I hate winter. The most awful time of the year for me. Frigid temperatures, icicles, slippery pavement, mounds of snow, annual blizzards. It makes me miserable.

I wouldn't say I'm full-on depressed during the winter. However, anything that's normally not a trigger can be a trigger when I'm already miserable. So in other words, winter makes me especially sensitive to even minor changes that normally wouldn't bother me.



How do you feel about winter? Do you get annual depressive/manic episodes during that time?

I love winter

not only do the nights get darker earlier (which does wonders for my agoraphobia), but their is nothing like the feeling of sitting on a sofa on a cold evening with a cup of tea and a movie.

and let's not forget christmas- which, though I'm not a fan of, has it's advantages (the music, the lights, the chocolate)

i am generally more stable in winter months too

Originally Posted by raging vortex

I love winter

not only do the nights get darker earlier (which does wonders for my agoraphobia), but their is nothing like the feeling of sitting on a sofa on a cold evening with a cup of tea and a movie.

and let's not forget christmas- which, though I'm not a fan of, has it's advantages (the music, the lights, the chocolate)

I do love the lights and music -- that's true. I think Christmas is an exception, although I'm not a fan of the day itself either. I just like the lights mostly. Very pretty.

Glad you're more stable during the winter months. That's great!

Since I'm on disability, I don't have to drive in the snow. My husband's employer is also generous about snow closures. We have snow removal for our driveway and side walks so that's not an issue. We only need to clean off my husband's car. Mine is in the garage. We can sometimes get huge snow falls, but they aren't a very regular thing.

Looking back, my moods are not particularly bad during the winters, with some exceptions. I love wearing cozy warm clothes. I hate being hot in summers, so winter can be a relief. I love my fireplace burning. Though I'd rather Christmas gift giving be cut down a bit, I don't hate that holiday. I like that my husband is home a lot during that period.

The only risk to my moods in winter is at the very end of March or occasionally end of February. I have a very clear history of mood upswings, even to full blown mania, between March and the end of June. They can be euphoric, but often turn mixed, and maybe mildly to moderately depressed afterwards. So spring is my most vulnerable time, which is typical. I was not feeling that great for much of this summer, but wasn't exactly depressed. I was manic with mixed features and brief psychosis this past May 2018. Autumns are usually OK for me. I feel fine now, but am sleeping more than usual. I'm going to ask for a reduction in my Seroquel XR dose.

Though I've avoided near hospitalizations many times, again mostly in spring, my hospitalizations were in the following months, backing up the pattern I mentioned (had this list handy):

1. End of March 2006 Mania mixed
2. Early May 2006 Mania mixed (spent birthday there)
3. Mid July 2007 Depression severe
4. End June 2007 Mania mixed
5. End March 2008 Mania, with psychosis
6. End February 2009 Mania mixed, with psychosis
7. Mid March 2009 Mania mixed, with psychosis (5 days after discharge from # 6)
8. Early April 2009 Mixed, rapid cycling
9. Mid June 2009 Depression severe (ECT treatments)
10. End July 2009 Depression severe, with psychosis

SSDI

I have mixed feelings. I love snow, fireplaces, warm beverages, the holidays and such. I dont do well with the lack of day light, though my SAD lamp helps. I also hate the freezing cold.

[Blueberrybook]

Since I live in an area that is hot and humid a lot of the year, I actually don’t mind winter. It’s better than summer and late spring and early fall. Sometimes there will be an ice or snow event. Because it is so rare here, those conditions basically disable all of Houston and the surrounding area. There was some snow last winter (didn’t stick by late morning). Once there were flurries when I was in high school, and I remember I was in physical science class, and the teacher stopped the lesson and let us go outside. I remember one small snow event when I was around 10 years old.

On the other hand, I also remember a Christmas when I was in shorts. So winters tend to be mild, a break from the humidity though early spring and late fall tend to be my favorite times of the year here.

I hate all the Christmas fuss though. December is stressful on top of extended family Christmas, actual Christmas, my daughter’s birthday is mid-December, and she usually has a birthday party with kids from school. That party stresses me out so much every year. Tight finances make it hard as well.

[emgreen]

The winter darkness will kill me one day.

I know that the winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year, but when I think of winter, I don't think "dark". My state definitely gets plenty of precipitation, and the days are short come December/January, but many days are bright, and brightness with snow is like extra brightness sometimes. Even if it is somewhat cloudy, if there is snow on the ground it seems kind of bright to a degree, to me. We get enough snow that a lot of the winter there is at least some remnant of snow on the ground.

