Faith Filled Family Magazine December 2016 | Page 9

something called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It is a
very real condition and a problem for a lot of people at certain
times of the year such as the
holiday season. According to
Web MD, “Seasonal Affective
Disorder is a type of depression that occurs during the same
season each year.” It is more
evident that a person has SAD
if they felt depressed for the last
two or three winters or holidays,
but felt much better when spring
and summer time came.
It is for this reason that SAD is
sometimes referred to as “winter depression”. It is possible
for anyone to get SAD. However the people most susceptible
are women, people between
the ages of 15-55 (although the
risk gets lower with age), and

people who live closest to the
equator where they receive the
least amount of direct sunlight.
In fact, SAD is said to be caused
by a lack of sunlight. Some of
the most common symptoms of
SAD are as follows:
• Feel sad, grumpy, moody, or
anxious.
• Lose interest in your usual activities.
• Eat more and crave carbohydrates, such as bread and pasta.
• Gain weight.
• Sleep more but still feel tired.
• Have trouble concentrating.
These feelings can only be compounded by the added stress of
family get-togethers, travel, and
the stress of shopping for the
Christmas holiday. It is no wonder that more people see a ther-

apist at the holiday season than
at any other time of the year.
According to an article in Mental
Health Today, it is estimated that
of the people who seek professional help, there is an increase
of 15% during the holiday season.
The stress of having to be
around family members you do
not enjoy being with for a day,
or even several days at a time,
can be extremely difficult. When
family members do not get along
or make trouble, it heightens the
stress levels of all concerned,
whether suffering from depression at this time or not. For these
times, it can be comforting to remember to how much God cares
and understands what you are
going through. He says to, “Cast
all your anxiety on Him, because
He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
It is also important to remember
that we set the tone as believers. We may be the only believers in the family truly walking
with the Lord. Many claim to be
Christians but do not adhere to
His Word as a daily part of their
lives. So it is imperative that they
see what a peacemaker looks
like. It does not mean we are
perfect, but it does mean we are
real with God. We are salt and
light and the world needs that
now more than ever – especially
our unsaved loved ones – even
the ones that get on our nerves!
_________________
http://www.webmd.com/mentalhealth/tc/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad-topic-overview
http://www.mental-health-today.
com/articles/hol.htm