Editorial: Don’t fall to seasonal blues

It is the beginning of October. The sky is starting to get darker earlier at night, and we all know what is approaching: seasonal depression.

Many people suffer from a severe and crippling depression, known as seasonal affective disorder, during this time of year.

It is easy for this to happen, as the weather is changing to cooler temperatures, there is a lack of sunlight and the opportunity to get out and do more activities starts to decrease.

It is commonly thought that seasonal depression really does not hit until the winter months, such as December.

We at The Daily Eastern News want to remind everyone that it can start as early as this month.

Depression is an illness that should not be taken lightly, and we want to encourage everyone to be aware of it, as it becomes more prominent during this time of year.

What do most people do when they are depressed? That’s right. They isolate themselves from the outside world.

We want to encourage those of you who may be struck by the crippling seasonal blues to avoid isolation as much as possible.

Sure, there will be days that you just do not feel like even getting out of bed, but it should become a challenge for you to at least try and do it.

Often times during this time of year, we find ourselves sleeping more than usual, as the fall weather can be so calm and soothing for people.

Sleep is a good thing, but not when it becomes your whole day.

We want to bring this to everyone’s attention so they understand what to expect with seasonal depression, as some can be hit with it out of nowhere and they often feel helpless.

If you feel like this in any way,  please make it your top priority to seek help.

Reach out to your friends, family, peers and even counseling for guidance on how to persevere and make it through what some have described as the “worst depression” of the year.

Because of seasonal depression having affected so many people on a yearly basis, they tend to not even try to enjoy fall at all.

Why not change how you feel about fall, and try to enjoy the many activities that come with it?

Grab some friends and head on out to a pumpkin patch or even a haunted house.

Turn on some Halloween movies and pop some popcorn on a Friday evening with friends and enjoy the thrill of all the scary movies that so many love to see.

Believe it or not, you are much stronger than this crippling disease and it is possible to overcome the rough days that you may face during this time of year.

As rough as you may feel, you can overcome anything you put your mind to.

Please do not shut out your loved ones, as they care a lot about your well-being.

With the first symptoms of seasonal depression, it is important to do something about it as soon as possible.

Rough days may be ahead for most of us, but we have to remember that we are strong individuals who can do whatever it takes to get through them.

This too shall pass.