For years, I’ve experienced an uptick in symptoms of my chronic conditions around this time of year, but I’ve never had a reason why. No reason for a decline in my mood or an increase in my hypermobile joints causing random pain. (Who knew, the “normal” amount of pain is none? Certainly not me…) No reason for the dramatic decrease in my energy levels as soon as the seasons started to change.
While I was sounding off recently about getting back to my seasonal gloomy self (something I don’t enjoy at all, not least because autumn can be such a pretty time of year and it seems such a shame to waste it feeling rubbish!) a close friend shared a tiktok with me that introduced me to ‘The October Slide’ and it was as though a lightbulb had flickered on. Suddenly I could see hundreds of people like me (like us – my friend is very much in the October Slide club!) and I began to feel a lot less alone and a lot less unusual for what I’ve been experiencing for years.
What is the October Slide?
The October Slide is a term coined by the chronic illness community, to describe the phenomenon of worsening symptoms as summer fades, autumn rolls in and winter settles on the gloomy horizon. It is important to note that the October Slide is not an official medical term, although it is widely recognised unofficially by those suffering chronic conditions and disabilities.
I remember going to my GP when I was at university, right around the start of my Second Year Breakdown (it was a tricky time, and giving it a slightly flippant name cuts it down to size for me.) I remember saying that the time of year was always difficult for me, and she looked at me with something like disbelief. “Does it always happen, or do you just believe that it will?”
Now to a point, I can see where she was coming from. There is a lot to be said for the impact of the conscious mind and subconscious awareness of patterns and potential triggers. But it did feel at the time, and does look on reflection, a little/a lot like medical gaslighting… If you haven’t come across that term before, it’s the concept of a medical professional downplaying or brushing off a patient’s symptoms or experience, either by running tests not concurrent with reported symptoms or by putting it down to psychological causes. The phrase It’s all in your head might be more familiar. Disclaimer: I’m not attacking the medical profession by any stretch, I have an awful lot of respect for anyone in that field! But disproportionately, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, people of colour and neurodivergent people can suffer from having their lived experience downplayed or dismissed.
My GP simply didn’t believe that I wasn’t making myself anxious by thinking myself into a relapse.
But with many more autumns now under my belt, I can say for sure that for me, the October Slide is very real. Now that I’m not working in the high-pressure environment of a primary school, I have to say that it’s started a little later this year, which only highlights to me that I did the right thing by getting out. But it’s still there.
So what causes the October Slide?
Falling down the rabbit-hole of tiktok is all well and good, but I found myself having to read some more on this, to convince myself that it was more widely experienced than my tiktik algorithm! Searching for causes showed me that this isn’t all in my head, nor in anyone else’s. There are actual reasons why some of us feel so grim as the seasons change, despite the increase in cosy blankets, pretty colours in the trees and excuses to put the kettle on.
1. Decreasing barometric pressure
I couldn’t believe this when I read it. Barometric pressure is the outside air pressure, and lower pressure means lower temperatures. As autumn rolls in, temperatures drop because the barometric pressure has dropped. Some people are more susceptible to feeling this change in the weather than others – especially those who struggle with low blood pressure, fainting, and musculoskeletal issues. A drop in pressure can cause muscle aches, joint pain and tissue swelling.
2. Reduced vitamin D
This one wasn’t news to me. I know that with decreasing amounts of sunlight, I can be really prone to my mental health suffering as a result. Hello, daylight lamp and sunrise alarm clock!
What I didn’t know is that a drop in vitamin D can also exacerbate existing joint issues, and increase brain fog… Brain fog! That thing I experience on the daily when my symptoms flare!
3. Increased stress
Okay, so this one wasn’t such a big factor for me this year but definitely was in previous years. Going back to school/work after the summer means a change in routine, which can upset a carefully-earned balance for neurodivergent people or those with chronic mental health conditions.
4. Increased seasonal illness
Cold and flu season is upon us, and if you’ve got one or more chronic conditions, chances are your immune system isn’t exactly up to scratch. There are countless studies now that show correlation between conditions and immunity, and endless anecdotal evidence from fellow “spoonies” to demonstrate that as soon as a cold hits, that’s a hit to your mental health and your neurodivergent traits as well. As if being snotty and coughing up a lung isn’t bad enough?!
5. Reduced physical activity
As someone who isn’t exactly sporty, this one pains me to write, however true it may be. It’s getting colder, it’s getting darker earlier, so we don’t want to be outside for any longer than necessary. Ergo the likelihood of going for a walk plummets, and honestly, when I hit a symptom flare my desire to go outside at all just disappears.
What now?
My acceptance of the following phrase ebbs and flows, but in this case I might agree. You’ve got to name it, to tame it. Now I know that it’s not just me being dramatic and waiting for my mental health to go down the toilet every autumn, I’m equipped with a search term and a thirst for more information. You can bet I’m looking for new blogs and magazine articles to read, and yes, more tiktoks to watch of people throwing their suggestions into the ether.
For now, I’m setting up my daylight lamp, digging my sunrise alarm clock out of the cupboard and trying to be kind to myself where my energy levels don’t allow for the perfection my autistic brain craves (but so rarely achieves!)
Resources
https://www.eds.clinic/articles/the-october-slide-managing-symptom-flare-ups-in-the-fall
https://betterbythebeat.com/the-october-slide-and-how-to-cope-with-it/
https://www.webmd.com/brain/ss/slideshow-brain-fog
Medical Disclaimer
I am not a doctor or any kind of medical professional. The information in this blog is provided purely for anecdotal and informative purposes and should never be taken as a substitute for medical advice from a trained professional.
One Quiet Teacher 