I am sure everyone has heard of “hot girl summer”. This is when you should feel your best and you should focus more on yourself then how others view you. Many do not understand the meaning of “sad girl fall”. This is not just a trend but a serious issue, also called seasonal depression.
Sad girl fall in theory, sounds like a hip and fun new trend to be a part of. However, sad girl fall is not just feeling like Bella Swan from the scene in Twilight: New Moon where she is waiting and wishing for Edward Cullen to return. Sad girl fall is also not listening to playlists trying to make yourself sad or getting depressed because you did not go out one weekend with friends. Sad girl fall is damaging and depressing for those struggling with seasonal depression. It feels hopeless, like you are drowning in your own thoughts. Seasonal depression is real.
Seasonal depression gets worse and worse as the weather becomes colder and colder. It feels as though your own mind is at war with itself. No matter how often or not, you speak with friends you feel alone, no matter how hard you try to leave your home, you can not, and no matter how alone you felt before you somehow feel more alone than ever. It is scary, really, how your mind can somehow feel as though it is working against you rather than with you. However, this article is a message for all my boys and girls that feel really alone this fall season, you are not alone.
You do not have to fight alone with your inner demons. It can be really hard to reach out to people and let them understand what is going on in your own head, trust me I know. You must remind yourself to keep pushing through. Look at everything you have accomplished this far, especially in the past week let alone year or lifetime. It is okay and sometimes good to be alone however it is also good to let people into your life, like your friends, so they can gain some perspective on what you are going through.
To the people that see others struggling, please check on them. Whether it is your family, friend, student, classmate, or stranger even. I promise you they will appreciate someone checking in with them. Remind these beautiful people they are wanted. No matter what is going on internally, they are amazing. Always check in on people in your life that seem like they are falling, please be there to catch them, because when you do finally catch them they will feel unstoppable.
It can be hard to understand what is going on in another person’s head. To the people reading going through seasonal depression, just know that you are loved. To the people that are concerned about a loved one, go check on them as soon as you can. Seasonal depression can be scary but at the end of the day just know, you are never alone.