Never really gave it much thought before but after the shitty short summer we just had, now a miserable start to autumn, I feel like a miserable fucker. Couple of friends of mine said maybe you have SAD, so I looked it up.


Seasonal depression, often called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is a depression that occurs each year at the same time, usually starting in autumn and ending in spring. It is more than just "the winter blues" A rare form of SAD known as "summer depression," begins in late spring or early summer and ends in autumn.

Symptoms
People who suffer from SAD have many of the common signs of depression: Sadness, anxiety, irritability, loss of interest in their usual activities, withdrawal from social activities, and inability to concentrate. They often have symptoms such as extreme fatigue and lack of energy, increased need for sleep, craving for carbohydrates, and increased appetite and weight gain.

Symptoms of winter SAD include:

Fatigue
Increased need for sleep
Decreased levels of energy
Weight gain
Increase in appetite
Difficulty concentrating
Increased desire to be alone


It's more spot on than any horoscope, this is exactly how I feel, so it must be true, it’s official, I have SAD, now I am sad.

Anyone else SAD?

I am not surprised u get Seasonal Affective Disorder Syndrome living in this country!! I have constantly suffered from this since returning back here from the USA!!!

I get all the symptoms that u get due 2 the constant rain, dark gloomy days and the dampness!!

Also all my sinus problems have returned!! I get constant catarrh(sp)!!

I long for really long hot summers and also in the winters the beautiful deep snow!!!
[Edited 10/15/04 3:17am]

No disrespect man,but Media and other forums and such create names for things that are nothing but in your head, now im not saying your crazy oh no, but snap out of it,to be honest its nothing but getting whatever's bugging you out of your head.again not flaming or judging you, just tellin ya u cant let bullshit thats in your head get to you.it'll only bring u down deeper.

Gold319 said:

FFS, just F.O. back to the states then you miserable old witch
[Edited 10/15/04 3:19am]

Gold319 said:

the love you display for the UK is honestly really touching.

God bless you, Gold319.

REDBABY said:

REDBABY said:

I'm SAD but mine has nothing to do with the weather just the fact my mom will be here soon and she is scary



get a sun lamp they are supposed to help and get out into the gloomy sunlight as much as you can so your body can synthesize vitimin D

should make you feel better
[Edited 10/15/04 3:27am]

lollyp0p said:

Well, maybe God thinks she is a miserable f*cker who complains about the smallest things that He gives her sinus problems, TV problems, and hate for wherever she goes..

The joke;s on you honeybun!

Times like these maybe it's best for you to remember things that keep your spirits up.

Writing about things/venting is always a good way to get things out of you onto the paper and listening to your favorite music and remind yourself that it'll pass.

It's all in perspective and knowing that it's just a funk that with the right tools you can manage and handle till things pick up.

That or do what I do-post random nonsense on a message board until someone pays attention to you and equate that with the first real hug you've ever had in your life when all the other kids would be playing with their friends and you were left alone.

WELL NOT ANY MORE WORLD, SUB DOESN'T PLAY THAT GAME! YOU'RE GONNA RUN COME XMAS TIME! SANTA CAN'T GIVE YOU WHAT I WILL! YOU DESERVE IT ALL! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH!!!!!



Um, hang in there.




Naming names like edit.
[Edited 10/15/04 3:26am]

TheRealFiness said:

Thats what I think too, but man I am down. I have never looked into the media driven bulshit world of phycological disorders before. BUt this hit me like a fucking hammer. Work is building up, I can't get out of bed, can't be arsed to go to the pub (something has to be up with that). Normally I would agree with you, but at the moment stop flaming and judging me whne I am down

These syndromnes are defined by the factors that identify them. I have the symptoms ergo I have the syndrome, whether it is "all in my head" or not, it is still affecting my life. I have never thought about it before. Ther is no treatment so "snapping out of it" is the only option I just gotta find the trigger. Thanks for being frank.

I really miss the beautiful deep snow as well as the sub-zero temps, that we lived in when we were in Minnesota!! The thing is during that time I never had one bout of flu!!! I get flu here on an average of once every 6 weeks here!!!

The extreme freezing temps kill all the bad germs and also the brightness of the snow really brighten up a winters day, particularly if the sun is out as well, so no-one gets SADS even in winter there!!

subhuman09 said:

Cheers man,

PREDOMINANT said:

Just callin it like i see it, you'll be fine just take it one day at a time man, you'll be alright

PREDOMINANT said:

Anytime.

I used to get that when I lived in Nebraska. In all honesty, I think it has more to do with the mind associating something negative with a certain season than anything else. Winters in Omaha were always a bad time. We were pretty much holed-up at home, my mom was nuts and we couldn't get away from her, and school was in (which I always had problems with).

Since moving back to Texas, almost twenty years ago, I really haven't had those problems. Winters are much milder here, so we don't get stuck at home all the time. Likewise, it helps that I haven't lived with my mother! Since the things that I associate with winter have changed, so has my reaction to it. Its Pavlovian, more than anything.

Try breaking your routine, and introducing some new, positive elements to your winter.

Gold319 said:

i am NOT trying to be unkind ...

just expressing a theory i embrace ...

ever think that your outside "worlds" reflects how you feel inside

and if you change how you feel inside, your outside world would may seem better too ?



..
[Edited 10/15/04 6:08am]

just get a sunbed

JediMaster said:

I am already on the case, driving lessons ( long story) and gym! Cheers

IstenSzek said:

I have nowhere to put it?

