[emgreen]

Next weekend marks the end of daylight savings time. The time change always messes with my moods. The fact that it will get dark an hour earlier at night is a depressing prospect. In addition, November is the cloudiest month of the year in Michigan...It has something to do with the colder winds going over the warmer water in Lake Michigan. In Michigan - as is the case in most of the northern U.S. & in Canada - don't forget that all the leaves will be gone soon & the trees, ground & all the world will be grey. I'm just a cheery SOB today, huh?

For most people SAD starts a few months later than it does for me. I've already got my light box fired up in the morning to prepare for next weekend. On the bright side (for me at least) the first few snows tend to make everything a bit brighter during the day...but the daylight hours will be dwindling until the Winter Solstice on December 21st. Nature can sure play hell with the mood...& I'm sure I'm not alone in this respect.

[UpDownAround]

It's next weekend; all the way into November now. It messes with my mood big time. I have a light box on my Christmas list. I will sit back with it on, my infra red heater on and play wave sounds sitting in a beach chair with my eyes closed. For a better shot at feeling better about it, I am planning a long weekend in Kissimmee in January.

[HALLIEBETH87]

Well here where I am in Kentucky we have a cold front today and snow flakes in the am! Dreading it!

[Sunflower123]

I’m not looking forward to it. I count on the summer sunshine to “shore” me up but this summer was excessively cloudy, rainy and cool. I already have my sun lamp going. My SAD usually hits in late November so I have a few weeks to try to “shore” myself up. It’s been sunny here and I’ve been getting out each day. The thing I count on though (water aerobics at the Y) is out for the month of November for pool renovations. Not helpful.

Still not looking forward to it. Hope everyone gets through the coming season smoothly and it turns out better for all of us.

Oh, man, already? I can barely see our from my desk as it is—just a sliver, and it’s no where near the window, so it is artificial light for me all day. Now darkness for the trip home.

Sigh.

[UpDownAround]

Originally Posted by HALLIEBETH87

Well here where I am in Kentucky we have a cold front today and snow flakes in the am! Dreading it!

That's worse than the missing sunshine. I can get out for lunchtime walks on the nicer sunny days, but cold weather makes my joints hurt. As I have aged, I notice it is harder to get warm again after I get cold also. Like getting in a cold car; even if it warms up in 5 minutes and I drive for half an hour with it at 75 or so and then go into a 72 degree office with long sleeves on, it will take quite a while before I really feel warm again.

[BipolaRNurse]

I hate it when Daylight Saving Time ends. I wish the powers that be would just leave us on that all year round, instead of switching back and forth. I am extremely sensitive to changes in the light and I live in the Pac NW where it's cloudy and rainy so much of the time in the fall and winter months. I have a light box which helps somewhat. I haven't needed to use it yet because our weather has been mostly spectacular for October, but that'll change when the rain starts next week and we go back to standard time. I hate it when it's dark by 4:30 PM.

[scatterbrained04]

I think it's really going to mess me up this year more than other years. My body has been wanting to go to sleep an hour earlier and wake an hour earlier. So once it changes I'll be 2 hours off lol. I really hate time changes.

[liveforsummer]

Dreading it

[fishin fool]

I hate it, nothing worse than short days and cold weather.
Lack of sunlight is terrible. It always seems to be grey.
I already miss the summer.

Same here. I leave for work in the dark and come home in the dark. For four months. It is like I am in hell. It feels like a monster hanging over me for much longer than four months. I hate it. Every year the spring feels like I am let out of my cage.

[Victoria'smom]

I'll be worrying because my son doesn't get home until 9:30 at night and the darker days give me more time to worry about him. Even though it gets dark around 7 now. I just don't like it.

[~Christina]

I say split he difference and leave it be year round !

[greentires4me]

We had a awesome summer except for the forest fire season here that started in May! Since then October has had 3 weeks of rain and it's suppose to be warm and sunny until Wednesday! Woot woot!

I used to live somewhere it was winter 9 months of the year with white stuff and everything.

Really I could care less about the snow I rather have it so that then rain...ew yuck!!!

[UpDownAround]

As much as I dislike cold, if it is going to be freezing I like having some snow. Just not poorly timed and/or so much that it paralyzes the area with bad road conditions.

Originally Posted by UpDownAround

As much as I dislike cold, if it is going to be freezing I like having some snow. Just not poorly timed and/or so much that it paralyzes the area with bad road conditions.

My largest concern with snow and cold weather is power outages and that doesn't bother me too much but worry about pipes bursting.

I just hate being trapped by bad weather.

