SAD: Just Wondering........

[Catys_With_Me]

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[P_RN, ADN, RN]

I have a fairly bad episode of SAD every winter. I pray for Dec 21 to come because then the days start getting longer. I've also lived in the South all of my life, and I've always been like this.

My counselor told me to sit outside at least an hour a day in the winter. It can get pretty breezy and cool here though southern, but I think it helped. I tried light boxes and tanning beds but I think sitting on the deck was the best.

When I spent some time in London in the summer it was marvelous. Sunrise about 4 am, sunset about 10 pm. DAYLIGHT!

[sbic56, BSN, RN]

Go for the sun Marla!! I know it will help you! You've got SAD as bad as I do by the sounds of it and the only real tx is sunlight. I also get severe skin problems from the lack of sunlight. I have tried antidepressants and they just made me feel like I was on the outside looking in...too wierd. The light box gave me a headache. Exercise helps, but I sooo lose the motivatiion. I gained 20# in 3 months this year! Normally, I go for a vacation to Fla. or the Bahamas...somewhere very sunny, but this year I didn't. Bad move! I feel an instant infusion of energy when I hit the sunny spots..it's amazing! I just spoke with my boss the other day and asked her if I could take off the month of February next year and she said yes! My Chinese Crested and I are going to escape the frozen tundra of Maine next year...he's going to appreciate it, too, I'm sure!

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I have a fairly bad episode of SAD every winter. I pray for Dec 21 to come because then the days start getting longer. I've also lived in the South all of my life, and I've always been like this.

My counselor told me to sit outside at least an hour a day in the winter. It can get pretty breezy and cool here though southern, but I think it helped. I tried light boxes and tanning beds but I think sitting on the deck was the best.

When I spent some time in London in the summer it was marvelous. Sunrise about 4 am, sunset about 10 pm. DAYLIGHT!

I know what you mean about December 21........I too mark that day and tell myself "OK, this is the worst, it's going to start getting better now". Doesn't work, though, because there are sooooooooo many dark, dank, gloomy days between Christmas and the 4th of July to get through.

The idea of sitting outside for an hour every day intrigues me. Does it work when you live where it's cloudy all the time for days, weeks, even months? My one saving grace here is living in a house that has huge picture windows that let in all the light there is available........I can stay warm and still get plenty of natural light, it's just that there isn't much of it since it's so gray so much of the time.

My other problem is I really, really have come to hate being cold. Here in western Oregon, the climate is considered mild because we rarely get extremes in temperatures.......average daytime temp in January is in the mid-40s, in July it's upper 70s-low 80s. I actually don't mind the occasional snowfall we get, but the rest of the time it's rainy, gloomy, foggy, damp, and chilly, and that just creeps into my bones and settles in there for what seems like forever. That does nothing for my moods, and it HURTS---I have some pretty nasty arthritis in my spine and my knees, and some days I can barely heave my sorry butt out of the bed. (I'm OK once I warm up and move around a bit, and of course once the Aleve kicks in.)

I have finally realized I'm a warm weather kind of girl.......I love heat, I love sun, and I don't get enough of either one here except during our glorious summers. I'm happiest when the temps are in the 80s, and have the most energy in the late mornings and early afternoons when it's sunny and bright. I know, I'm weird, but at last I'm finally figuring out the puzzle of why I gain huge amounts of weight and feel lifeless and unmotivated during the autumn and winter months. It's about time........I'm closer to 50 than 40, and life is just too damned short to feel crummy for six or seven months out of every year.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Marla . . .. arrggghhhhhhh . . ... the sky turned black and this wet stuff just started POURING down in a deluge . .. the house is dark, I just turned on all the lights . .. I need coffee to stay awake!!!!

Someone help!!!

Of course this was after I spent the morning in the yard and loving the green grass and flowers coming up . . . I literally spent about a minute just sniffing a lilac bush.

I told Danny that it was gonna rain and he asked why and I said I don't know but maybe God thought the plants and flowers and trees needed more rain and Danny said "Well, I'm smarter than God, I'll make it stop . .. . stop rain!".

It didn't stop.

steph :)

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Marla . . .. arrggghhhhhhh . . ... the sky turned black and this wet stuff just started POURING down in a deluge . .. the house is dark, I just turned on all the lights . .. I need coffee to stay awake!!!!

Someone help!!!

