View Full Version : SAD Sufferer
Ninanina
19-01-2018, 22:11
I have decided that I am a SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) sufferer..
When it gets to late October 'ish I feel like I am entering a dark tunnel and don't feel better until about April time
I have just got a SAD Light Box which I think is helping things a bit...
I have always considered myself as a bit of sun worshiper which might explain things..
walpurgis
19-01-2018, 22:15
Join the club. I get to the end of October, then feel as though I've been 'switched off'!
Ninanina
19-01-2018, 22:19
Join the club. I get to the end of October, then feel as though I've been 'switched off'!
Absolutely Geoff, I know exactly what you mean.. maybe you should also try one of these SAD Light Boxes as well, I've found mine to definitely 'lift' my mood somewhat
I normally come alive again in April time 'ish...
Just draw the curtains when it starts to get dark, make a cup of tea and play some music.
Ninanina
19-01-2018, 22:26
Just draw the curtains when it starts to get dark, make a cup of tea and play some music.
That sounds good Barry...the trouble is this time of year there just isn't enough sun hours for me so the SAD light box does help.. :)
Ninanina
20-01-2018, 00:19
Thanks to Martin (Hudz) for the info on vitamin D3 to alleviate the 'winter blues', much appreciated
Primalsea
20-01-2018, 08:52
As winter comes in I start to feel a little nauseous, especially in the mornings and when exercising if I have a more intense session than usual. As the spring comes in this feeling goes away. Always had this but I don’t really know exactly what it is. My wife thinks it could be that I get the Winter Vomiting Bug, but it doesn’t effect me fully, but just enough that I can feel something if not 100% right.
brian2957
20-01-2018, 09:46
Another one here who hates the short days and general lack of light . I've been using one of those lights for a while now Bev . Just don't drop it . The bulbs are very easily broken , and can be very expensive :)
The days start to get longer in mid February :)
my lad suffers quite badly from it. i got him a light and when he uses it , he instantly feels better for it. they aint silly cheap but if you suffer then get one
despite the darkness its seems not many people suffer from it here.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/07/the-norwegian-town-where-the-sun-doesnt-rise/396746/
despite the darkness its seems not many people suffer from it here.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/07/the-norwegian-town-where-the-sun-doesnt-rise/396746/
Who's he kidding? They're making the best of it, that's all.
Who's he kidding? They're making the best of it, that's all.
You're probably right, but Tromsø, for me, looks epic in that picture - all 'moody' and atmospheric, due to it being so dimly lit, and with that dramatically amazing sky. It's almost like a scene from a sci-fi movie, where the film is set in some futuristic planet in outer space... :eyebrows:
Therefore, on that basis, I could quite happily enjoy spending time there, because I quite like the dark, and a certain element of bleakness - but I wouldn't want it that way ALL the time. And for me, that's what the seasons are about: you enjoy them for what they are; how differently they impact on the surrounding landscape (in that respect wintertime can be rather more dramatic and beautiful), and simply adjust your lifestyle accordingly.
SAD sufferers aside (who incidentally I sympathise with wholeheartedly), I often wonder if one's abhorrence of wintertime, and the dark days and long nights that accompany it, are symptomatic of a wider issue, and showcases a feeling of being depressed about one's life - almost as if light and sunshine superficially succeed in suppressing an inner unhappiness, which otherwise is triggered by gloomy weather?
Whereas, someone who is inherently content with their life (happy within themselves, as it were) suffers from no such 'inner gloom', and so rain or shine, sun or snow, darkness or light, their (generally good) mood/happy disposition remains relatively constant...
Hey, I'm probably getting rather too deep now!! ;)
Marco.
SAD sufferers aside (who incidentally I sympathise with wholeheartedly), I often wonder if one's abhorrence of wintertime, and the dark days and long nights that accompany it, are symptomatic of a wider issue, and showcases a feeling of being depressed about one's life - almost as if light and sunshine superficially succeed in containing an inner unhappiness, which otherwise is triggered by gloomy weather?
Whereas, someone who is inherently content with their life (happy within themselves, as it were) suffers from no such 'inner gloom', and so rain or shine, sun or snow, darkness or light, their (generally good) mood/happy disposition remains relatively constant...
Hey, I'm probably getting rather too deep now!! ;)
Marco.