[UpDownAround]

So I tried my idea of relaxing in front of my InfraRed (fan less) heater and used an Ott Lite as a stand in for a light box. I used a beach chair that is low to the floor and is a seat and reclining back; feet go out in the sand. That way the heat and light sources on the floor were at a reasonable angle. I felt a little like an idiot sitting down until I leaned back and closed my eyes. It's a pretty darn accurate mock up of a warm sunny day. The heat with the light gave me the sensation of sun on my face. the heat alone, which I have tried before, didn't quite do that.

[Naynay99]

I'm worried. There's definitely a seasonal component to my illness.
I think starting next week daylight savings time I am gonna start actually using my light box. Last year I didn't use it consistenty bc my pdoc said it had to be in the AM and I could never wake up early to do it before work. But another pdoc told me it can still help later in the day as long as it's not really late so I'm gonna try after work at 3 pm and see if it helps at all. My current pdoc just googled light boxes and printed me something from the internet bc he doesn't know anything about them. I suppose until they can charge you to stare into amlihht box at their office it isn't really a financially beneficial solution for drs and big pharma.
AnywY I am gonna try to get some real sunlight every day if possible too. I love fall but dread the coming winter. Usually Jan- march kicks my asss.
AnywY take care all.

[UpDownAround]

I hear you on Jan-March. They cut Feb down to 28 days and it is still too damn long.

[Pookyl]

I've got the time change blues and I'm going into summer. I was so sick last summer that I'm dreading this one.

[xRavenx]

I have issues with seasonal depression. As it is getting darker out earlier here, I am already dreading it. I love the beautiful autumn leaves and sun, but as the days get shorter, my depressive signs start to increase. I like Fall clothes, and even some of my winter clothes, but aside from that, winter causes me a lot of depression and anxiety. It feels like it will never end. The unfortunate thing is, I am forced to accept that the worst is yet to come in my case, since it is a known trigger of mine and hasn't hit me hard just yet. I expect that it will, as it gets darker and colder.

[emgreen]

Originally Posted by xRavenx

I have issues with seasonal depression. As it is getting darker out earlier here, I am already dreading it. I love the beautiful autumn leaves and sun, but as the days get shorter, my depressive signs start to increase. I like Fall clothes, and even some of my winter clothes, but aside from that, winter causes me a lot of depression and anxiety. It feels like it will never end. The unfortunate thing is, I am forced to accept that the worst is yet to come in my case, since it is a known trigger of mine and hasn't hit me hard just yet. I expect that it will, as it gets darker and colder.

BOOM! I agree with you right down the line...including your observations about fall & winter clothes. They make me feel more insulated & somehow "safer" in regards to the outside world...What a strange concept. Never thought of that one in that way before. One thing you didn't mention is a light box. I don't know if it's just psychosomatic, or something, but some bright light in the morning beats the hell out of darkness (both outside & internally). I dread the days ahead, too, xRavenx.

[CaminoDeOro]

I'm in the minority I think because not only does the light change not affect my mood, but I love the Pacific Northwest rainforest gloom all winter! If you want to know my secretly held stereotypes, I would be a bit of a goth and more than a bit a treehugger! I love the aesthetic and it feels (and smells) like the earth is regenerating around me and preparing to EXPLODE in spring as the Pacific Northwest does.

That being said, the time change itself is terrible for 3-7 days and can cause noticeable ripples in my mood. I keep it more toward the 3 days end of that spectrum by being very strict about my light exposure and melatonin timing for a week before and after.

What the winter low light does affect is my energy level. Oddly enough I don't get any more depressed than any other time of year, I'm just more tired and want to stay in a lot. Also more likely to lose my sleep cycle due to the lack of sun sync.

SAD-type lighting helps SO MUCH. I am absolutely fanatical about it, it's on a timer 7am to 5pm whether I'm awake or not - my reasoning is the sun doesn't stay down if I decide to oversleep and neither should my circadian lighting. I actually just moved one light a lot closer to my face where I sleep due to unrelated reasons and I'm waking up faster now.

Whether or not you make your work/living area BRIGHT all day or just use a box in the morning, folks... it can help so much if you use it very consistently and it is bright enough. Go dig it out and put it on a timer! PM me if you want tips on setting up artificial daylight with inexpensive lamps and bulbs. I am so glad to help.

[~Christina]

I don’t have much trouble “ normally”

But right now I’m a train wreck so who knows this go around

[CaminoDeOro]

I'm staying at the house of some friends for a few days and they really like to keep the sensory input low, so their house is DARK and also always cold when it's not summer because they are frugal to a near painful degree.

I brought a 15 watt "daylight" LED flood light with me and have it pointed at my face on the couch. I am so thankful for my 2 foot circle of reasonable illumination. Oh my god I'd be feeling so much worse without it right now. It's like an ice cave in here.