Seasonal Affective Disorder

Last weekend we turned the clocks back an hour.  Some people get excited because of the extra hour of sleep.  I never quite figured out the excitement.  If I want an extra hour of sleep, I just go to bed an hour earlier.   But that excitement over the hour of sleep soon turns into depression and anxiety for some.  

In Western Pennsylvania at this time of year, we wake up when it's dark, we drive to work in the dark, then we come home in the late afternoon - and its dark!   I often jokingly call November through February the 'dark ages'.   But for some people this is no joke.  I read online about the depression and anxiety that people suffer at this time of year.  There is a term used for this called 'seasonal affective disorder'.   The claim in a nutshell is that people are lacking basic sunlight.   People's biological clocks may be disrupted by the shortened days and even some hormone levels are out of whack due to the seasonal changes.   There are companies out there that manufacture special lights that simulate the rays that come from the sun and they effectively market these expensive gadgets to people who hope their disorder will be cured.

I am no doctor and I am not doubting that there may be some valid science behind this 'condition'.  And my heart goes out to those suffering from depression.  Who of us hasn't suffered from some level of the blues?  But, I'd be willing to bet that in many cases, it's not so much the lack of SUN light that is the cause of depression as it is the lack of SON light.  If you'll pardon the play on words for a moment and go to the scriptures:   John 8:12 - "I am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life".  Could depression be classified as walking in darkness?  Following Christ is walking in the light.

And again, in 1 John 1:7 - "If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin".   How is that for our much needed Son light?  These are quite encouraging verses from God's Word, and there are many more like these if we search through the scriptures.

When we're looking for a cure for 'cabin fever' or being 'down in the dumps', instead of shopping for an expensive contraption to begin our light therapy or getting a prescription for an anti-depressant, may we first go to the Son?  May we go to His Word first?   I have tried counting my blessings when I get the blues... it should make sense to the Christian that if we are busy counting our blessings, we won't have time to be depressed.    As a good friend of mine often says, "we're too blessed to be depressed".