Martin Klein

Late fall and early winter are a busy time in my clinical practice. The combination of cold temperatures and shorter days often bring on feelings of social isolation and despair. My patients are not alone. According to the scientific data, over 66 million people suffer from some form of winter dysphoria and over 6 million experience depressive symptoms so severe they are unable to function in their daily lives. Many of these individuals are suffering from what the psychiatric literature refers to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This season, however, my practice has become busier than usual.

With the onset of the coronavirus,to say life has changed dramatically is an understatement. In our small communities, we all know someone who has been exposed to the virus or has contracted the illness, some mildly and others life-threatening. How we live, work, think, behave and even breathe is now radically different. We are living in a new time –one we were not prepared for or even equipped to adequately handle. To watch the news and see how this virus is spreading worldwide, and even more so in our own backyard, is beyond belief.