[Miss Laura]

I love winter... especially of we get snow. I love waking up to the sight of snow. I love the smell in the air.

I dislike.... the ice I'm scared in case I fall, the dark mornings as I struggle to get up, my mood tends to lower in the winter

I especially LOVE the fact Christmas is upon us.... but before Christmas in the UK we have Bonfire night on 5th Nov. Which is the best ever. Cold night standing at a fireworks display watching the display having a hot chocolate afterwards then we concentrate on Christmas.

[Wild Coyote]

While I think snow is often very pretty, I don't enjoy winters. It's too cold and the days are too short. I can also sink into a depression during the winter, despite using my light to fight SAD. I am glad when the holidays are over with.


WC

[Fuzzybear]

Hibernation

[Moose72]

I hate snow. Hard luck huh? I especially hate scraping the snow and ice off my car in bitter temperatures in the ddark. Enough said.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by emgreen

The winter darkness will kill me one day.

I'm sorry, em.

[*Laurie*]

Ha. Winter. What's that? We used to have nice winters...it would rain for 2 or 3 days at a time. I remember some winters when it rained for a whole week solid. Now? We're in the sixth year of drought. Last winter, there was one week in late December that was truly cold.
The only thing about winter that I dislike is that I miss it.

[BipolaRNurse]

I hate winter. Where I live, the winters are grey, rainy, and chilly; we occasionally get snow but it's the darkness that gets to me. I have to use a light box to avoid the depression. I love the holidays, it's just January and February that really drag me down. Yuck.

[wildflowerchild25]

I too hate winter. I hate snow (even though working in a school I get snow days) and I hate the cold. The darkness and all the trees being bare gets me down too. I tend to get depressed in the wintertime. And then I get hypomanic in early spring, followed by a crash into intense depression.

[~Christina]

I hate to sweat so I adore winter and all the clothes and stuff that goes with.

We don’t have much snow “typically “ where I live but 5 inches shuts the schools down lol

If we get a long stretch of gray days I feel a bit off.

I’m IP either in September or March it seems , hope I can avoid March this winter I refuse to go IP again in fear that my place of choice is full.

I love my winter wardrobe better than any other clothes lol

[downandlonely]

In Texas, we don't really have winter. Actually, I think we get SAD in the summer, because we stay inside with the air conditioning and don't get enough sun. In the "winter", the weather is pleasant, and we spend more time outside.

[yellow_fleurs]

I get depressed every winter, probably since I was 12 or so. Some years worse than others. Also don't tolerate cold well. That being said, I do enjoy snow and changing seasons. I try to do outdoor activities in the winter to stay active. Trying a light therapy lamp this year. Hope it helps!

[Wild Coyote]

Originally Posted by yellow_fleurs

I get depressed every winter, probably since I was 12 or so. Some years worse than others. Also don't tolerate cold well. That being said, I do enjoy snow and changing seasons. I try to do outdoor activities in the winter to stay active. Trying a light therapy lamp this year. Hope it helps!

I hope the light therapy gives you a boost!

WC

[pirilin]

Good. Until my pool gets cold. Bummer.

I hate Winter so much i fear it. I live in Ontario so we get really intense Winters. Hopefully with my new anti-depressant this Winter won't be so bad.

[Blueberrybook]

Originally Posted by downandlonely

In Texas, we don't really have winter. Actually, I think we get SAD in the summer, because we stay inside with the air conditioning and don't get enough sun. In the "winter", the weather is pleasant, and we spend more time outside.

I definitely agree with this, though my sister lives in the Dallas area, and they usually have a bit of snow and/or flurries each winter, which we don't get here. I think the Texas Panhandle area gets colder/sees more ice & snow too. I'm also in the Houston area (suburb of Houston) and near the Gulf of Mexico, a warm ocean in this area.

I agree, summer sucks. Sometimes I think there are just 2 seasons here - summer & not summer. It is still hot here though not as bad as July, August & September. This summer seemed hotter than usual, unless it was just my imagination. We usually go to California 2-3 weeks during the summer, but we didn't this year. We never get the noticeable night cooling & lack of humidity that happens in the LA area even over the summer.

[Row Jimmy]

I love the winter, especially cold and crisp sunny days. I'm a retired hockey player so most of my fondest memories of youth are brought on by the winter. The cold doesn't bother me - while I love places like Florida, I think it is better to warm up than it is to cool down. You can never get cool enough.