Seasonal Affective Disorder
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On top of SAD, I also have dysthimic depression (mild, chronic depression). I take Lexapro and it really helps. Exercise definitely helps as well, when I can get motivated to do it. Making sure that I don't get overly tired is really helpful too. I've been thinking about a light box for years. I guess I should probably do it, because this year is supposed to be especially bad in the mid-atlantic.0
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"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." - Rogers Hornsby
I love this quote in the context of SAD. I think you posted something similar last winter. I get it, Fall is a great season around here. The temps are nice, the air is less humid, which leads to more spectacular sunsets/sunrises. But I have this foreboding in the back of my mind of the coming short days and cold weather that I feel keeps me from enjoying this short season as much as I should.
I don't think I have SAD as bad as some. I'm usually good until after the holidays are over. But then I do obsessive things like; I always look at solar tables and obsess about the length of daylight to those close to me. There's about 6-7 weeks between early January - to late February/early March that I really fight it. After the 2nd week of March there's enough daylight that I snap out of it.
I agree with others. Stay active, bundle up and go outside regardless of weather, set goals. It all helps, and just know you're not alone.0 -
I have not been diagnosed but I too suffer from this. I I find my winter blues like the Dementors in Harry Potter.. Sucks all the light and warmness out of the world and leaves you feeling empty. cold and sad.0
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"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." - Rogers Hornsby
I love this quote in the context of SAD. I think you posted something similar last winter. I get it, Fall is a great season around here. The temps are nice, the air is less humid, which leads to more spectacular sunsets/sunrises. But I have this foreboding in the back of my mind of the coming short days and cold weather that I feel keeps me from enjoying this short season as much as I should.
I don't think I have SAD as bad as some. I'm usually good until after the holidays are over. But then I do obsessive things like; I always look at solar tables and obsess about the length of daylight to those close to me. There's about 6-7 weeks between early January - to late February/early March that I really fight it. After the 2nd week of March there's enough daylight that I snap out of it.
I agree with others. Stay active, bundle up and go outside regardless of weather, set goals. It all helps, and just know you're not alone.
I did post something similar last winter
I bring it up again because it is nice to know we aren't alone. Also, awareness is very important. It's easy to slip into the depression without realizing what's going on. If we are proactive about treating it from the beginning it's easier than suddenly realizing the depression has set in. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. 0 -
Bumping to find more suggestions...I work out year round, and try to get outside as often as I can, even when it's freezing...
I haven't read all the way through, but other things I do are to create rituals for inside (whereas in the summer I am reading or surfing the web outside on the deck in the evenings, and spend most of my leisure time out of doors); I like a soak in the tub with some Netflix, a nightly cup of home blended herbal tea (I like St. John's wort, mint, and white tea together). And while these things often help, it doesn't take the sting out of the end of what I fruitlessly hope is a long summer.
We are having our first cool day today, and I am SO bummed.
It is like this every year, and I get out of whack when the days get shorter. I love everything about summer, so yeah. Today kind of sucks, but it's nice to know that there are a lot of others out there that feel the same...
Thanks for posting this!0 -
Bumping to find more suggestions...I work out year round, and try to get outside as often as I can, even when it's freezing...
I haven't read all the way through, but other things I do are to create rituals for inside (whereas in the summer I am reading or surfing the web outside on the deck in the evenings, and spend most of my leisure time out of doors); I like a soak in the tub with some Netflix, a nightly cup of home blended herbal tea (I like St. John's wort, mint, and white tea together). And while these things often help, it doesn't take the sting out of the end of what I fruitlessly hope is a long summer.
We are having our first cool day today, and I am SO bummed.
It is like this every year, and I get out of whack when the days get shorter. I love everything about summer, so yeah. Today kind of sucks, but it's nice to know that there are a lot of others out there that feel the same...
Thanks for posting this!
I also find routines to be helpful. I set goals for myself on Monday morning and try to stick to them over the course of the week so that I don't end up just lying on the sofa watching Netflix.
