Wednesday, February 3, 2016

IWSG - Seasonal Depression

February 3, 2016

Seasonal Depression

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group
http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

Seasonal depression is nothing to scoff at. It’s February. It’s cold. It’s dark and damp, devoid of sunshine. They say the days are getting longer but how can one really tell with the grey cloud cover? And snow. Let’s not forget the northern residents who have the white shit to deal with. 

Having been about this business of writing for a while, every year I read posts from various authors dealing with seasonal depression. It consumes them. It’s all they can focus on and all they can talk about. It steals their talent and their time.

Those of us who experience only a mild desire to hibernate don’t fully understand just how debilitating this disorder can be. At least I won’t pretend I understand what a full-blown case of seasonal depression must be like. An extra hour of sleep a night is all I need to get through mid-January to mid-March and stay on track in my life.

It’s tough enough on a good day to hit whatever word count you’ve set for yourself. Exercise? Yeah, forcing myself to go out in the cold to walk takes some amount of willpower, but the fresh air is worth the chill.

It scares me to think of what would happen if one day I would simply give up and not step outside. Or only have the will to write in the sunshine. This fear is more real in 2016 as my mother was just diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I'm many things in this life but at the core I'm a writer. It's who I am. I never want to lose that. 


 Need a quick read? Hey, Joe is available at online booksellers for a whopping big 99-cents. 
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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I understand about depression completely, KC. I don't talk about it much on this blog, but I'll occasionally talk about it on my other. I've had a lot of loss over the past couple of months so I've been more inactive than usual.

I'm sorry to hear about your mom's diagnosis. I'll keep her and you in my thoughts. I live here in PA near the Poconos, so I know the weather's been hell lately. Keep moving forward. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel. I know this to be true.

Enjoy your IWSG day and know that I'm here if you need to vent. Hugs, Eva - IWSG Co-host, http://lilicasplace.wordpress.com

February 3, 2016 at 2:04 AM
KC Kendricks said...

Thanks for stopping by Between the Keys. There's always light at the end of the tunnel - and there's always the next tunnel. The strange thing is, the older I get, the less dark the tunnels seem to be. I used to think I'd never get through them. Experience has shown I always do. I suppose it's one of the perks of gaining some maturity.

February 3, 2016 at 6:37 AM
Unknown said...

I, also, don't understand about seasonal disorder, but the is a compassionate post on the subject.
Sorry about your mother's diagnosis. Scary condition.
Tweeted.

February 3, 2016 at 10:44 AM
KC Kendricks said...

Thanks for stopping by Between the Keys today. I appreciate your comments.

February 3, 2016 at 12:05 PM
Stephanie Faris said...

I think people who haven't been through it will never fully understand what it's like. I don't suffer from it aside from the regular ickiness that comes with staying inside all day. I have a treadmill and I do notice my mood improves if I get a little exercise each day.

February 3, 2016 at 2:12 PM

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