Interestigly when I was in Finland the hotel had a little sun lamp in the corner and instructions on how to use it so that you didn't get SADs.

PREDOMINANT said:

Well, I have a sunbed in pillform

it's called "Cipramil" and it's a

serotonine re-uptake inhibitor

does wonders for you SAD

try also a all natural suppliment called

5HTP

IstenSzek said:

and

Mach said:

5HydroxyTriPtomene is Serotonin do I needs seoronin or do I not?

Why you just cheer up Mister!

well anything that boosts your serotonin levels
is gonna be ok

but you should never take such things without
talking to your doctor about it.

I mean, it's great to experiment yourself but
with things like this it's better to get some
good information and work out together with a
physician what is best for you.

plus, if you only suffer from a mild dip you
should not use anything like this.

I've suffered from chronic/endogenous depression
since very early childhood so for me, not taking
these anti-depressants is almost not an option,
since I go barking mad without them and fall into
a deep black hole of a depression.

Simple winter-depression can be cured with many
other things like

aroma therapie - smelling fresh fruits, burning citrus candles etc etc
lavender incensce

warm bath and/or douche can do wonders after a long dark depressing day
just put on some chill out music and relax in the bath with a fav drink

sunbed - as I said before, seems to work altho I shy away from them for
many reasons, one being that they allegedly cause skin cancer after too
much use. A few times a month seems to be ok tho

supplements - a vitamin supplement seems to work quite well for a lot of
people too. Stuff like vit C and such. Altho you're better of taking one
good multi-vitamin and mineral tablet than just one or two vitamins in a
high dosage since vitamins and minerals should all be in balance and if
you take huge doses of one, that could cause suppletion in others.

comedies - rent all those dumb summer comedies that came out on dvd while
you lay in the grass having fun outside. they're light and fun.

music - listen to your favorit summer songs from this year to kind of
stretch the summer a bit further into autumn

eat lots of fresh fruit. treat yourself to enough fresh fruit. pref about
two pieces every day. don't shy away from citrus or exotic fruit since
they all adhere to that summer feeling.

and try to make most of the dark, depressing weather outside. look at it
from the bright side:

if it's dark and rainy on your day off and you can't go anywhere, why not
make most of it and snuggle up on your couch or a fav chair and finally
start reading that good book you bought ages ago. Or fix yourself some
nice food and relax listening to music and just chatting with your spouse
(if you got one) or just play boardgames or stuff.

all pretty simple, and they're not all 100% effective. But a combination
of those can help you go a long way.

Muse2NOPharaoh said:

Thanks Muse


BUT..... Shirly Temple makes meee

IstenSzek said:

Wow, thats a lot of stuff - most of which I do already, I am a quite cheery chap most of the time. I always make time for myself and my wife, I eat well, I have never relied on supliments, which is why when this happened I was a bit . IT's a really interesting thing you said about summer fruits though, I will give that a go. I do avoid strawbs and the like in the winter cus it just doesn't feel right eating them.

Shit, I even change my beer with the seasons, first Guiness of the winter the other day - maybe thats what did it

PREDOMINANT said:

My form of sarcasm often runs under the radar! I hate blue feelings... they are a part of the human cycle though.... I like the concepts that Isten threw out.... I even watch the music I shove in my head if I am a bit off.... There is a great truth that these things effect mood....


Take another of these....

Muse2NOPharaoh said:

Ta again, a day in here has actually done wonders. Might go for a fridaynight pint

TheRealFiness said:

i've had problems through winter for years, ever since i was in high school, even before i knew "seasonal affective disorder" had a name, and it's something i still deal with to this day.

it's not a media-created fad with a crazy name. it's something that exists, and if you don't suffer from it, perhaps it's hard to take it seriously. and that's frustrating for people like me, who feel a definite change and keep getting told "it's all in your mind" or "it's just the winter blahs, get over it."

you know what, i would freakin' LOVE to get over it. but guess what? it's not as easy as "turn that frown upside down".

there's no "easy fix" for SAD - i've been trying to find it for over 17 years now, and it doesn't exist. maintenance drugs are too extreme, and i really only need help throughout autumn and winter. sun lights aren't effective enough - they're helpful but you can't really take them to work with you and you can't really create a successful substitute for the sun, let's be real.

the only real "solution" i've come across over the years is just to enjoy the spring and summer as much as i possibly can - it's when i wake up and come to life and enjoy every moment - and prepare for what's inevitably going to happen with my body and mind when the days get darker and shorter. i focus more on being extroverted and active in spring and summer, and i focus more on being more of a homebody during the winter - i cook more, i read more, i do stuff for my home, stuff like that...

i think the most important thing for people who suffer from SAD is to keep the mind occupied, and not to fight the "blahs" too much by fixating on how to "overcome" the feelings. i think the more you try to fight what's going on in your body, the worse it gets. just try to roll with the punches, and find ways to make it less painful for yourself. find things that will keep you preoccupied and not focused on the SAD. get some video games for the winter, or get a book of crossword puzzles, or finally decide to read that long series of mystery novels you said you were always gonna read...stuff like that. i always look for "projects" that will keep my hands and mind busy during the darker months, and it seems to get me through with a minimum of internal drama.

but for those who don't have SAD and don't understand it, it's important to take seriously those who do suffer from it. it's not fun and it takes a lot of patience and understanding to grasp what's going on with us when summer ends and the days get darker and colder. it's not a "trend" and it's not a "gimmick". it's real.

believe me, i don't get depressed in the winter because i think it's hip.