Any SAD folks out there? (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

Christineturner7

I can totally relate. Here are a couple of things I do...sometimes they help, sometime they don't. I plan and take winter vacations in late February early March. I never watch movies with snow or very cold weather and I keep pictures of the grandchildren on my desk playing inthe pool. When all else fails I curse a lot. :blushing:

TeachTheGirl

Not diagnosed with it, but I definitely feel 'heavier' during the winter months. Tired. Hungry. Depressed. BLAH.

It's one of the reasons I changed my living room color from eggplant to lime green. During the winter, the eggplant wouldn't reflect any light and it was dark and dismal ALL the time. With the green, I can at least turn on the lights and pretend it's warmer outside. XD

Sedna_51

I don't have a SAD diagnosis, but I do have chronic problems with depression (I've taken Paxil since I was a teenager) and late fall through winter has always been a hard time for me. Especially November. So I sprung for a SAD light (one of the little blue ones from Phillips) a few days ago- I'm hoping if I use it regularly through the dark days it'll make it a little easier to face the day when I wake up in the dark every morning.

Fullsterkur_woman

Not so much anymore. I have the other SAD (Social anxiety disorder). I'd happily swap though!
I used to get really down this time of year but the last year or 2 have been ok.

I got both. AWESOME! :grumble:
I also have low-grade clinical depression year-round. It's a constant struggle to get out of bed and do my job without anti-depressants, D3, light, exercise, and cats. My husband is nice, but there's something about fuzzy purring balls of fur this time of year.

Even living in the sunny southwest, the shorter days give me a SAD. The happy lite is a necessity. Thanks for reminding me to get it back out!

Pearsquared

Yes, my happy light has returned! In the summer, it gets light so early that I actually just leave my blinds open, and that's enough to get me going in the morning. Daylight Savings Time will offer a slight reprieve, but my expensive happy light will always be around.

ironanimal

I take high dose Vitamin D, otherwise I plummet very quickly into depression.

vanillacoffee

I suffer from it, too. I take Vitamin D, but I find exercise helps the most.

carolose46

here too! tough morning even under the light 10000u. read about your post on vitamin d and it reminded me to not forget to take some. feels good not to be alone in the dark :flowerforyou:

KnitSewSpin

I have SAD. In fact, I'm sitting under my light right now. I have a routine of drinking coffee and sitting under my light before my kids get up. I take vit D and St Johns Wort plus exercise and trying to eat healthy. I find walking outside every day does wonders for me. Still, it never goes away completely. I tried anti depressants one winter but the side effects were horrible.

Does anyone else have a harder time losing weight in the winter?

bbzgrl110

I've never been diagnosed, but I can definitely tell a difference this time of year. It's like I just want to go into hibernation and have absolutely ZERO energy or motivation to do anything, and I can feel my mood just change drastically. I'm going to have to break out my vitamin D again. I've heard about the light, may have to invest in one

scruffykaz

Urgh! SAD is the bane of my life. The only place I found that I didn't suffer was in Arizona!!

At this time of the year I find it harder to get up in the morning, I'm so, so tired, my mood suffers and I get massive carb food cravings.

I'm making sure I use my lightbox for at least a couple of hours each day, setting my alarm clock earlier than I need to get up to allow myself time to wake up and adjust to getting out of bed and trying to keep a positive mindset. It seems particularly bad this year so I've made an appointment to see the doctor in the hopes that he can suggest something...

iceqieen

I think you described almost anyone living in Iceland :P fish and vitamin supplements for the win.. and christmas lights we put up in Oktober and take down in februar/march :P

Alluminati

This is a thing?

Slrajr

This is a thing?

Yeah

ironanimal

I have SAD. In fact, I'm sitting under my light right now. I have a routine of drinking coffee and sitting under my light before my kids get up. I take vit D and St Johns Wort plus exercise and trying to eat healthy. I find walking outside every day does wonders for me. Still, it never goes away completely. I tried anti depressants one winter but the side effects were horrible.

Does anyone else have a harder time losing weight in the winter?

Yes.

goalss4nika

IM SOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY! I love fall. This is the best season :-)

I_Will_End_You

Me. I hate fall. I hate winter. I hate the cold part of spring. It's just miserable.

cookiealbright

This time of the year - it starts for me. I work in a big city, lots of people all the time. When I leave work in the summer months, I'm happy to go home in the daylight. Just yesterday I noticed when I was leaving work, feeling sad and alone even with all those people around me. At Christmas time there is a big tree, ice skating rink and people singing carols and I know when I leave work for home in the dark even with all this fun going on around me, I'll feel sad and alone. The only thing that gets me through is remembering that it's only for a few months and spring will be here soon (not soon enuf for me).

degan2011

I wonder if this is what I am going through... I have noticed that I go through periods of what feels like depression and have had several anxiety attacks in the last few weeks that I attributed to stress. it started a few weeks ago, again, but I never thought to link it to the change in seasons??? I have been eating more again, and sleeping in as often as I can and feel more sleepy and lethargic than normal.

NH_Norma

IM SOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY! I love fall. This is the best season :-)

Is this sarcasm? Or are you here to cheer us up? :flowerforyou: