Pagans.. anybody affected by the autumn so badly...?

Question

Ever since Lughnasadh (Lammas) and especially now around the equinox I suffer from depression every year. I can just feel everything dying, ebbing away, I can feel the life force diminishing and the darkness creeping in.
I have a feeling that every year I deal with this more and more difficult.
Is anybody affected in a similar way? What do you do/suggest?

Answer 1

I am not affected in this way, but more a lazyness comes over me, a need to do less and rest more. It is a time of meditation for me, not action.
I am sorry you find this so difficult, have you tried using yellow or orange light bulbs, you could be lacking in these colours at this time of year. (I have a diploma in Colour Therapy in case you're wondering LOL)

Answer 2

I think what you probably have is seasonal affective disorder which is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year and is linked to the changes in the availability of sunlight.

Take a look at this link:
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/2300/2361.asp?index=9293

Spend some more time outdoors, even if it's cloudy to get some sunlight. Even a little would be very beneficial to you. Make sure you're eating right and exercising too!

Answer 3

Mine's the opposite. As a desert dweller, this is when I finally get relief from the oppressive heat. I get to go outside and take the kids out to play.

In the desert, most of the activity awakens at night... winter as a seasonal night therefore is a life-giving time for us.

I also really look forward to all the fun holidays coming up. Between holidays and birthdays I'll be celebrating life pretty solidly from now til Beltane.

The cure for sadness is celebration.

Answer 4

For me, it's the opposite. In the summer I feel sleepy and content. As fall arises I feel this wild magick in the air, my heart feels like its soaring and I am at my most heightened sense of being.
Also considering I live in florida, the ever eternal sunshine state, you become overjoyed at a cool morning. lol
But I really think it depends on where you live, and how much vitamin D you get from the sun. If you continuously feel awful year after year I would actually consider moving, because you can eventually become a danger to yourself.
best wishes to you, and definitely consider what the other answerers had to say in response to your question.

Answer 5

I have a mild form of Seasonal Affective Disorder, so I feel very similarly.... There are some types of light bulbs that mimic the spectrum of the sun. I have one of those in a lamp by my favorite chair. It seems to help.

Answer 6

Yes, I to feel the same way, I find the best thing to do is meditate, and focus on Happier/living thoughts inst ed of those dieing away. don't worry after a few months pass(two seasons) you should feel everything becomming alive again.

Blessed Be.

Answer 7

Sounds like Seasonal Affective Disorder. Talk to your doctor.

Fall's when my mood is highest, personally. (Probably because I'm an inbred circumpolar lass and the heat in Upstate New York is too much in the summer.)

Answer 8

My worst seasonal affects are from January - March. And if you were actually Pagan you would realize that darkness is not such a problem - it is as much a part of life as light. Seek balance.

Answer 9

This is normal for people living in the temperate climes on the planet. Our yearly cycle is linked, not surprisingly to the seasons in which we evolve(d).

Answer 10

I'm not pagan but you just described exactly how I feel every year when fall begins. It gets worse and worse until spring finally hits. I usually just drink alot of wine to numb myself.