Has seasonal affective disorder affected you yet this year?

As silly as (I think) they look, I'm going to look in to buying the visor with the light built in.

Trying to sit under this lamp at the right distance, with my body at the proper angle, eyes not looking directly in to the thing, etc. Grrrrrr.

Phooey. I should be able to try out for Cirque du Soleil at this point.

I have a disposition to chronic depression, but it becomes worse in the winter. I do not bring it up as a separate topic in my GP's office. I am on antidepressants already and since my GP is such a pill-supporter, I'm afraid he will put me on more meds. Then there will come a trial and fail period, that might make the depression worse if it doesn't work.

Last year I came through the SAD period by lowering my own expectations to myself in that period. That worked fine; I didn't become totally free from the Winter-depression, but felt more relaxed.

I'm recently in a "bump". Have not watched out for the symptoms this week, have skipped the dishes, have skipped meals and more. It looks like a bomb has fallen down here and that is not the best for my depression. I feel this inner anger as if I'm locked in in my depression. Sadly the anger is directed at myself, no self-harm, only this "I don't care" attitude.

Of course I know that it is not my fault that I have SAD, but still this happened. I think I have to forgive myself, tell myself that I understand that I want to fight back, but that sabotaging myself is not a good way. I have to say to myself that now when this has happened I have to walk step by step, slowly, to make my surroundings nice again. I have stopped doing physical exercises as well and is very frightened that the snow will come and make my jogging impossible. May be the best is to start jogging again in a slow tempo and at not so long a distance as before.

Hugs would be fine!

Wish everybody on the thread all the best.

I have SAD. I noticed my depression started to get worse when it started getting dark at 4:30pm. Now I have sunk into a deep depression. This time of year with the holidays also makes my depression worse.

I have made it so far, but low in energy. I take my D-vitamines. This day I will try to start with physical exersices again.

SAD has definitely hit me and hard. I am managing to make it to work, but that is about it. I feel so hopeless today, but I'm trying not to get stuck in the spiral. As for sunlamps, I got one last year from Amazon.com for about $50, so you might check into that. I need to get another one for my office at work. I have never tried Vitamin D, so I might give that a go. Hang in there friend, sunshine has got to return sometime.

Singer, I can definitely relate...

I have hit a bump in the road myself...struggling to make it to class and getting homework done. I told my boss what's been going on, and she told me to take as long as I need to feel better, so that's off my plate for a little while (granted, it's an unpaid internship...). Have a trip planned over winter break to the Caribbean, so I'm definitely looking forward to that (Last year, my husband and I went to Panama for a business trip, and since it made me feel so good to see sunlight in the winter, we've decided to try to make it an annual thing).

My T said something to me last week that did make me feel a bit better... She was telling me that I need to be honest with myself, accept that I have SAD, stop pretending that it won't happen every year (I have tendency to think "This year, I'm doing great! I won't have any problems!" and then BAM!). And then she said to tell my professors ahead of time, when I'm doing well, because they'll see me doing well, and think "She's going to have trouble? If you say so..." but then not be surprised when I do start having trouble. I'm not sure I said all that in a way to make anyone feel better, but the way she said it definitely helped me.

Hugs, everyone.

How are you doing Nike007?

Hi RomanSunburn, I so agere with your T about that one has to be honest about SAD. It will come back year after year after year. Last year I decided to lower my expectations to myself and rested a lot, did everything in the advent season in a tempo that was OK for me. That helped a lot. I'm trying the same this year and feel that acsepting myself the way I am makes the depression more easy to live with.

I am okay. A lot has happened lately. I don't feel super depressed at the moment, but it could happen soon. I am not sure. The weather is really cold today and was raining yesterday and that was kind of terrible so...

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

it's weird i was convinced i had the reverse where the summer got me more depressed. but idk all the darkness it seems to take forever to get light in the morning. maybe i'm just depressed all the time. but yeah the darkness and cold are making me more miserable today, plus the rain.

Hi Singer,

It's rough for college students (I am one, but I'm also close to 30, so...). When the clocks change is when midterms start. The darker it gets, the more work you have to do. I am hopefully graduating this May, but if I don't, I'll need to start thinking about fall classes in March. So it's almost like guessing how you will be in almost a year (8 or 9 months?). I think now that I've finally accepted that I have it, it's real, it's going to affect me every year, I like to think I could plan better. But at the same time, it's hard to be optimistic and realistic at the same time...

Hi Nike,
Good to hear that you are OK!

Hope you will feel better soon, Smileonmyface!

Hi RomanSunburn,
I remember that it was a rough time being a student in the winter time, especially because the exams were in January. When I started to work, it was still hard because there was much more work to do in December than in the rest of the year. I try to make the D milder by spending almost an hour a day (lunch hour) in day light, doing physical exersices, taking D vitamins and doing relaxation exersices. I have found my new attitude about acsepting myself the way I am helpful. Consentrate on your studies and don't be ashamed over anything outside of that wich you don't have energy to do.

Will think about you in this examen time of yours!

I dug this thread up - how is everybody doing?

I am doing not great at all. These short, dark, dark days. I can barely get up in the morning. I deal with extreme dry eye; I find that my eyes just can't take the brightness of the light therapy lamp when I first wake up (which is when you need to use it.)

My God, it's only mid-December. Get me out of here. I want the SUN SUN SUN.

I am actually doing better than I thought I would be. It is getting darker, and I've just started vitamin D pills. It's not cold, luckily. I do feel lower than my normal mood is (which already is quite low), but my anxiety is elevated a lot more lately so my depression is mainly reflecting on that. I don't feel slow yet, but I feel myself slowly cracking. Life is not favouring me right now. But I have come to realize lately that I've hated myself for a long time.

I am going to ask my pdoc about light therapy and SAD. Anyways, stay strong .

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

You have a special place in my heart - you're so young...I hate when youth is troubled by sadness, anxiety, pain. I wish (though I am aware it's not the reality) that all youth could be care-free, innocent, un-broken.

Thanks for replying.

I have much of that indeed. It just seems that people neglect me in my mental state. My mom, once again, made fun of my social anxiety when I have told her countless times not to.

And I wish that would happen to. It's hard to be unbroken in this world though. Most people aren't sheltered anymore.

Thanks. You seem like a nice person. There is just so much that I feel is wrong with me that I want to help with, but no one believes me really and ignore it.

Talking to people is nice, so thanks for writing .

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

any time, hon. Any time.

I have not been so bothered with the "winter blues" as I expected. I feel like standing at a cross road now, however. I have felt more depressed than usual for two days. I think I need to plan carefully for the next days to avoid sinking deeper into it.

Nike,

My mother never understood my troubles either and she never will. (I am grown up). I understand how you feel! Some parents just don't get it. Send you good wishes!

Despite my use of a therapy lamp, the long nights have finally won out

SAD has hit me hard already this year. I was just hospitalized for suicidal ideation and a lot of it was because it was so blah over Thanksgiving break. I am now on VitaminD and am planning on getting a new sunlamp for my work space. I 'm going to overhaul my office during the holidays, so I can cope better with the season. Blessings to all.

Aww, I'm sorry. Hopefully vitamin D and the sun lamp will help. And do change your work to accommodate your depression .

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg