Seasonal Affective Disorder?

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post it, but here goes. It's getting colder here in Australia, and already I feel kind of...not depressed as such, but...lethargic, a bit stressed, a bit anxious that I have of late, a bit blah. I never really gave much thought to seasonal affective disorder before, but I've noticed a pattern. In 2012, I felt terrible during winter months. In 2013, I got worse when the weather got colder. In 2014, I went a little bit nuts when it got cold. And now, in 2015, I can already feel it getting to me. Winter = depression and sadness for me.

It's a smell in the air that gets to me. I can't even describe it properly, but its this smell in the air at nighttime that I associate with sickness and sadness. I'm not able to explain it in words. Sometimes it doesn't even make sense in my own mind.

But the question is, is this what seasonal affective disorder is? And if it is that...how in the world do I control it so it doesn't affect me as much as it does? I'm already on medication but despite that it still gets to me. Perhaps not as bad as it was before I started on antidepressants, but it's still there, waiting for the chance to rear its ugly little head.

So, any advice?

The treatment that I see most people discussing is light boxes. Apparently if you're bipolar, you shouldn't go DIY on this, because it has the potential to make you manic. (I just read that on the Mayo Clinic web site - hadn't heard that before.)

If you've seen a pattern for the last few years, it would be well worth discussing it with your meds prescriber. There's lots of info. online about light boxes.

Hi, have you tried light therapy? There are lamps you can get that are supposed to counteract the loss of daylight. I have SAD too especially bad this past winter. I hope you feel better, wish I were more help.

It sounds like it could be SAD. I have an SAD component as well in addition to MDD and use light therapy in the winter. Most studies show light therapy to be the most effective treatment for SAD. You can buy them on amazon (I don't know if that's available in Australia). You want a light that has at least 10, 000 lux of light for 30 min/day. I turn mine on while I'm getting ready in the morning, I don't usually get a full 30 min, but I still think I get a benefit. This is the first winter I've used it faithfully and also the first winter I haven't been totally miserable. Still struggled more than in the spring/summer, but less so than in previous winters, so I think it's helping. It's definitely not hurting anyway...

Get a happy light. Mine is from Verilux and I really like it. I got mine this winter and it helped! I also exercise several times a week and that has been the biggest help. I also take vitamin B3 5,000 units and I begin in fall.

This winter because of exercise I was able to avoid prescription meds!