Of course this was after I spent the morning in the yard and loving the green grass and flowers coming up . . . I literally spent about a minute just sniffing a lilac bush.

I told Danny that it was gonna rain and he asked why and I said I don't know but maybe God thought the plants and flowers and trees needed more rain and Danny said "Well, I'm smarter than God, I'll make it stop . .. . stop rain!".

It didn't stop.

steph :)

I guess God showed Danny who's smarter, huh? :chuckle That's a cute story, one you can tell on him and make him blush when he's older.

You can tell him I tried that once too........didn't work for me either. :uhoh21:

[redwinggirlie]

I've got nothing but sunny blue skies pretty much all the time (Southwesterner). I love it. My family comes to visit from Michigan when they're in the midst of winter.... the sun is a great booster.

I've got my depressed days, but for the most part, life is grand. I sympathize with you.... i remember those long winter months....

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

My counselor said it has to be outside to absorb whatever rays my body needs.I move around to keep warm and sneak in the house for hot chocolate etc.

I guess y'all want to hear it's in the high60s low 70s tomorrow. :)hmmmm?

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

I'm originally from the midwest, from an area that had persistently cold and overcast winters. I LOVE living here in sunny eastern North Carolina. Januarys generally are dreary and rainy, but the rest of the months (to me) are fine. Some people even in this region suffer from SAD... I had a very good friend who battled terrible depression in the winters and eventually moved to Florida.

[Angel2004]

Oh yes! This was my story. I am from Corvallis, Oregon. I had to leave because of the seasonal stuff. It took me a few years to really believe that it was happening. I moved to northern California (in a semi wet but way more sunny area). I am so happy, I don't have to deal with anti-depressants any more. I have energy and life! I felt so much better when I moved because I realized all that stuff was not my fault. Happy days are here again. I may even move further south one day! You should be thrilled to know that there is a solution!

Angel

Do people who live in sunny parts of the country have fewer problems with seasonal affective disorder than those who live in northern climes?

The reason I'm asking is, my family and I are considering moving south in a couple of years (maybe even sooner), and the biggest consideration in this whole process is my problem with winter depression. Actually, it begins in the fall and lasts all the way until April or May or whenever sun and warmth finally make their return to soggy, soppy Western Oregon. Every year it's gotten worse, and this last year was absolutely disastrous........I'd lost 40 pounds, was exercising, and felt better than I had in 15 years, then the blues hit me in September and I completely lost control. The depression itself has been fairly mild, but insidious, as I gained back every pound I'd lost, and they brought friends, 20 of them to be exact. I didn't even realize what was wrong until recently, when it all fell into place as I began to emerge from the fog..........now I know, and I've got to do something about it.

So I'm wondering if people who live where it's sunny and warm most of the time generally do better with this condition. I can't keep upping my antidepressant dose......I'm already at the outer edges of safety with the med I'm on, and I don't think pills are enough to do the whole job anyway. I need to SOLVE this problem, because the yo-yo-ing on the weight is devastating to my health, and now that it's warmer I have no problem keeping my intake at a decent level---no more compulsion to scarf down every single carbohydrate I can find, no need to gobble sweets like there's no tomorrow. (I've lost 15 pounds without even trying hard!)

And it's not just food and weight issues. I get lazy and unmotivated at work, and when I'm home all I do is spend time on the computer instead of working in the yard, cleaning house, or spending good quality time with my family. I feel like all the life has been sucked out of me.......and then when the sun returns, I'm full of energy and fun again.

There's got to be something better than living like this, and until we do make the decision to move, there's probably another couple of winters to get through. I'm going to do more research, but I'd like some anecdotal evidence too if you can provide some.........I'm skeptical about the so-called geographical cure for ANYTHING, but I do want to hear from those of you who live, or have lived, where there's no real winter.

Thanks in advance to all who may post here. :)

[sockov, ADN, ASN, BSN, CNA, LVN]

I was born and raised in southern california. I moved to upstate NY 6 years ago. (long story).. and I developed SAD. Going from a sunny state to a cloudy, grey state really affected me. The thing that works great is tanning.

Just go for 8-10 min every other day to everyday. It really helps with the SAD. I call it "light therapy"

If you have SAD that bad, you should move to a sunny state for your own health.

:)

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Well, the allergies here in Florida are killing me right now....so I guess that it is a tradeoff.