S. A. D. i think i night have a mild form of it?

Question

im not sure but i think i have a mild form of S.A.D
i always feel a bit down in the winter months.

can you give me any more info about it please and what helps you feel better.

Answer 1

I have this! Its the short days and lack of natural light.
I buy light bulbs that are made especially for it. they simulate daylight. You can get them off the internet and they're not expensive.
Things are always easier to cope with in the summer aren't they??
If you need any more info you can Email me.

Answer 2

I have SAD as well...it's bloody awfull. When you wake up in the mornings and it's dark and you can hear the rain does that effect your mood straight away? Do you get more upset than other people when summer ends? Do you daydream about sun and summer? Do you feel grumpy when you have to go outside in the day time when it's raining/cold/dark? If you answered yes then I think you do defo have SAD. I have a 'Light Box' it's designed for people with SAD, it's small enough to sit on my worktop and I glance at it whilst I do my housework. I sit in front of it for a while when I need a good dose of light and it works. I can get through the day and feel much better. I got mine of EBAY, it cost £60 and worth every penny. Good luck sweetie, and when you are outside turn your face up at the sun (if you can find it!) and breath deeply, small amounts of what we can get makes you feel better also. X

Answer 3

a lot of people suffer from sad so u r not alone get lots of natural sun light can be difficult at this time of year some people say st john wort works but it can have side effects so ask your doc about this also light boxes work but are expensive cheapest one ive found is in boots at £75.00

Answer 4

This is a very good blog, a beginner’s guide to abnormal psychology.
Short, clear and simple; and you can even post your question and contact the author regarding particular subject you are interested in, for FREE

http://sensitive-psychoworld.blogspot.com/

Answer 5

ive got that too, but my bright side is getting in at night, closing the curtains having candles lit, a nive warm cuppa and a hot bath, and then think of the rest of the people who are outside rushing home to be in the position you are, lovely and cosy! oh and its xmas soon and thats exciting

Answer 6

I often get down every know and then.Go to the doctor get advice.Try setting tagrets for yourself.Or find a new hobby for yourself.

Answer 7

Try getting some daylight bulbs in your home, that normally works.

Answer 8

Go have a Sunbed works for me. Just had one today.

Answer 9

SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people every Winter between September and April, in particular during December, January and February.

It is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter.

For many people SAD is a seriously disabling illness, preventing them from functioning normally without continuous medical treatment.

For others, it is a mild but debilitating condition causing discomfort but not severe suffering. We call this subsyndromal SAD or 'winter blues.'

he symptoms of SAD usually recur regularly each Winter, starting between September and November and continuing until March or April. A diagnosis can be made after three or more consecutive Winters of symptoms, which include a number of the following
Sleep problems: Usually desire to oversleep and difficulty staying awake but, in some cases, disturbed sleep and early morning wakening
Lethargy: Feeling of fatigue and inability to carry out normal routine
Overeating: Craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods, usually resulting in weight gain
Depression: Feelings of misery, guilt and loss of self-esteem, sometimes hopelessness and despair, sometimes apathy and loss of feelings
Social problems: Irritability and desire to avoid social contact
Anxiety: Tension and inability to tolerate stress
Loss of libido Decreased interest in sex and physical contact
Mood changes In some sufferers, extremes of mood and short periods of hypomania (overactivity) in spring and autumn.

Most sufferers show signs of a weakened immune, system during the Winter, and are more vulnerable to infections and other illnesses.

SAD symptoms disappear in Spring, either suddenly with a short period (e.g., four weeks) of hypomania or hyperactivity, or gradually, depending on the intensity of sunlight in the Spring and early Summer.

In sub-syndromal SAD, symptoms such as tiredness, lethargy, sleep and eating problems occur, but depression and anxiety are absent or mild.

SAD may begin at any age but the main age of onset is between 18 and 30 years.

It occurs throughout the northern and southern hemispheres but is extremely rare in those living within 30 degrees of the Equator, where daylight hours are long, constant and extremely bright.

Light therapy has been shown to be effective in up to 85 per cent of diagnosed cases. That is, exposure, for up to four hours per day (average 1-2 hours) to very bright light, at least ten times the intensity of ordinary domestic lighting.

Ordinary light bulbs and fittings are not strong enough. Average domestic or office lighting emits an intensity of 200-500 lux but the minimum dose, necessary to treat SAD is 2500 lux, The intensity of a bright summer day can be 100,000 lux!

Light treatment should be used daily in Winter (and dull periods in summer) starting in early Autumn when the first symptoms appear. It consists of sitting two to three feet away from a specially designed light box, usually on a table, allowing the light to shine directly through the eyes.

The user can carry out normal activity such as reading, working, eating and knitting while stationary in front of the box. It is not necessary to stare at the light although it has been proved safe.

Treatment is usually effective within three or four days and the effect continues provided it is used every day. Tinted lenses, or any device that blocks the light to the retina of the eye, should not be worn,

Some light boxes emit higher intensity of light, up to 10,000 lux, which can cut treatment time down to half an hour a day.

Light boxes are not available on the NHS and have to be bought from specialist retailers; they are now free of VAT and start at less than £100.

SADA recommends trying before buying; several companies offer a home trial or hire scheme and SADA has a number of boxes for short-term hire.
Antidepressant drugs

Traditional antidepressant drugs such as tricyclics are not usually helpful for SAD as they exacerbate the sleepiness and lethargy that are symptoms of the illness. The non-sedative SSRI drugs such as sertraline (Lustral), paroxetine (Seroxat) and fluoxetine (Prozac) are effective in alleviating the depressive symptoms of SAD and combine well with light therapy.

Other psychotropic drugs e.g. lithium, benzodiazepines have not proved widely useful in the treatment of SAD. Daily exposure to as much natural daylight as possible, especially at midday, should help.
Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, counselling or any complementary therapy which helps the sufferer to relax, accept their illness and cope with its limitations are extremely useful.

Full details of SAD treatment, where to obtain it and how to use it are contained in the SADA Information Pack.

Answer 10

http://www.sada.org.uk/

Try this link