Seasonal Affective Disorder

The doctors appointment didnt go well at all.

I told him I think I have SAD and he asked "Where on earth did you get that silly idea?"

I explained I can't stop crying, neglect my hygiene, feel very low...He basically said I was just lazy and we are all a bit depressed in winter EVEN THOUGH I said I was perfectly fine in summer. He even admitted himself he uses a light box. Cutting a long story short he said that I'd just have to learn to live with it. He prescribed some pills to help wake me up in the morning though.

So I've come back in tears. No one's listening to me. I cannot go on like this knowing I feel like this every winter. Every winter it gets worse

 

Well, the doctor is right, and I said it before, everyone begins to get lazy and depressed in the winter. It's up to you to subconsciously set your mind to it and then think about it eveyrday before it begins to manifest and become a real issue, which is what you're doing.

Instead of trying to figure out your issue, fake your mind out and ignore it. The moment you are feeling that way, attune yourself to something else. I'll say it again, YOU have NO idea HOW STRONG the mind YOU have IS. Only you can change your ways or see past it.

Out of curiosity, what kind of pills did he prescribe you with to help in the morning? I'd assume some sort of upper like an Adderall, but for all I know it is Wellbutrin. I'd research it heavily whatever it is..

Also, we are all alike, we all get these feelings to a certain degree in the winter, DONT DWELL on them. This is where things can go wrong.

I think my last suggestion would be to move to a place where the weather is always warm, or better yet, when is the last time you've been on a vacation?

Peace/Love

 

Oddly enough SAD symptoms can be related to other oddities. I was talking to my doc about SAD (my doc recognizes it as real) and he mentioned an antedote about his brother-in-law who would get SAD every winter - then he ditched dairy and it never came back.

The others summed it up pretty good though: Sun, fresh air, excersize, diet and a good dose of mind over matter (for me: some CBT, NLP tricks to help with depressive flare ups)

I don't know what's available in the way of outdoor activity, but public skating is great. Force yourself to get up and do it! - Getting out the door is the hard part, once you're out and doing stuff, you'll feel so much better. I like the dog walking 'cause it's solitary with random cheerful encounters. I'll be trying indoor public skates this year as it's gets hard to walk the dog during the -40 month.

Thinking about hitting the tanning beds this winter myself.

Best of luck! Keep fresh!

 

Last time I went away was July 2001. It's too expensive to go away and the UK is miserable. I wish I could emigrate 6 months of the year. I do an hours walking up at the local country park a day to help. Can't skate as I'm disabled.... Scoliosis really affects my balance in stuff like high heels and skates... I'm a lost cause!! Nah. What I'm doing is putting songs on my mp3 player that remind me of summer and they give me a slight boost.

The vitamin supplements I'm taking are helping a bit too. But god I wish I could feel happy all year round like my husband does. The meds the Drs put me on Dosulepin. Which I believe is an antidepressant...And helps me to sleep... But I told him I had difficulty waking up I have no problems going to sleep.

 

is your heating gas or electric? i'd make sure you're home gets air flow and isn't sealed up super tight all season long. personally i feel that "seasonal disorder" or what have you is a load of shit and one more thing for lots of people to make lots of money off of.

 

It's both gas and electric. This is an issue for me because, as I said in an earlier post If I go out it takes me up to four hours to warm up. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhh Anyway. I can now afford a light box which I will be getting..

I'm not going to go on the anti depressants. Lots of people on other forums have said that it doesn't help and makes them so much groggier. That's all I need what with me feeling like I'm rousing from General Anesthestic (Dr Said they'd help me wake up but...How if they're supposed to be for people with problems sleeping which I don't have.) I feel like this Dr doesn't listen. And although It may not be SAD, He could at least not lie and give me something which WILL actually wake me up. Time to look for another doctor but it'll be hard trying to find a native English doctor. (I have real trouble understanding non natives because my hearing is going, not because I'm racist or anything like that)

 

You're definitely already too set on finding a drug to help you with your issues. Drugs don't fix problems, they cover them, and only temporarily, it's up to you to find and make the change. The only drugs that would "wake you up" in the morning are uppers (speed) like Adderall or Ritalin...even so, most doctors don't just prescribe such a med that easily, and I doubt (and hope) you wouldn't choose a speed addiction. The only drugs doctors will prescribe you are SSRI's, which the one already did.

If you aren't aware of it, psychiatry is a big hoax.

Good luck with the light box, it brings up an idea with me that the new "fluorescent" lighting that's so popular these days could possibly play a big role on emotions, and negatively. Maybe you sit in an office all day, everyday, in that white, bland, fake sun fluorescent lighting, and don't even realize how those lights make you feel, kind of faking the outside...who knows? Could fluorescent lighting be the cause of a lot of mental issues these days?

EDIT: I just found a plethora of articles on Google about fluorescent lighting causing depression in schools and even prisons. http://www.consumerhealth.org/articles/display.cfm?ID=20000102232127

You may very well just be in-tune with the sun and noticing it on a human being mental level..

 

All drugs? Or just anti-depressants and such?

Have been following this thread carefully because I think most the advice given has been really helpful.....but do you believe both these statments?