That is pretty much the thrust if the article Jamie linked to, and it does seem a reasonable argument.
I could go there on a visit but I've never understood people who have a choice, choosing to live somewhere cold. I can put up with cold or dark, but not both together.
You're probably right, but Tromsø, in that picture, looks fantastic to me - 'cosy looking' and atmospheric, due to it being so dimly lit, and with that dramatically amazing sky. It's almost like a scene from a sci-fi movie, where the film is set in some futuristic planet in outer space...
Therefore, on that basis, I could quite happily enjoy spending time there, and because I quite like the dark, and a certain element of bleakness - but I wouldn't want it that way ALL the time. And for me, that's what the seasons are about: you enjoy them for what they are; how differently they impact on the surrounding landscape (in that respect wintertime can be rather more dramatic and beautiful), and simply adjust your lifestyle accordingly.
SAD sufferers aside (who incidentally I sympathise with wholeheartedly), I often wonder if one's abhorrence of wintertime, and the dark days and long nights that accompany it, are symptomatic of a wider issue, and showcases a feeling of being depressed about one's life - almost as if light and sunshine superficially succeed to contain an inner unhappiness, which otherwise is triggered by gloomy weather?
Whereas, someone who is inherently content with their life (happy within themselves, as it were) suffers from no such 'inner gloom', and so rain or shine, sun or snow, darkness or light, their (generally good) mood/happy disposition remains relatively constant...
Hey, I'm probably getting rather too deep now!! ;)
Marco.
sure there is something in that point. i can get a bit down with poor weather as up here we get just too much of it. alas too much of the opposite has a similar effect as it becomes uncomfortable to point of hysteria lol. so if i cant have nice all time, i would rather it be cold and dark to overly hot
That is pretty much the thrust if the article Jamie linked to, and it does seem a reasonable argument.
Lol - it was just me doing my amateur psychologist! I didn't even read the article...
However, like you, I would enjoy visiting there (and could even quite happily spend a few months in Tromsø, or similar parts of Norway), but not to live on a permanent basis.
In fact, a tour of Scandinavia is on the cards for us at some point, as Del wants to see the Northern Lights/Lapland, LOVES the snow, and also so many other things about the food/lifestyle in these countries tick a lot of boxes for us.
Cold doesn't bother us either, as we much prefer being all nicely warm, wrapped up in thermal clothing, going for long mountain walks in the fresh air, than lying on a beach, sweltering in the sun - and no prizes for guessing which is healthier either! ;)
We fancy starting with Finland... :cool:
Marco.
Yes it interests me too and I have never been out that way. Maybe a cruise, take in Helsinki, St Petersburg, Oslo, whatever the Swedish one is. Although I'm a bit young to be going on a cruise.
sure there is something in that point. i can get a bit down with poor weather as up here we get just too much of it. alas too much of the opposite has a similar effect as it becomes uncomfortable to point of hysteria lol. so if i cant have nice all time, i would rather it be cold and dark to overly hot
Yup I get that, and sometimes felt that way too, when I lived in Glasgow, and when often days could go by where it rained constantly and never seemed to get light - and that was sometimes in summer!!
However, I do think folks who continually moan, and go all 'woe is me', at the mere sight of a grey sky or a few drops of rain, need to get a grip and take a look at themselves, and why they feel that way, as out with of SAD, there may be a deeper psychological reason for it... Although some may simply be insufferable depressives or malcontents!
I'm pretty convinced that a happy mind makes for a sunny/cheery disposition, regardless of the weather :)
Marco.
Yes it interests me too and I have never been out that way. Maybe a cruise, take in Helsinki, St Petersburg, Oslo, whatever the Swedish one is. Although I'm a bit young to be going on a cruise.
Me too - fuck that shit, and the majority of types who go on them. We'd take a couple of months off, and do a fly-drive to the most geographically central of the Scandinavian countries, then hire a nice (big comfortable) car, or most likely an SUV, and go and visit the rest of them (long drives abroad don't bother me, as I'm used to it), then fly back home afterwards.
That way, we could go into the sticks and see the REAL Finland, Norway, etc, as well as the obvious cities and tourist attractions. We'll defo do that when we're both retired :cool:
Marco.
Oh and talking of snow, it's SNOWING NOW IN WREXHAM - and pretty heavily, too!! :yay::yay::yay:
Marco.
