[uneasy]

Hello everyone. I'm new to the group. I have bipolar with SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and have trouble finding support for this combination of disorders. No professional wants to help me. Bipolar support groups do not understand me. Neither do friends or family. When the sun starts setting earlier, even in the end of summer, I become hypomanic, lose a lot of things, have some depression over my inability to focus. Tasks that need to get done by a deadline are hard to finish. I become very fearful and irritable. Can anyone relate to me?

[Victoria'smom]

My previous psychiatrist said I had SAD too. He use to raise my antidepressant before winter even started.

[Miss Laura]

I've been told by my Psychiatric Nurse that I have SAD. But tbh I don't think I do. Yeah I depressed in Winter as does 99.9% of Scotland's population as sometimes our Winter is bad. Yeah I get manic in the Summer but wouldn't you if you hadn't seen proper daylight in months??? I told him I was depressed 2 years ago in the Summer. He said it was SAD. I was like but I'm always manic. He said it can go either way. I'm not officially diagnosed ie it's not on my file as a definite diagnosis I don't think. I can't take anti-depressants as I go manic so when I do get depressed be it proper full blown suicidal depression or seasonal depression I just have to ride it out. Which is really difficult. But I can't take meds for it so I just have to grin and bare it unfortunately.

[Blueberrybook]

Welcome to the forum. I hope you will find a lot of support here

I don't have SAD, but I wonder if I would if I lived in a different climate. I live close to Houston. A lot of late spring, all of summer, most of fall is hot, but our winters tend to be very mild in comparison to other places. If snow flurries & ice happen here (this is an event of about every 10 years), it pretty much shuts down Houston & the whole of the area. Living so far south, yes, we have shorter days, but not as bad as living north.

I'm not officially diagnosed with SAD, but it has come up. I use one of those SAD lamps every day in the winter and it makes my life so much better. They come with a warning that you can go manic using them, but I've been fine.

[luvyrself]

Originally Posted by uneasy

Hello everyone. I'm new to the group. I have bipolar with SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and have trouble finding support for this combination of disorders. No professional wants to help me. Bipolar support groups do not understand me. Neither do friends or family. When the sun starts setting earlier, even in the end of summer, I become hypomanic, lose a lot of things, have some depression over my inability to focus. Tasks that need to get done by a deadline are hard to finish. I become very fearful and irritable. Can anyone relate to me?

—- sounds like you have bipolar mixed states. That means you can be both ends at the same time and rapid cycling. Idon’t think the sad will help u predict this except that seasonal changes will cause increased and faster cycling.Track your moods to find your triggers in addition to the sad.EMoodTracker for bipolar is an easy one.When u see yrself rapid cycling, cut down yr stress. Try to stay consistent with the absolute musts for mood control— vigorous exercise, routines, consistent friends who get what u r going thru, a lot of stress relievers/hobbies , a rewarding role in life. I retired and moved cities. I am on this same quest. Workbooks are great. U can message me. Wish they would ping us when we have a message. Hugs!

I've never been diagnosed with SAD, but I do find my BP flares up in October/November and again when mud season comes around.

[BipolaRNurse]

I don't have a formal diagnosis of SAD, but I have it and it's bad. I've been hypomanic on and off since mid-March, which is perfectly normal for me because I usually get that way around the same time every year. Then in late fall and winter, I become depressed. I live in the Pacific NW where it's gloomy and rainy most days during the winter, and I use a HappyLight every morning to keep the down cycle from getting too bad. My pdoc knows this and has prescribed thyroid medication of all things to help with the depression, and believe it or not it works...I wasn't depressed at all last winter.

So definitely, you have my sympathies. I think there are a lot of us around here with the same complaint. Hugs.

[seoultous]

I have SAD. I start my light box in September and use it until April. To keep depression at bay in the winter, my PDOC prescribed ritalin. The combination of light and stimulant really worked this winter.

[~Christina]

I have SAD also ... I always stumble and wobble in the winter, that’s usually when I need to go Ip it’s always September/October or February/March