Seasonal Disorder Disorder

We have all heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Attention Deficit Disorder, (ADD) and a variety of other disorders that have snappy letters to represent them. I am going to introduce you to my disorder, Seasonal Disorder Disorder (SDD). It is not listed in the DSM IV (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), so do not bother checking your copy. SDD is a very special affliction that only lasts about four weeks, and it typically starts the day after Thanksgiving and all symptoms disappear on December 24, strangely right after the mall closes. The symptoms of SDD may include the following...

1. Sweating and/or severe shakes when more that three catalogs appear in the mailbox at one time.
2. Stomach cramps when seeing a carton of egg nog.
3. The urge to actually deck someone when the song "Deck the Halls" comes on the radio.
4. Hives when coming within 10 feet of a Christmas sweater.
5. Avoidance of all friends and relatives that have been done with their holiday shopping since the day after Thanksgiving.
6. The urges to, or fantasies about stabbing inflatable lawn decorations.

Somehow, while the rest of the world boasts of how well their shopping, decorating, and party planning is going, I being a slow spin and work my way to a full whirling dervish by the week before Christmas. I have a friend that has four children and she creates a spreadsheet to keep track of the gifts for her kids. A spreadsheet is not technology that is out of my reach. I can make a spreadsheet, and I have half as many children as she. However, my SDD does not allow me to use technology to make my gift tracking easy. SDD requires me to write things on slips of paper and place the papers in a pouch in my purse. At some point during the holiday season SDD robs me sleep so I sit in the middle of the living room at 2 am sorting pieces of paper into stacks that represent the people receiving the gift. My SDD has not found a planner or any other organization tool that can tame it. The only comfort is knowing that somehow it all works out by December 24th.

As much I sincerely believe that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, and not about decorations, gifts, and the other secular things, every year I become frenzied and disorderly. I have prayed about being better. I have learned to lock myself away, or take a walk, or read a book when I get frenzied instead of taking it out on my family. If you suffer from SDD, you are not alone. Many highly competent, intelligent people suffer along with you. We may never be able to fully find the tools and stability to manage this hectic season. Alas, Christmas will come, and all will be right with the world. Lets just hope we are not too dizzy from all the whirl of activity to enjoy the important things.