I'm also a painter so getting myself to paint is important-- it can get a lot of negative feelings out as well as brightening my space and keeping me busy.0 -
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10 years I have been on this depression/SAD train. So comparing 10 yrs ago to now - I will say my learned behaviors for winter are LIVE and FIGHT everyday with all the conviction you have. Fall/Winter is as beautiful as our other seasons if not more so. Fresh crisp leaves, fresh fallen snow, apple cinnamon cider, hot cocoa, running through the russle of leaves, shoveling those pillowy clouds glistening snow, thankful can get outdoors even in the chilly autumn air or 15 below cold. I bundle up and GET OUT!!! I have learned one or two techniques don't carry me through. I do a combination of my light, I color (yes crayons & color books can take you to bright places everyday), EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE, weight lifting also makes me feel strong even in the those dark months when we can feel weak. And of course FOOD --- eat the most healthiest you can!!!!!!!
USMCMP thanks for posting --- talking & sharing is what we need to do. No one has to suffer alone!!!!!0 -
This is a great topic. Thanks for the info! I have never been diagnosed either, but I do have terrible winter blues. I get so down when it's dark in the mornings and evenings on my commute.
We had an abnormally frigid winter last year (even for Iowa, where it gets COLD!) and they're predicting the same for this year, along with more snowfall. Ugh.
I've never done anything for SAD, but I think I'll look into the vitamin D and I am definitely planning to keep up with exercise. I like the cleaning idea too - sometimes it's easy to get overwhelmed by it all and just curl up under a blanket, which actually makes it worse for me.0 -
Extra vitamin D has very little effect on my SAD, I was a bit disappointed! I have a light box and 20 minutes per day on that makes a difference.
I recently purchased a Lumie Alarm Clock, which simulates sunrises and that has made a HUGE difference. I don't need a noise alarm anymore, the light wakes me up gradually and by the time it's at full brightness my bedroom is fully lit like daylight. The sunsets are lovely to fall asleep to too.
I've been recommended this clock for years and I kept putting it off, thinking it wouldn't make a difference - how wrong I was!0 -
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In addition to your list, I have switched my alarm clock to one of those Philips ones that wakes you up with chirping birds and glowing light that gradually gets brighter and brighter, to simulate sunrise. I find it really helps.
I also tan every once in a while if the weather is really dark and dreary (I live in Vancouver, so SAD is a big problem for me). I know tanning isn't healthy for my skin but it sure helps my mind.
Exercise also helps a lot.
One thing I found DOES NOT help is going on vacation. Weird. A couple of years ago I went to Maui in November, thinking it would help me to get some sun. When I got back to the dreary rainy weather, my SAD was even worse.0 -
thanks for the tips. can anyone tell me the specific light they bought from amazon that was helpful. I have been meaning to buy one for years.0
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Tis the season when my mood always swings downward. My therapist has been on me to get a light box for years. I might try out your trick with my desktop lamp for a while.
Hadn't heard about the creatine. Thanks for that one. I'll give it a try.0 -
While some people look forward to fall many of us dread the changing of the seasons. It's not the cold weather that we dread, it's the seasonal depression that sets in from fall to spring. I've suffered from SAD since I was very young. Only in the last few years have I found ways to boost my mood without prescription medication. I thought I would share some of these with you and see what works for others.
1. Exercise! Lifting weights leaves me feeling good long after the session is over. It also helps with those few extra pounds I tend to gain over the holidays and regulates my appetite better.
2. Creatine. There have been clinical trials that have shown creatine helps improve depression, especially in women. We can get creatine from food, but I just add a scoop of a creatine supplement (which are fairly cheap) to my coffee in the morning.
3. Vitamin D. My Vitamin D levels tend to be very low, even during the summer. Taking a supplement for it takes the edge off of the depressed feelings.
4. Light therapy. I used to use a tanning bed to get light exposure during the winter, but I've switched to a desk top lamp. A few minutes in the morning helps how I feel the rest of the day.
Anyone else have things that work for them?
Thanks for these! I take Vitamin D every day and exercise, but I didn't know about the Creatine. I'm going to do a search for some now. Ugh! I hate this time of year, even worse when we go on daylight saving's. I get to work when it is dark, and it is dark when I leave work.
