Calling SAD sufferers

Maybe I’ve been in denial or dismissing things as part of my regular issues with depression,  but it always hits me worse at this time of year, and today is not a good day.

Review of meds with GP and work assistance programme being lined up, but what else do people find helps? Open to all ideas, except probably homeopathy.

Have you got a sad light?

I don’t get it bad and actually what gelped me mist was a dawn alarm, lights up a half hour before the alarm goes off. Waking up “naturally” seems to do alot of the heavy lifting for me. Havnt snoozed once since getting it

but it always hits me worse at this time of year, and today is not a good day.

Does your alcohol intake increase this time of year?

If it really is connected to lower light levels I would suggest as well as a SAD light spending more time outdoors, maybe start going on hikes for two or three hours when you can. Even on a dull day the light levels outside will be considerably more than indoors.

Are you taking vitamin D supplement? I am not sure what effect vitamin D deficiency might have on your mood but if you are not taking it as a supplement you will almost certainly be deficient.

For me getting outside is crucial and makes all the difference to my mood. Used a “SAD” (Phillips Blu) light for years and it seemed to help but I now suspect it caused retina damage (just speculation though). Agree that vitamin D is useful. Some say St John’s Wort helps too.

Used to suffer from it terribly, think it was much worse because I worked long hours.  I always had a cycling holiday somewhere warm & sunny booked for Jan/Feb to look forward to which helped massively.  The main thing that sorted it was getting a dog which gets me out every morning what ever the weather.  Was out this morning in the dark in freezing rain, but still glad to get out.

I take vit d gums out of Lidl and work outdoors but hate late October to early Feb, don’t know if the vit d makes any difference whatsoever

It’s the short days for me, can’t do anything outdoors practical after 4pm

Could be my age as I can think of so many things to add to the thread what makes you **** cross

It’s the short days for me, can’t do anything outdoors practical after 4pm

Yup, I despise the short days too. But it isn’t because of SAD. A SAD lamp wouldn’t make any difference – I would still hate the short days!

Oh i do suffer with pooh weather and dark days.

add this to chaos at work (thankfully mostly nice people) and a challenging family doesnt help.  Relationships with wife is ace, like i said, management at work are lovely.

i have recently discovered working on cars again, for fun, yes i said that!

this week i started practicing welding again after a 35+ years break.  Bloody love it!!

i am going to see an Endocrinologist this week as my testosterone is a bit low.  Hoping this could be the magic bullet, lets see

Oh i do suffer with pooh weather

I can’t bear it

For us in NI it’s a long and dark winter, sunrise late Dec is 08.44 and sunset is 15.57, every year I find it’s like going into a very long tunnel, with just a very distant pin-point of light at the other end, around the end of Feb.

But that distant light gets a tiny bit closer and I guess that’s my coping mechanism, knowing it’ll pass.

Coping for me means accepting it’s a rubbish time of year, motivation is rock bottom, so even if it’s a lovely sunny day getting my arse into gear does not always happen, I know that, and I accept it.

I do try and see the +vs of a long dark winter, being outdoors as we know is a tonic, daylight might be short but it’s better than nowt, and so too is the winter night sky, when the clouds clear, and all the stars and planets are crisp and visible.

Otherwise, what gets me through is looking ahead, planning for future trips, rides, adventures, plotting. I get the diary out and look at April, May, June, July, seeing what might be possible. Read others’ trips, get ideas, day dream I suppose.

diggery
Free Member
Oh i do suffer with pooh weather

I can’t bear it

*Nods approvingly

Struggling more than normal currently, despite the mini lightbox, gone out far too infrequently since mid September. Combination of bad sleep pattern, often rubbish weather, increasingly short days and playing nurse to my better half after her long awaited operation.

Before having to take ill health retirement due to long covid, being a postie really helped, as did regular rides that I just don’t have the stamina for these days.

Bought one of these the other day – 10 or 15 minutes a day and i think it’s helping

https://www.johnlewis.com/beurer-tl45-perfect-day-daylight-table-lamp-white/p5105759

Go for a walk at lunchtime.

Exercise in the morning, even if it’s dark, and even if it’s just 20 minutes of walking.

SAD light

Getting out for exercise helps. It helped me when I understood that feeling tired didn’t mean that i shouldn’t exercise

I’m ill this week which makes it harder

official sufferer here (got a letter from a doctor and everything)
There was an offer of drug but I went with SAD light and outside exercise.
cutting down on booze also seems to be helping but thats hardly a shock 🙂

It helped me when I understood that feeling tired didn’t mean that i shouldn’t exercise

I keep forgetting this. Tiredness is the reason for need to exercise, rather than a reason not to do it.