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...
Hi all
I have been suffering from SAD since I was a child - I actually feel like I "invented" it lol
When I was young I used to call them "white days" - now I know they were days with think cloud cover and low light. They used to always make me feel out of sorts...now I know I suffered from SAD.
I actually moved countries and now live somewhere with far more sunlight...it has helped enormously.
Still - I have been depressive on and off all my life, and we are sliding into winter here. It is a mild winter but still enough to send me spiralling if I'm not very carefull The worst things in my life usually happen in winter, probably because I am less able to cope with them in winter, and subconsciously more prone to reacting in negative ways.
I'm really struggling at the moment and I'm just waiting for sun up so I can take a walk. Getting out of working in an office environment has been one positive step I've taken. I'm unemployed at the moment but really don't care...being chronically unhappy at work was part of the trouble, and it always worsened in winter.
I have been suffering from SAD since I was a child - I actually feel like I "invented" it lol
When I was young I used to call them "white days" - now I know they were days with think cloud cover and low light. They used to always make me feel out of sorts...now I know I suffered from SAD.
I actually moved countries and now live somewhere with far more sunlight...it has helped enormously.
Still - I have been depressive on and off all my life, and we are sliding into winter here. It is a mild winter but still enough to send me spiralling if I'm not very carefull The worst things in my life usually happen in winter, probably because I am less able to cope with them in winter, and subconsciously more prone to reacting in negative ways.
I'm really struggling at the moment and I'm just waiting for sun up so I can take a walk. Getting out of working in an office environment has been one positive step I've taken. I'm unemployed at the moment but really don't care...being chronically unhappy at work was part of the trouble, and it always worsened in winter.
Do you use a light box? what else are you doing by the way of vitamins or meds? Have you read Dr. Rosenthal's Winter Blues book?
Welcome. It is off season for many of us, but we will try to lend support (HEAR ME OUT THERE????)
you can look at some old posts for stuff we have tried. we try to share what works and what does not.
thanks for finding us.....And by the way, I invented SAD, and passed it down generations to my kiddos....
1) vit D. (biggest single help)
2) st. johns wort
3) upping the light level.
Many people use light boxes. I took a look at the price, and read into the details and found that they are 'full spectrum bulbs" in there, but that the ultra violet is then filtered back out by the glass enclosure, making them the same as 'broad spectrum bulbs' which are worlds cheaper.
In my old apartment, I took a string of 23 watt broad spectrum bulbs and hung them from the ceiling. Lit the living room up to the point where I needed sunglasses. Now I have a much smaller room in my house I do something similar with.
It's about LUX or lumens per square meter, the amount of light per area.
for most, buying a light box is easier.
There was also a supplement I was taking over the winter, but I can't remember the name now.
I've been suffering for years but am very new to any treatments, I'll read some old posts.
thanks :D
Some people have had luck with supplements, but I haven't had to use them.