Any SAD folks out there? (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

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Replies

  • scruffykaz
    scruffykaz Posts: 317 Member
    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
    iceqieen Posts: 862 Member
    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
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    This is a thing?
  • Slrajr
    Slrajr Posts: 438 Member
    This is a thing?

    Yeah
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    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
    goalss4nika Posts: 529 Member
    IM SOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY! I love fall. This is the best season :-)
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Me. I hate fall. I hate winter. I hate the cold part of spring. It's just miserable.
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
    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
    degan2011 Posts: 316 Member
    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
    NH_Norma Posts: 332 Member
    IM SOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY! I love fall. This is the best season :-)

    Is this sarcasm? Or are you here to cheer us up? :flowerforyou:
  • NH_Norma
    NH_Norma Posts: 332 Member
    Me. I hate fall. I hate winter. I hate the cold part of spring. It's just miserable.

    This sounds like me, every year for the past...well, too many years. Last year I tried snowshoeing which helped, probably because I was outside getting some light. This year, so far I've been doing pretty well but that may be because I'm exercising every single day.
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
    Try to get outside during the daylight hours, D3 tablets (taken when eating calcium rich foods), going to bed earlier/getting up w/ the sun, if I'm feeling really "ugh", I will take a trip to my local tanning salon and pay for a couple of sessions (to use over the span of weeks or months), just for a quick fix ...
  • lazylionlounging
    lazylionlounging Posts: 3 Member
    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?

    The high dose Vitamin D, St Johns Wort and exercise work for me too. I live in the Seattle area and it is grey and depressing here for most of the fall and winter.

    It definitely effects my weight - I always gain in winter.
  • carolose46
    carolose46 Posts: 199 Member
    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

    like!:drinker:
  • sarah456s
    sarah456s Posts: 98 Member
    I moved to Florida. Now I don't have a problem. It totally changed my life. :)

    But I feel bad for you guys still struggling with it.
  • pittbullgirl
    pittbullgirl Posts: 341 Member
    Yup, sucking the life right now of me. :/
  • tannadine
    tannadine Posts: 115 Member
    Yep, sufferer here - I have bipolar disorder and the winter makes things much, MUCH worse. My mum bought me a SAD lamp, which I've not used much of, but I do take an omega 3 supplement to help deal with the depression and things seem to have been slightly better since then. I also take a pretty heavy dose of antidepressant though, so that might have something to do with it too!
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    I figured out that I might have it this year when thinks just felt too dark, along with unusual anxiety and depression. I love gardening, so the amount of sunlight I usually get drops so much in the winter. I started taking vitamin D and it helped a lot! I'd still like to get a light for it. Mostly, I'd love a day out gardening in short sleeves!! That one will have to wait, unfortunately ;)