S.A.D.

For almost half a year, I have gone through another rough season in my life. I have left a church home of almost a decade and lost friends. Additionally, I have developed more health issues that affect my daily activities. All the while, still trying to work on numerous writing projects and still awaiting a response to book proposals I sent out earlier this year. Needless to say, I have been feeling pretty overwhelmed. But I know I am not alone because the writing life comes with its anxieties.

• Feeling overworked
• People issues
• Work-life balance
• Job security

Each of these can easily disorient a writer as we try to communicate through our art, the written word. When we can’t get the words out and express ourselves, it affects every aspect of our lives both professionally and personally. And since this month is national suicide prevention, I want to address it.

Looming deadlines and careless typos further frustrate us, writers. It’s no wonder, a recent study found that writers have a greater risk of experiencing depression. Author and psychologist Rollo May notes, “All people are struggling to be creative in some way, and the artist is the one who has succeeded in this task of life.” Personally, as summer comes to an end and the days get shorter, I am more prone to feeling depressed due to S.A.D.

S.A.D.

For those who aren’t familiar with the term, S.A.D. stands for seasonal affective disorder and is a type of seasonal depression disorder that causes a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, feeling hopeless, and even suicidal thoughts.

Although fall is one of my favorite times of the year, I sometimes dread it. SAD exacerbates the depression, inability to focus, and lack of energy as well as other difficulties of living with a traumatic brain injury. When there is less sunlight and time in the day to be active, there can be less to look forward to.

Tips from Active Beat for those who struggle with SAD

1. Exercise regularly
2. Make social plans
3. Plan a trip
4. Soak up the sun as often as possible
5. Let the light in
6. Light box therapy
7. Consider seeing a therapist
8. Make room for ‘me’ time
9. Avoid overloading on carbohydrates
10. Take medication if needed

“Depression is one of the most common problems associated with TBIs. Studies show that about half of the people who experience a TBI will suffer from depression during the first year after injury. About two-thirds of people with a TBI will suffer from depression within seven years of the accident. Some studies have also shown an increased risk for suicide and suicidal ideations in the first few years after a TBI.”

Study.com,

Couple that with an increased risk of mood disorders among creatives and you have a recipe for disaster. It’s hard to survive when you cannot focus enough to be productive. When you deal with depression, regardless of the cause, it is helpful to stay active. There are many benefits to keeping our bodies moving, for writers, disabled persons, and even the average person.

A recent study on walking regularly at a pace that gets your heart rate up can decrease your risk of developing dementia later in life. There is an obvious connection between physical activity and brain activity. Writers need to keep writing to harness the power of the brain and their creative muscles.

In the early days after my accident my biggest fear was losing my ability to walk again. Every time I suffer a seizure, that fear returns because seizures exhaust my body and brain to the point where I cannot walk. The old adage is true,” Use it or lose it!”

Use It!

We all know how fear, anxiety, and depression can stifle our inspiration as writers. However, just like with a disability we cannot let them keep us from writing. When disabled persons fail to use their muscles, atrophy sets in which causes the muscles to deteriorate. Constantly working creative muscles help strengthen them so we can keep going when we do lack inspiration. Don’t worry if you’re feeling sad and uninspired now, you’re in good company. Successful creatives have pressed on through tough seasons and become stronger.

• Vincent van Gogh
• Charles Dickens
• Virginia Woolf
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

We can find encouragement in knowing we are not alone in our fight to remain creative and optimistic. Every successful creative has faced obstacles at some point on the journey, I know it is scary, but there’s no reason to be sad!

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Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJonhson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.