SAD?

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Anyone else here have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)? I could really use some good advice on how to deal with it.

Sometimes I think I might but no clue on how to deal with it sorry. I know for my friend who has a quite severe case of it the only thing that worked for her was her "happy pills" (and when she was out it was quite noticable.)

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I've never been dx with SAD, but I'm pretty sure that the recurrent depression every winter since I was a teen (>12 years) can't be a co-incidence.

I deal with it by trying to take as much exercise as possible outdoors during what little light there is. If you can't exercise, at least spend time outside whenever you can.

You can easy make sure you're having plenty of fruit and veg. Lay off the booze too.

You can get light boxes (similar to a mini sunbed, for the face) that are supposed to really help - but I don't think you can beat the real thing - when it's available!

I just try and get out into the sun whenever I can.
I used to work outside, it was never a problem then. But this last winter I have been a bit miserable. If you aren't already, try taking a multi-vitamin once a day. I have found this helps a little.

Yes I was dxed more years ago then I want to admit. I was there on the early bus leaving when they "admitted to SAD existing".

I don't know that I handle it well. I try to spend as time in natural light as possible. I take St. Johns Wort when things are not too bad. I take perscription Zoloft when things are awful. I also try to reguate my diet and I use parts of the sugar addicts diet (http://www.radiantrecovery.com/1r.html) to help regulate my seritonan and I take vitamin D during the months with less sun.

The other thing I do is have a friend that understands and I use her as a safety valve when needed.

However, all this does not fix everything and I can be far down a bad road before I realize I forgot to take a pill.

Hope this helps

Y

My depression is usually at its worst from December to the first week of February. I think this partially due to coping with the Holidays, the accompanying changes in routine and notion that this is supposed to be a happy time of the year. My therapist said the end of the year is also a time of contemplating one's progress and if it's been an especially tough year, which it's usually for me, one tends to get discouraged and feels inadequate.

Another thing is that during those months, the days are shortest and we stay indoors more due to the cold, getting less physical activity and sunlight. So all these factors affecting someone who's already depressed make it even tougher to recover. For me, even my medication seems to conk out during this time.

What my therapist suggested I do is to stop being so hard on myself about what I didn't achieve that year and not to even make New Year's resolutions. As much activity outdoors as the weather allows also helps the brain in making seratonin. And sticking to routine during the Holidays helps the mind cope with the stress in seeing relatives and the party atmosphere that leads to stress. Leaving a holiday gathering or taking a time out if it gets to be too much is okay as well.

Hmm.. I'm worst from Christmas to Valentine's Day. After mid-Feb I start winding back down into my usual self. Must be the Florida weather.

I don't think I'm bad enough to diagnose/I don't think I have it, but on cloudy days I am noticeably less energetic, and get weak/dizzy more easily. The longer I go without seeing sun, the worse it gets. I'm actually on here after a long cloudy day trying to stay awake long enough to justify having gotten out of bed at all today (I'm close to being there) and feel like I could just curl up and collapse on the floor like my cat and sleep immediately. ((Of course I coudln't but ti feels that way.))