Strategies for coping with SAD - SHORTS version

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that is triggered by seasonal changes and around 1 in 20 people in the UK are diagnosed with SAD.

I have never been formally diagnosed with SAD. Still, it is something I have been aware of as a potential factor, especially since first experiencing the hypomanic symptoms of bipolar around 2018. For most years since I have experienced the onset and deepening of depressive symptoms from September to December each year.

This year, we’re on 21 November 2024 and I appear to have broken the pattern, at least for now. There have been several factors behind this. These are my experiences, considering my understanding of how being autistic and bipolar impacts me, as well as considering the additional seasonal factors associated with SAD. Please seek appropriate individual medical and mental health advice if you are experiencing depressive symptoms.

What is depression and what does it look like for me?

According to the NHS “depression is a low mood that can last a long time or keep returning, affecting your everyday life” and “you feel persistently sad for weeks or months, rather than just a few days.”

When I’m depressed I:

• Withdraw and isolate myself.
• Feel like I want to sleep a lot more than usual.
• Lose the ability to write and speak at length.
• Experience a lot of brain fog and negative rumination spirals.
• Do a lot less in every aspect of my life.
• Rarely get enjoyment from activities, even those I would usually enjoy.
• Don’t want to see family or friends.
• Struggle to make decisions and plan.
• Find social media a drain on my mood

Despite this, I can usually continue with routine responsibilities and tasks at home and at work.

How do autumn and winter seasonal changes impact?

It’s hard to identify which factors are impacting and when, but below are some general observations from the last few years.

The main issue I’ve noticed recently is the lack of both daylight and sun

This situation deteriorates throughout September and October and the most dramatic change comes when the clocks go back an hour at the end of October. Daylight hours are shorter, and the many grey days where we don’t see the sun or blue sky negatively impact my mood. I generally feel better whatever the situation if it is sunny and bright.

Changes to routine are also a big factor – September brings the new school year

Since my children started formal education, I have always found the autumn term most challenging. There are many different activities, plus getting used to new teachers, classrooms and routines.

Demands of the season of good cheer

We have a few birthdays including my own from October to December, there is October half-term to plan for, and Christmas is always looming large. Festive decorations, music and general ambience can be oppressive or triggering at this time of year. It's a lot to take in and there are many demands on my attention and decision-making capabilities. Once I start to feel lower in mood this cascade of demands can feel overwhelming.

What strategies have helped this year?

1.??????? Pre-planning

I started to plan for the autumn and winter over the summer when I was balanced/bordering on hypomanic. I pre-booked outings over the autumn and Christmas; booked our October half-term holiday; and started to buy a few Christmas-related items and presents. This has greatly assisted me in not feeling overwhelmed with too many demands coming all at once.

2.??????? SAD lamp

This year I got some advice from the Bipolar UK e-community and purchased the Lumie Vitamin L slim light box. I bought it a week or so before the clocks changed and have been using it regularly for at least 30 minutes in the morning. It’s hard to say how much impact this is having among the other changes I have made, but I have certainly felt the benefit when it’s grey and dull outside.

3.??????? Routines

This has been a challenge to achieve given work and family circumstances but has still been a goal. Routines give me some structure and help me do things when I’m not feeling like doing them. I have been using the SAD lamp, giving me a new morning routine; attending some monthly peer support groups; and with my weekly therapy, I have continued writing update notes ahead of the sessions.

4.??????? Regular exercise

Last year I stopped running at the end of October. This year I knew I needed to keep that routine as far as possible throughout the autumn and winter. In mid-September, as I was going through a particularly challenging time, I signed up for the Leeds Marathon in May 2025. This was to give me a goal to aim towards to ensure I would keep running. It has worked so far, even despite a foot injury forcing some rest.

5.??????? Avoiding burnout by resting more

Understanding both being autistic and bipolar better in 2024, I have come to realise that the hypomanic periods I experience, as well as my natural autistic tendencies towards monotropic flow, mean that I can easily burn myself out if I don’t manage my time and energy effectively. I managed to keep a lid on my hypomanic phase earlier this year and to rest more so I have not hit a complete burnout. How each individual rests will be unique to them, for me it’s not about doing nothing at all, I can’t do that and that’s ok.

6.??????? Doing Christmas in an ND-affirming way

We will make plans that fit our family. This can be tricky sometimes as we all have different needs and preferences, but we will attempt to meet everyone’s needs individually and collectively. This year we have had our internal Christmas lights up for a couple of weeks already now and I am finding the colourful twinkling lights around the house uplifting with the dark evenings.

?7.??????? Continuing to write

Writing is my favourite form of communication. There is something about the ability to go back over and edit with writing that I find particularly helpful. This year I have had no self-enforced break from social media and whilst I also try to prioritise people in the here and now who are physically with me, I have kept up my interactions and engagement, particularly on LinkedIn. Starting this newsletter has also been a conscious decision to try to give myself more productive writing outlets. Writing helps me process my thoughts and feelings.

Conclusion

There’s a long way to go until spring, and I’m not taking anything for granted. Being autistic I am generally experiencing more stressful situations daily than non-autistic folk and am prone to experiencing autistic burnout. Severe and unaddressed autistic burnout can easily trigger depression for me. I’m pleased that the hard work I have put into understanding myself better and developing and putting in place strategies to combat known triggers has been successful so far.

This is the SHORTS version of the Autistic & Bipolar Musings Newsletter. If you want to read the full version with more detail and reference notes then please follow this link -

https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/strategies-coping-sad-joanne-feaster-ymawe/