who here suffers from S.A.D?

Question

hi, does anyone here suffer from Seasonal adjustment disorder? how do you cope with it? maybe we can bounce some ideas off each other.

i usually go to tan beds and weightlift alot which raises endorphins. but still, it is so hatefull , the short evenings. i just feel like everything is closing in and i dream of summer.

thank you for helpful answeres.

thank you so much for all your answeres so far. i am from ireland and it gets dark at about half four and it is usually dull all day. it gets bright at half 8 or so.

Answer 1

yes, i have been dreading the weekend when the clocks went back because I knew it would start getting dark early. One day of rain and I am ready to burst into tears!
The usual advice is exercise, as you say, also taking St John Wort is supposed to help. I tried it last year but I didn't keep it up, which you are supposed to do, the effects are accumulative, so it's no use taking it every now and then, you have to persevere. Light therapy is another thing they recommend, you can buy special light panels to trick your mind into getting that summer sensation.
Chocolate is supposed to be good at enhancing your mood.
Dreaming of summer sounds good to me, it sounds like a good way of keeping positive. Think summer thoughts!
I find Christmas a marvellous time of year, with all the coloured lights, I find it so magical. Imagine december without it! After Christmas I always console myself with the thought that the days are getting longer...

Answer 2

think yourself lucky... I get SAD in reverse. At the beginning of summer I have a massive hyperactive high and love everything... then a month in it all crashes down and I get the worst depression, because everyone else seems to be having a good time and I don't seem to be involved. I really don't understand it.

At least winter's easily explained, I'm just being difficult. Just like I always get really good luck on Friday 13ths (when everyone else is whining about how terrible it is), I get really cheerful because everyone else feels so bad there must be some cheerful flying around for me to pinch.

Maybe that's the best way to look at it... so many people get down in winter, that on balance there must be some amazingly good emotions flying round unable to find anyone, because everyone's so depressed. Take them for yourself. See a drizzly rain as preparing the ground for spring next year. See a cold day of sunshine for the crisp, pretty day it is rather than a butt-clenchingly freezing day. And see snow as something to throw at people, rather than something for the car to get stuck in.

ps. If you feel like everything's closing in then maybe you're not happy where you live... have a bit of a tidy, buy some more furniture... make home a place you want to be confined to rather than some prison you have to wait for summer to be freed from. :)

Answer 3

I do but when I say I suffer from it I'm sure people think I'm kidding! I can feel it kicking in already even before the clocks went back. I try and get out more during the day when I can but most evenings I'm at home with my children. I used to go on the tan beds but with the risk of damage to your skin I stopped. You can buy a light for use indoors which is supposed to help. I'm sure boots sell them if you live in the UK. I think we don't see enough of our friends when its this time of year because everyone rushes home to get in from the cold. Then its hard work to find the energy to go out again. Make sure you make the effort to go out on an evening even if its to go and watch some DVDs at a friends house or invite them to yours. Company always does you the world of good. Exercise helps too you keep going to the Gym and working out. You can also try having an early night and then getting up earlier the next day to make the most of the daylight.

Answer 4

Never been diagnosed but I'm sure I do. Am a bit of a depressive at the best of times but life has seemed hopeless lately. I could spend the winter hibernating. I've heard a sunbed session is really good for you if you're feeling the effects of SAD. Will give that a try. Hurry up summertime.

Answer 5

I know that sinking feeling as winter draws in - it's the four o'clock in the morning of my year. I try to get out in the garden or walking for half an hour; keep the curtains and blinds open and stay near windows; make plans for Christmas and next year's holiday; go for a swim at the local pool; watch lots of comedy on tv and DVD.

Answer 6

Yeah I think I do too. I think it's called Seasonal Affectational Disorder by the way. I think the best think is to get out and about, see friends, keep busy and take exercise. Have you also tried www.sada.co.uk / com , they help too.

In the main, just think it's Summer or the clocks going forward at least in 5 months.......

Answer 7

I do, but I do a two-pronged approach.

At lunch (weather permitting) I take a walk in the sun.

On the weekends, I run laps at the local track. Aside from getting sun, the exercise releases endorphans and I elevate my mood. I find ten laps (which takes about 30 minutes) does the trick

Answer 8

i served a year in Antarctica . i had sads the Dr there said the best thing for me was sunshine in the winter there's no sun in Antarctica. they also put you on a mild anti depressant prozac etc . the tan beds are a good thing but they didnt help me at all we had a green house with the lights but no tan beds the uv light helps . you can also get this when its always light outside . but the only thing that bothered me about it being light was lack of sleep . i adjusted

Answer 9

Have you tried taking the supplement St John's Wort. I take it in the dark winter months and find it helps.
(Incidentally try not to overdo the tanning beds - they may release endorphins but they also give you leathery wrinkled skin!!!)

Answer 10

I used to suffer from SAD. Try to get as much natural sun-lite as you can. You can purchase small lamps that emit the type of lite. I had one for my desk that I would use daily to help.
I moved to a warmer climate and that has seemed to help. The Midwest winters are depressing.