The winter doldrums
I’ve never considered myself as someone who suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Still, as I get older and spend more time outside, I wonder if I experience SAD.
SAD is often referred to as “winter depression”, although some people can get the reverse — symptoms in the summer and fine in the winter.
The UK National Health Service (NHS) lists the symptoms of SAD as follows:
- a loss of pleasure or interest in usual activities
- a persistently low mood
- craving carbohydrates and gaining weight
- decreased sex drive
- difficulty concentrating
- feeling lethargic (lacking in energy) and sleepy during the day
- feelings of despair, guilt, and worthlessness
- irritability
