Are You Feeling SAD? (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

Chet

Chet

Well-known Member
Location
PA, USA
A mood disorder characterized by depression that occurs at the same time every year.
Seasonal affective disorder occurs in climates where there is less sunlight at certain times of the year.
Symptoms include fatigue, depression, hopelessness, and social withdrawal.
Treatment includes light therapy (phototherapy), talk therapy, and medications.

I always have and am going through it now. It's not the worst thing in the world, but it's evident. Anyone else? How do you deal with it?
 

I tend to suffer from cabin-fever every year around this time, SAD, if you will, but this year we have been enjoying a milder winter than normal, with less snow, lots of sunshine, and so far I'm feeling good.

As for myself, there is no dealing with it in past years, I just tough it out and deal with it, but it sure does make for a long, cold winter.
 
Chet said:
A mood disorder characterized by depression that occurs at the same time every year.
Seasonal affective disorder occurs in climates where there is less sunlight at certain times of the year.
Symptoms include fatigue, depression, hopelessness, and social withdrawal.
Treatment includes light therapy (phototherapy), talk therapy, and medications.

I always have and am going through it now. It's not the worst thing in the world, but it's evident. Anyone else? How do you deal with it?
Click to expand...
I take Vitamin D3 (1000 IU's). Turning on lights, helps on those very dark days.
 

RadishRose said:
Get yourselves one of those lightboxes. Why suffer? With that and the vitamin D, could make a huge diffrrence.

Generally, the light box should-
  • Provide an exposure to 10,000 lux of light
  • Emit as little UV light as possible
More at-
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases...nal-affective-disorder-treatment/art-20048298
Click to expand...
Light does nothing for me, and I take vitamin D3.

I open up every window (blinds/drapes) throughout the house, I turn lights, lamps, you name it on, and still nothing.

For me it's missing gardening, being outside, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine.

January and February are the two worst months for me, and sometimes march can prove to be challenging for me as well.

I never suffered from SAD when I was younger, but I sure do now.
 
Na! I'm not depressed nor am I sad! I keep myself pretty busy with my guitar, my reading & about 2.5 hours of those nice old DVDs that I buy from Amazon. I only complaint I have right now is that I'm pretty well fed up with the masked bandits/social distancing/ our leaders flying to the tropics & the constant complaining from the rank & file negative people that keep posting in the "comments" section of our local news sites. I'm hoping to travel by car this summer so maybe all those folks out there will get their vaccinations for Covid-19, take off those ugly masks, start hugging & hand shaking again & we will all head to our favourite restaurants, coffee houses & maybe those senior centers will final open up after being shut for nearly a year. Anyone for "Happy Hour" on Friday at 5 PM. I have friends in this apartment building that I haven't seen for weeks. Can't even remember when we had the last "Happy Hour." Maybe it was August? Hey, maybe I can go to a store & finally buy my humidifier filter which is now considered a "nonessential" by my government. HA!
 
Jules said:
It sure does.

As the days get shorter, SAD sets in. Around Dec 20th I start to feel hopeful again. We’ve had so much snow/rain/ice that getting out to walk is impossible some days.
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Honestly, Jules, my hopeful days don't come until spring, when the snow is melted, the sun is shining, the air is warming, flowers are starting to bloom, the grass is starting to turn green, trees are starting to bud, that's when I know I have another winter season behind me.

This time of year I long for the days when I can once again exit the back porch with laundry basket in-hand, pin-up the washing on the clothesline, then sit down and relax on the patio while taking-in the sights and sounds of all that springtime brings. The birds, the bees, the breeze, the fresh air smell.

I find the biggest turning-point for me is when, after a long drawn-out winter, opening up the windows for the first time and feeling the refreshing and life-breathing springtime breeze coming through the window screens.
 
Chet said:
A mood disorder characterized by depression that occurs at the same time every year.
Seasonal affective disorder occurs in climates where there is less sunlight at certain times of the year.
Symptoms include fatigue, depression, hopelessness, and social withdrawal.
Treatment includes light therapy (phototherapy), talk therapy, and medications.

I always have and am going through it now. It's not the worst thing in the world, but it's evident. Anyone else? How do you deal with it?
Click to expand...
Yes I have always had it. What I try to do is get as much sunlight on my body as I can in the winter and I have a sign on my apartment door.
THINK SPRING.
 
Aunt Marg said:
I tend to suffer from cabin-fever every year around this time, SAD, if you will, but this year we have been enjoying a milder winter than normal, with less snow, lots of sunshine, and so far I'm feeling good.

As for myself, there is no dealing with it in past years, I just tough it out and deal with it, but it sure does make for a long, cold winter.
Click to expand...
Every day the daylight gets to stay a bit longer. Till the solstice.
 
i would imagine this will be hard for many this year, even if they did not experience before. The mental health issue created by all that is going on with Covid has taken a huge toll on people and many may not realize that the SAD disorder on top of that could make what they may be feeling worse.
 
Aunt Marg said:
I find the biggest turning-point for me is when, after a long drawn-out winter, opening up the windows for the first time and feeling the refreshing and life-breathing springtime breeze coming through the window screens.
Click to expand...
Absolutely! I don't get those people who sit in their air conditioned houses in the summer. Open those damned windows and breath the summer air.
 
I bought, and started using one of the light therapy lamps. Have not used it long enough to judge a difference yet, but will continue. The early darkness is affecting me so much more this winter than before. Not sure why
 
Chet said:
It's not the worst thing in the world, but it's evident. Anyone else? How do you deal with it?
Click to expand...
SAD not me, but definitely feeling a touch of depression.

I lived 20 years in Northern Alaska where the shortest day was ( 3 hours 42 minutes ) so most of the time was in darkness.
But funny I never had to deal with the 'SAD' effect.... no I had to wait to move to Texas to get truly sad and down.

I am thinking maybe I was uplifted by seeing the Northern lights on a regular basis
it was like having a fireworks show every couple days
and even when I was in bed I could look out my tiny window and see the
lights reflected off the snow surrounding my cabin.

auroracabin.JPG
 
I'm not actually feeling depressed per say, but I know what it's like. I have elevated anxiety(no specific issue, generalized) due to treatment with Interferon years ago, maybe it was the Ribavirin, I forget. One of them did observable damage to my Central Nervous system, which seems to be permanent.
 

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