Chasing the Sun

I wrote this post last week when I was feeling a little out of sorts.  Happily I feel back to my old self now. :)

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Lately I've just not been myself.

Typically I'm incredibly upbeat and positive.

I usually have lots of energy, a real zest for life.

But lately I've been feeling overwhelmed, stressed, apathetic, depressed and anxious.

That is soooo not me.

I sat back and thought about it.

I really have no reason at all to feel the way I feel other than I have had more demands on my time lately.

However, the feelings I've had have been out of proportion to what's been going on.

Then I realized, it's the sun, or lack of it.

Every year as the days start to grow shorter I get in kind of a sad funk.

We have a name for this in medicine.

It's called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD.

I usually don't go through this so early in the year but it is what it is.

For two days I felt utterly depressed and almost tremulous.

I binged like I haven't binged in over a year.

I sat in prayer and then I stood in action.

I decided on making some conscious changes.

I intermittently have difficulty sleeping at night and often use Benadryl.

In my heart I've really been feeling that I know I need to move away from this unhelpful habit.

So I went to the health food store and I bought Melatonin to take at bedtime, Vitamin D 3 and I'm trying SAMe for the first time.

***NOTE:  I am not dispensing medical advice in any form or recommending supplements to anyone else but merely stating what I have chosen to do for myself.  You should always talk to your doctor before making any medical decisions.***

I have also made an effort to get one hour of sunlight in each day and get back to exercising more.

I don't typically drink alcohol or I would cut down on that as well as any excess caffeine or decongestants.  

Already I'm feeling better.

You're probably wondering why I'm sharing this with you.

Since I work in the medical field I see SAD and other mental health concerns often.

The thing that really makes me sad is that people feel like there is such a stigma connected to any mental health concerns.

The reality is that everyone has times in life when they feel depressed, stressed or anxious.

Mental illness is NOT synonymous with "crazy" but more with simply being human.

It doesn't mean you're wrong or defective or bad in anyway.  It means you're human and it happens.

I think we'd make more strides if people weren't so afraid to talk about it and get help.

With that being said if you are dealing with any form of depression or anxiety I would strongly encourage you to seek help from your doctor.

You primary care doctor is a good place to start and they can get you the help you need.

It's so much better than suffering in silence and there are so many options, prescription and non-prescription, available.

Sometimes reading up on problems can also help empower you to make changes but I still feel this should be an adjunct to working with your physician.

I also personally believe that the activity of God is ever-present in the doctors, staff, pharmacist and even the very molecules of the medication.

I don't believe there is anything outside of the Presence, Power and Love of God.

If you are asking for relief know that God works through endless people and situations to answer that prayer.

Know that you are not alone and that it can and will get better.

Every person is a precious Gift that makes an enormous impact on this planet.

Every person is worthwhile.

Be open to the answer.

Be open enough to ask for help, to receive, to take action and to gently love yourself to a better feeling you.

Feeling good is closer than you think!