Sherwood
20-01-2018, 12:47
The days have been getting longer where I live for about a month now Brian! Are you currently at the North Pole?:scratch:
The days have been getting longer where I live for about a month now!
Same here! On sunny days now, it stays reasonably light until around 5.30pm.
Marco.
one of the few pluses of snow down for a while is it brightens up our very dark days re reflected light
Pieoftheday
20-01-2018, 21:20
I have decided that I am a SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) sufferer..
When it gets to late October 'ish I feel like I am entering a dark tunnel and don't feel better until about April time
I have just got a SAD Light Box which I think is helping things a bit...
I have always considered myself as a bit of sun worshiper which might explain things..
Getting out and about doesn't help , I work outside all year and feel the seasonal highs and lows, deep breaths and crack on. Anyone tells you owt else it's crap;)
walpurgis
20-01-2018, 21:37
Getting out and about doesn't help , I work outside all year and feel the seasonal highs and lows, deep breaths and crack on. Anyone tells you owt else it's crap;)
That's dead right. October to March there's too little UVB in daylight for any benefit.
Bigman80
20-01-2018, 21:59
Got home from work at 07:15 this morning, went to bed and woke up at 16:30 to get back to work for a 12 hour shift. I haven't seen daylight for three days and won't until Wednesday.
Try getting away on a holiday to Tenerife or something similar. We did it at this time last year and that boost was enough to to make winter seem a lot shorter.
I went on Vit D supplements and that seemed to work. Could be placebo but it doesn't actually matter does it? Just like hi-fi really.
SAD sufferer here too. A light box only gave me headaches. The Doc has prescribed Prozac for the last few years but I only take them from October through to early Spring. They have really helped, but may not be for everyone.
I have no side effects and don't experience any problems when I stop taking them.
. The Doc has prescribed Prozac for the last few years but I only take them from October through to early Spring..
I went to the off licence instead of the vet and they gave me a scrip for Guinness. Taken daily. Works so well I carried on taking it all year round.
As winter comes in I start to feel a little nauseous, especially in the mornings and when exercising if I have a more intense session than usual. As the spring comes in this feeling goes away. Always had this but I don’t really know exactly what it is. My wife thinks it could be that I get the Winter Vomiting Bug, but it doesn’t effect me fully, but just enough that I can feel something if not 100% right.
I understand what you are saying. have suffered with depression for years and from November on life gets harder. I exercise a lot and try to cycle 4 times a week. However, once the dark and cold hits it gets much harder (not getting any younger either) to motivate myself and it is 100% psychological. If I try to force myself to go out I start to get stomach gripes and feel slightly unwell. Bonkers.
I have been a sad basta*d for yrs , according to my wife :)
Joking apart , I hate winter but for me it co incides with the cows being housed and my work rate and ability to get away from it all ,being severly curtailed !
D3 is great , lots of Vit C ,and occasionally I take Kalms or Passiflora to calm me down .
Other than that , plenty of :cool:
Good luck with it !!
Ninanina
21-01-2018, 19:19
I went to the off licence instead of the vet and they gave me a scrip for Guinness. Taken daily. Works so well I carried on taking it all year round.
:rfl:
I'll be trying the Vit D soon as well and see if that helps
walpurgis
21-01-2018, 19:33
I'll be trying the Vit D soon as well and see if that helps
I've got these on my ebay watch list. They are high strength and seem good value.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vitamin-D3-5000iu-MAX-Strength-tablets-Helps-Bones-Immune-System-S-A-D/262669821530?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=561583031619&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
Wakefield Turntables
21-01-2018, 20:46
All I can say is 1-25-dihydroxycalcicferol. Take lots of it. Whats this? Do you homework!!! I also have SAD, this year I decided to do something about it....
Ninanina
21-01-2018, 21:46
I believe that Vitamin D3/2 is metabolized in the body to produce 1-25-dihydroxycalcicferol
walpurgis
21-01-2018, 21:48
You been playing with that chemistry set again haven't you? :)
Ninanina
21-01-2018, 21:49
You been playing with that chemistry set again haven't you? :)
:D
Pigmy Pony
21-01-2018, 22:09
I used to get effervescent vitamin tablets, but instead of dropping them in a glass of water, I would suck on them like a Trebor Refresher. That was fun, trying to keep in all the foam!