Not looking for an argument - just interested!!

 

Well these days anything that alters the state of mind is called a drug, whether it be anti-depressants or marijuana, or even caffeine and alcohol. The things is, all 'drugs' only can alter the state of mind for a limited time, in this time you may feel relieved or more aware of certain things in your life, and you may feel healed. But the truth is, no 'drug' will work forever. No SSRI user will be healed for life from their issues. SSRI's are actually complete opposite and a new age thing. SSRI's only stay working for as long as you take them. And during this time you can assess for yourself if the drug is doing more harm than good, which more than usually is the case.

The thing is you have a mind. You have a thinking process and you can control it yourself. ALL drugs, for an instant, will give you a relief, but it is YOUR goal to find out what the relief is from. Most people will just get comfortable on drugs (prescribed or not) to ignore their underlying illness, and that's the life they choose.

When the goal in the first place is just to be cured, man would rather be comfortable and numb, and let life blow by...

Eventually you lose yourself, you forget who you are, you lose your own tastes, you'll conform to everyone else, and grow old, tired, and grouchy..

But if the original posters craving for this is so severe, then well so be it, but I promise in a few years the realization will hit that a life spent on SSRI's is no different than that spent on marijuana or being an alcoholic..

Now, Psychiatry is different than psychology. Most of my replies have just been modern-psychology. Me saying psychiatry is a hoax, is expressing my belief that medicine is not as needed to cure as much a pep-talk or self-realization is. Psychology seemed to have switched gears over the years and pushed to medicine as being an easier and more effective treatment of human problems.

I appreciate your observation
God bless.

 

Good points, so what you're saying is that meds/drugs whatever are just treating symptoms and ignoring the underlying cause of the illness.... (speaking only about psychiatric drugs of course.....!)

Your point about psychaitry being more about pills then actual therapy is somewhat true; but take my word for it, a good psychaitrist will not jump to their prescription pad! - only the lazy ones! In fact the only medicine a good doctor will prescribe if needed is a good pep talk!

You seem to have a flare for psycology! useful talent!

Peace

 

I'm not necessarily looking for a drug just anything that will wake me up really so I don't miss anymore uni. I don't do office work purely because every time I've had an office job I've been bullied and it's not a great feeling doing repetitive work knowing everyone is talking behind my back. On the whole I want to steer well clear of antidepressants, I've been on them before and they've made me 100 times worse. And I definately won't be going down the speed route. I'd rather be depressed than end up killing myself.

I'm going to take on your advice Snocbar and try to alter the way my mind feels right now. I'll be trying this for the next four weeks. I will admit I was kinda shocked that he would readily supply me with antidepressants when my medical notes state that antidepressants will make me worse, every time I've been on them I've had suicidal thoughts and that is not only unfair to me but unfair to my husband who would have to pick up the pieces.

You state that I could just be in tune with the sun and noticing it on a mental level. Can you explain this further? Thanks

 

If you truely have S.A.D, the best and most effective treatment, like others have said, is light therapy. Go tanning (no not to get tan, wear sunskin to block the bad stuff and still allow the good to get in). I've seen silly old psych videos of little kids in Russia standing around sun lamps for their light therapy in their underwear haha, but really, it works! But this is only if you truly have S.A.D and are not suffering from depression/dysthymia. I'm sorry your doctors arnt listening to you I've experienced similar reactions from doctors and its terribly discouraging, but be persistant, don't give up, and force the doctors to listen!

 

If you think about it, once upon a time not long ago, people were struggling in the winter to just stay warm, or even have shelter. There are people existing on this planet today who are stuck in the cold without a meal.

Sometimes you just have to appreciate all you do have before cracking open your head and figuring out problems, or bringing yourself down with bogus diagnoses.

We are spoiled in this day and age...if you can realize this, you're golden.

Be attune with nature, your true-being, realize all that you have, take a step back and look inward...I can go on for days.

Peace

 

snocbor - this is excellent advice! If only we would appreciate the cold season as much as the warm season we would be twice as happy! Good luck!

 

Something I just read which I though was interesting....suicide rates are higher in summer than in winter!

Not what you would think!

 

"I'll wait til summer to see what happens."

I think that makes sense for all those people in the winter who suffer and fall into the negative mind-state almost permanently, they rely on summer to bring them out of this state but when summer comes and it's not as much a positive change as they'd like or hope (mostly because they are expecting it to change like the flick of a switch) and not work with it and change themselves, they quickly realize the weight of it all and give up, sadly.

God bless

 

Yes yes yes... this makes sense along with so many other responses here. Maybe the key is as simple as planning a busier routine during the chilly months that gets you out and about each day- a brisk morning walk and meeting a friend for coffee- then journal your thoughts and feelings (or otherwise write) around your classes (don't skip your classes!). Go to the library and compile a list of books then spend time AT the library reading them. Spend as much time as possible in brightly lit areas doing things and as little time actively being depressed. The key I think is to get yourself out of the environment and occupy your mind on something other than dwelling on your supposed depression. It's a hell of a lot cheaper and easier on your health than a drug or UV radiation..