For any parent, a child custody dispute can be difficult for a wide variety of reasons. Not only do these disagreements often result in courtroom stress and uncertainty about one’s future relationship with his or her child, but they can even lead to depression. For some people, such as those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder, this can be particularly difficult during the winter months. If you are preparing for a custody dispute or are already in the middle of one, it may be helpful to focus on reducing the emotional impact of the issues you are working through.
With cold weather and less sunlight, the winter can be a hard time of year for some people. Unfortunately, adding stress and emotional issues due to a dispute over custody can further complicate things for someone with this disorder. However, parents should always try to remain strong and do their best to prevent depression from interfering with their ability to secure healthy outcomes for their children. In the long run, custody rulings can have a major impact on an entire family, whereas seasonal affective disorder and depression may only be temporary, in some instances.
There are different ways that people struggling with seasonal affective disorder might be able to improve their circumstances and these should be evaluated in order for parents to put their best foot forward. Our law office’s page on child custody has more material that covers various facets of this topic for parents who are in a custody dispute or expect to find themselves in this position.