I too work outside most of the time, and agree that winter sun doesn't help, plus trying to use tools with fingers that have moved from numb to throbbing just piles on the misery.
Wakefield Turntables
22-01-2018, 09:01
Don't drink alcohol during winter, it's a BIG depressant.
In moderation (which is the key to all of life's vices), I shouldn't imagine there'd be any problem :)
In fact, having a couple of glasses of red wine with a meal, especially when experiencing the subsequent relaxing/de-stressing effect, would likely be beneficial.
Marco.
In moderation (which is the key to all of life's vices), I shouldn't imagine there'd be any problem :)
In fact, having a couple of glasses of red wine with a meal, especially when experiencing the subsequent relaxing/de-stressing effect, would likely be beneficial.
Marco.
+1 :)
Bev,
As you may have gathered by now from all the responses and messages of support, this is not necessarily a simple issue and there may not be one single thing that fixes it for you. Every person is different, and it may take a number of things in combination to set you right. I speak from experience, as I've been dealing with this for years. Your description of the October tunnel, April release sounds so familiar. And we have a very different winter than you do in the UK - it usually snows in mid-December and doesn't melt until early April. We've often skied on Easter week. We probably see more sun than you do, however.
Here's what I can suggest, based on what's worked for me:
+ Exercise! Outdoors! Most people see winter as a time to hibernate indoors, and then wonder why they feel blah all the time. Force yourself outside for whatever gets your shoes laced -- hiking, cycling (even in the snow -- get a fatbike), skiing (XC or downhill, depending on where you live), jogging (preferably trail running in the woods). If you can't get outside because it's raining for two weeks straight, then look to a gym and do whatever you fancy -- yoga, treadmill, squash, basketball....preferably something social so you can talk to people. Believe me, the endorphine boost from rigorous exercise will do wonders and lasts for days.
+ Take up a hobby that requires brain power and focus, preferably that gets you outside. Photography is my thing - black and white, film, darkroom printing, fine art stuff.
+ Change your diet if you eat too many carbs and red meat. Eat more fresh veggies and fruits, lean meat and fish, legumes like dried beans and lentils -- food that will give you energy rather than sucking it out of you. Cut back on white flour stuff like breads and pasta.
+ Cut back on refined sugars! Except at Christmas time, of course. :) If you need something sweet, use natural sweeteners like honey.
+ Lose weight, if you're carrying too much. Self-explanatory, but you'll have way more energy.
+ Vitamin D supplements -- yes, these do seem to work. This is the first winter I've taken them, and I feel noticeably different.
+ Take natural pro-biotics to improve your gut-health. This one can be huge, and a life-changer. There is a lot of serious and legitimate research into the connection between gut flora and mental alertness and physical well-being. Even major govt. agencies like the CDC/NIH in the US are acknowledging that probiotics like kefir and kombucha can have significant benefits. Personally, I tried this a couple of years ago and started drinking a cup of natural plain kefir every night -- within a week my energy level felt like it had doubled. I was blown away. Seriously, read up on this and try it. It's inexpensive and is so good for you. If you don't feel better within a week I would be surprised. (BTW, if you start drinking kefir or kombucha, your appetite for sugars may totally dissappear -- it's a neat side benefit).
+ Stress reduction. Again, a big one. If you have a lot of stress for whatever reason, all that other stuff that drags you down in the winter just makes it worse and it becomes a vicious cycle. Try your best to reduce the stressors, and manage those that you can't reduce by whatever means works for you -- yoga, meditation, exercise, music(!)
I really hope you can tackle this and get over it. It's too much of your life in the doldrums not to do something about it. Hopefully my little bit of advice will help you.
All the best,
Svend
Firebottle
22-01-2018, 17:55
Brilliant post ^^^^^^
Pigmy Pony
22-01-2018, 19:03
So no deep-fried pizza then? My friends north of the border won't be happy :D Otherwise a lot of helpful advice.
