Some time ago I was asked to write about SAD and how truckers can address it. That’s Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that usually begins in the fall and continues through the winter months. Being someone who has fought depression in the past, I thought I might address it for those who also fight the good fight.
While symptoms of SAD often work themselves out come spring or summer, many of us battle depression throughout the year. Yes, you do not have to be suffering from SAD to be depressed. Depression will sap your energy, make you moody, increase your anxiety, and make the job of driving truck harder while increasing the likelihood of burnout.
[Related: Burnout: How to recognize it’s stoking and steer yourself toward greener pastures]
These symptoms could be in your head, and by that I don’t mean in your imagination. They might be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.
Yet they could just as likely be a result of the season, lack of exercise or what you eat. As I’ve written before, your gut health can and does affect how you think, and how efficient your brain functions. That is to say, the enteric nervous system (i.e., your gut) is directly connected to your brain by the millions of neurons that comprise it. Your gastrointestinal tract includes a number of neurons similar to that in the spinal cord. Many believe the gut-brain connection can mean psychological and emotional issues can be facilitated through gastrointestinal distress.
Why you get that queasy feeling when you have to give someone bad news or make a decision on big purchases. Why your hands sweat on a first date, the butterflies in the stomach before the big game. Even loose stools when you are stressed.
Importance of the gut extends beyond just neurons relaying messages – consider the untold number of microorganisms working on your behalf. While some of these stimulate physical and mental health, others might drive disorders and disease. It becomes vitally important to eat healthy and consider a quality probiotic (meant to improve health of beneficial microorganisms).
