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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Jessica Furseth

The one change that worked: I had Sad and felt desperate – until a scientist gave me some priceless advice

Jessica Furseth with her Sad lamp by a window
Jessica Furseth … ‘I was sick of losing months of my life to the gloom.’ Photograph: Courtesy of Jessica Furseth

I’m pretty sure I must be half human, half plant – how else to explain why I need the light to thrive? During the brighter seasons I feel fine, but when winter comes and the light begins to fade, I start drooping.

I have struggled with seasonal affective disorder (Sad) since I was a teenager. The symptoms of Sad are similar to regular depression, with low moods and lethargy, and can be equally debilitating. Over the years I’ve experienced the full Sad spectrum, from moments of excessive tiredness and carb cravings (yes, those are official Sad symptoms), to a low point of breaking down crying on the kitchen floor after school because it was so cold, dark and bleak.

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