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I've never heard of Creatine for SAD. Isn't Creatine something taken by body builders? I don't know much about it except that my brother in law used to take it when he was trying to bulk up. Regardless, I would check with a doctor before taking any supplements.0
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Thanks for posting these! I love my light box and use Vitamin D daily, but I didn't know about the creatine. I'm also trying 5-HTP this year, but I don't know yet if that's going to do anything or not. The time change usually hits me like a freight train, so I'm hoping it won't be so bad this year.0
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I've never heard of Creatine for SAD. Isn't Creatine something taken by body builders? I don't know much about it except that my brother in law used to take it when he was trying to bulk up. Regardless, I would check with a doctor before taking any supplements.
Creatine is found naturally in beef and fish. It is used by bodybuilders and many regular lifters to help with workouts. If you ask a doctor they'll just encourage you to drink extra water while taking it.
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Living in Minnesota, I have had SAD for awhile. It's horrible. It's like another person takes over once Fall hits, and the real you is buried inside, trying to take down the SAD version. I take vitamin D and that helped some last year. This year, I've started a multivitamin and hope to keep exercising.0
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B.U.M.P My dad and I suffer from this so stealing your advice
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My husband gets it - he has a couple of those lamps and has an alarm clock with one on too. He runs and tries to run during the day if he can to make the most of the sunshine, but he does long runs and runs with a club, so can't avoid the evening really. It makes him feel wretched. Thanks for the tip about vitamin D, I'll get him to look into it.0
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i live in the south, so we get alot of sun, even in winter and it's typically warm enough to be outside during the day. i have SAD also (among other things) and i MUST SLEEP. that is IMPERATIVE!! also, light!!! i have to open my blinds/drapes during the day and make sure i get outside. thank you for the tips - very helpful. also, i must go to the gym. that is crucial - working-out and exercise!0
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Sorry to bump an old thread but this is interesting. Ive just bought a sad light after going to see my gp. Ive been fighting depression for about 3y now but its defo worse in winter. Ive been on a high all summer and crashed about 3w ago and my gp is stumped as im maxed out on my ADs so am waiting on a letter from the consultant shrink for advice and the lamps gotta be worth a try in the interim. Im gonna try and get some cash for a wake up alarm clock with a light and will try the vit d but the creatine is interesting and will be having a read on dr google tonight about it0
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I'm fond of meditation and vitamin B, vitamin D, magnesium, and calcium supplements personally.0
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I was on vit b and folic acid a while back fter bloods showed deficiency but IDK if it made a difference to my mood or not as was also on 2 heavy duty ADs. Managed to get off one over the summer and am reluctant to go back on it hence the doc being stumped. Ive heard the vit d mentioned several times tho and it does make sense0
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I try to get fresh air everyday no matter how cold it is. Exercise is a big help too.0
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Defo find exercise helpful. Ive damaged my ankle ligaments atm and cant train til I see my PT tuesday and its had a big effect on me0
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Light box from Amazon has helped a lot. Green Pasture Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Oil Blend.0
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I too suffer hugely with the winter blues, like another poster said i pretty much have to force myself to get up and out and live no matter what. The dark nights have had a big effect on me making me feel sleepy come 8-9pm so I'm clinging on bored indoors until a more appropriate time like 11am to go to bed. In those hours Id have been dog walking in the park but can't now. My appetite has gone through the roof for homely cooked carb laden foods and ive been forcing myself to keep juicing. No matter how much I wrap up im freezing to the bone and feel my toes go numb. I look forward to the mornings so I can get out and walk fast again all over the place warming up. I have just started taking vit D 3 as I have been checked and im quite low. Going to look in to a light box.0
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For me mornings have become a huge problem. It takes my husband half an hour of nagging to get me out of bed and he gets quite snarky with me because Im not up and at em like I am all summer. Im also making myself not go back to bed once I drop the kids to school. I was going for an early gym sesh but thats out the window for now cos of the ankle
Im not sure if its SAD as my gp hasnt made a diagnosis and I suffer with depression anyway which complicates things but I have definitely crashed in the last 3 weeks after a really hyper summer 0
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