We will be turning the page from summer to fall during the course of the next three weeks. My psychiatrist has asked me on several occasions, “Do you notice more sadness, anxiousness, and lack of motivation during the fall?”
I said, “No, I do not recognize an increase in these symptoms”
During the spring my mood is not impacted by the change in seasons from winter to spring. However, I remember my mother struggling with sadness and euphoria as the seasons changed. Her bipolar disorder landed her in the hospital on numerous occasions during the change of seasons.
In January of this year, I began to feel a lot of sadness, despair, anxiety, and a low motivation to do things that I enjoy. My point in sharing this with you is although the change of seasons has a minimal impact on my mood I do have periods when I need to up my self-care. What steps did I take in January to manage my symptoms? I consulted with my psychiatrist to make a medication adjustment, took a break from publishing my book, attended support groups, and took a vacation to see my daughter in the State of Arkansas.
This is a friendly reminder to pay attention to your mood associated with your mental health condition and addiction during the change in seasons. Give yourself permission to take care of yourself. When symptoms increase know that they will not last forever. One way you can take care of yourself is to read my book and attend our virtual Peer Recovery Support Group on Thursday evenings from 6-7:00 p.m. You can get access to these resources by going to my website https://superhumanbeing.net/
This weekend take time to water yourself with self-compassion, self-worth, and self-love. Don’t wait to receive this from others. If you do you may experience a drought. Invest in yourself and become the SuperHuman Being you are meant to be.
Peace
Larry
email: ljw@superhumanbeing.net
website: https://superhumanbeing.net/