Ninanina
22-01-2018, 20:08
Thank you to everyone for your comments, much appreciated
It would seem as though it is quite common
I've just been using the light box and have today received some high strength Vitamin D3 which I will dose up on
I do think exercise does help as well as I feel much better if I get out on the bike and I am thinking about taking up yoga as well
Attack it from all sides maybe the best option... :)
Thank you to everyone for your comments, much appreciated
It would seem as though it is quite common
I've just been using the light box and have today received some high strength Vitamin D3 which I will dose up on
I do think exercise does help as well as I feel much better if I get out on the bike and I am thinking about taking up yoga as well
Attack it from all sides maybe the best option... :)
Yes! Exactly right. Tackle it from the inside and out. There are a lot of factors at work here, so doing a bit of self-analysis of lifestyle and diet is a great place to start. Best of luck with this Bev.
Svend
mad-moon
24-01-2018, 09:31
Lol - it was just me doing my amateur psychologist! I didn't even read the article...
However, like you, I would enjoy visiting there (and could even quite happily spend a few months in Tromsø, or similar parts of Norway), but not to live on a permanent basis.
In fact, a tour of Scandinavia is on the cards for us at some point, as Del wants to see the Northern Lights/Lapland, LOVES the snow, and also so many other things about the food/lifestyle in these countries tick a lot of boxes for us.
Cold doesn't bother us either, as we much prefer being all nicely warm, wrapped up in thermal clothing, going for long mountain walks in the fresh air, than lying on a beach, sweltering in the sun - and no prizes for guessing which is healthier either! ;)
We fancy starting with Finland... :cool:
Marco.
Are you taking Rodney and Uncle Albert with you??
Lol... That's a bit of a random comment! :D:scratch:
[Edit: just realised you were referring to the "Del" bit... It's what my wife's called for short :)].
Marco.
An article of potential interest to all those affected by SAD.
https://mosaicscience.com/story/dark-winter-sad-depression/?utm_campaign=1053795_Mosaic%2018%20Jan%202018&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotmailer&dm_i=2PXJ,ML43,VP5Q9,2CHC3,1 (https://mosaicscience.com/story/dark-winter-sad-depression/?utm_campaign=1053795_Mosaic%2018%20Jan%202018&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotmailer&dm_i=2PXJ,ML43,VP5Q9,2CHC3,1)
I know how it feels.
Minstrel SE
24-01-2018, 17:46
I dont think there is any shame in admitting to it. I experience periods of depression and a level of Seasonal Affective Disorder.
I wouldnt say its on any major level and I use the word experience because I dont think the doctors have any drugs or treatment which touches it.
We are warm blooded beings and winter is natures leveller. You wanna see my heating bill...thats enough on its own :)
These bloody people who get up every morning full of the joys of spring :D
I dont think there is any shame in admitting to it. I experience periods of depression and a level of Seasonal Affective Disorder.
I wouldnt say its on any major level and I use the word experience because I dont think the doctors have any drugs or treatment which touches it.
pretty much describes me too. Depression maybe a bit strong, I'd say more of a melancholy. Wouldn't take pills off the doctor. I had a pal who faked depression to get on the sick. They would prescribe him all sorts of drugs. He had a kitchen draw packed with them. He tried them once, purely out of curiosity, and said he was walking around like a zombie for two days.
These bloody people who get up every morning full of the joys of spring :D
Lol - they piss you off, don't they? I'm not a morning person at all. Takes me a good couple of hours (and some strong coffee) to properly wake up and fully focus (after 8-9 hours of deep, usually undisturbed sleep).
However, once done, I'm a cheery, even-tempered person, not prone to bad moods (most probably because I'm happy and contented within myself and love my life), and so that's the type of person I like having around me (I detest the opposite: moaning gits who never seem happy), and so fortunately my wife's the same, in terms of temperament :)
We're both very much 'glass half full', optimistic, cheery people - just not first thing in the morning!
Marco.
walpurgis
24-01-2018, 18:40
Started on some vitamin D3 today. Maybe it'll do something, maybe not.
Can't do any harm and it isn't expensive.
Hey Bev,
Just checking....how's it going? Made any changes since your last post? Feeling better? Hope you're on the up-n-up! :)
If you want a bit of reading on this, here's a good short article on mood-boosting foods to get you through the winter blahs:
http://www.cbc.ca/life/food/mood-boosting-foods-to-lift-you-out-of-the-winter-doldrums-1.4517035
Hope it helps.
Cheers,
Svend
PS -- dark chocolate is a thumbs-up! That would cheer anyone up :)
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