Seasonal Affective Disorder Essay

My idea for feature story 3 is to discuss seasonal affective disorder and how this affects the holiday season. Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons. Furthermore, I want to mention the possible stressors that can trigger these people to become sad or uninterested in the holiday season. Most people with SAD have symptoms beginning in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping their energy and making them feel moody., but does this just happen out of nowhere or is it triggered by an event? I also want to address how this affects Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. For many people, the holidays aren’t the most wonderful time of the year and I want to highlight ways to make the holiday blues better.

I will interview licensed counselor and psychologist Kim Openo about the science behind seasonal affective disorder and how people with these disorder can cope with it during the holidays. I will also talk to a close friend of mine, Marta Yelvington, about her journey with SAD.
In addition to interviews, I will reference various articles about seasonal sadness, holiday blues, and how to combat the sadness at Thanksgiving and Christmas parties.
There are countless Mayo Clinic articles and magazine features about the stress of the holidays and how depression can affect people more during the fall and winter months.

This feature story idea is timely, of great human interest and is informative information that can benefit many people. Mental health awareness is a popular trend right now and with the upcoming holidays this article is perfectly timed. Possible publications for this feature story are Women’s Health, Spirituality & Health Magazine or Psychology Today.

If my proposal is approved, I can submit a rough draft of the feature story by the due date.

Thank you in
advance,