Seasonal Affective Disorder Support Group
Seasonal affective disorder, also known as S.A.D., winter depression or the winter blues is an affective, or mood, disorder. Most SAD sufferers experience normal mental health throughout most of the year, but experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer. The condition in the summer is often referred to as Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder. Seasonal mood...
Hey everyone. I'm new to this group and really glad I found it. So far I'm the only one I know who has this problem so it's comforting to know that I'm not alone.
I live in a small town in the inland northwest. I live in this valley that kind of "skips" Winter. Up on the hill it can be a blizzard and just a few miles down in my town it's 50 degrees and just partly cloudy. The trees still have some leaves on them into mid December. We get one or two bad snow days in January and that's it. I love the weather here. The problem is that I know if I am to get out on my own and pursue music as a career I need to go to a larger city.
I've thought about places further south like Nashville or Austin but all of my family is here in the Northwest and while I want to get out on my own I'd still like to be fairly close to them. The Northwest is my home and I feel like I'm being kicked out by SAD.
When I lived further up north the Winter literally drove me crazy. It's how I developed severe panic attacks and anxiety. Not seeing the sun for weeks at a time just made me so sick both physically and mentally.
I need to find a way to beat this. I've heard about light therapy but I don't know much about it. I have tried bupropion (sp) and it helped for a week or so but then it seemed to make things worse. Is there anything else I can try? I'd really appreciate some advice. Thank you.
I live in a small town in the inland northwest. I live in this valley that kind of "skips" Winter. Up on the hill it can be a blizzard and just a few miles down in my town it's 50 degrees and just partly cloudy. The trees still have some leaves on them into mid December. We get one or two bad snow days in January and that's it. I love the weather here. The problem is that I know if I am to get out on my own and pursue music as a career I need to go to a larger city.
I've thought about places further south like Nashville or Austin but all of my family is here in the Northwest and while I want to get out on my own I'd still like to be fairly close to them. The Northwest is my home and I feel like I'm being kicked out by SAD.
When I lived further up north the Winter literally drove me crazy. It's how I developed severe panic attacks and anxiety. Not seeing the sun for weeks at a time just made me so sick both physically and mentally.
I need to find a way to beat this. I've heard about light therapy but I don't know much about it. I have tried bupropion (sp) and it helped for a week or so but then it seemed to make things worse. Is there anything else I can try? I'd really appreciate some advice. Thank you.
I will make the first suggestion:
Dr. Norman Rosenthal...he has a website, facebook site and a great book "Winter Blues" that will teach you all the basics...
one thing we do here is share other techniques that are working, or not working for us. You may want to visit some old posts as well.
Welcome.
what kind of music do you like to play most?
Oh and p.s. I can hold my own in many styles but I'm a blues guy at heart. It's the style that speaks to me the most and helps lift me out of all the bad feelings that build up.
I really sympathise, it must be hard to have to make the decision whether to move to an area where your symptoms are worse, but remember knowledge is power, particularly if you have family in the south you could visit over weekends when you need to see the sun =)