Does anyone here suffer from SAD? And how do they deal with it?

[orangina]

I'm pretty sure that I have been suffering from this for years... I don't think it's just a question of feeling a bit shit in the winter, it is definitely more pronounced than that. I wonder who else suffers from it and how you deal with it.... I remember reading about someone here who went on seasonal ADs, and frankly that solution is looking ever more appealling.....

Any experiences anyone? Thanks...

[georgiemum]

You can get a light-box - I know someone who uses it all throught the winter and it seems to help.

[Shitemum]

Aren't those daylight bulbs supposed to help?

[motherinferior]

Ah. Yes. This is something I know a bit about, both work and non-work. The thing that really does appear to work is bright light, the sort that's produced by a light box - you need it on a couple of hours a day. Also getting natural light in the mornings - glass cuts out a surprising amount you need the real stuff. (All this is according to the amazingly wonderfully titled Professor of Circadian Neurology at Oxford.) Exercising in the morning will help re-set your body clock too (because essentially what's happening is we're lurching around constantly slightly jet-lagged as our systems lose the plot on account of lack of light).

I can dig out the longer piece I did if you like: CAT me.

[motherinferior]

What you (and I) need, essentially, is a combination of tackling the depressive symptoms - predominantly exercise, also all that tedious stuff like eating properly (people with real, serious, immobilising SAD end up apparently stuffing themselves with soothing carbs and/or unable to get out of bed) seeing friends yada yada yada; and in addition, strategies to address the specific seasonal element, namely the fact that it's dark and it's grey and we haven't had the light we need.

I bloody hate winter.

[georgiemum]

does anyone know what is a good make or how to find a good one? I have just peeked on e-bay and there are stacks of them on there.

[motherinferior]

The Phillips ones are quite good, I think. Can't see what mine is.

Also, I find (and again this is linked in with Proper Research) that one of those wake you up in the morning light alarms is far less appalling than being shrieked at by an alarm in the dark. One eases, quasi-naturally, into the dawn.

[orangina]

MI, that is all really helpful, thanks, will CAT you if you don't mind....

And thanks to georgiemum and shitemum too... I am feeling quite shitemum-ish at the moment actually (weak smile)...

[orangina]

I loathe winter. There was one MNer who went on ADs in November and off them again in Feb, and it worked brilliantly for her... I wish I could find the thread...

(potters off ineffectively)

[HecateQueenOfGhosts]

yes. I have an alarm clock that lights up. it's fab. About half an hour before it goes off, it starts to brighten, slowly - simulating dawn obv - by the time the alarm goes off, it is a really bright white light. I have always found it makes a real difference to my day. When the bulb's gone (like now!!) I feel much worse.

[orangina]

Ooh Hecate, is it something like this?

[HecateQueenOfGhosts]

mine is this one

[mileniwmffalcon]

you can get visors with lights so you don't have to sit still in front of a box for several hours.

[HecateQueenOfGhosts]

it does me a sunset as well!

[orangina]

(I quite fancy a sunset.....)

[expatinscotland]

I got a lightbox on Ebay a few years ago and it was money well spent!

[orangina]

I have no idea how you manage to live so far north expat.... I get worse as I get older (SAD wise!), and I think living that far north would finish me off (though I suspect my scottish DH would rather enjoy it....).

[orangina]

(meant that DH would enjoy living in scotland, not witnessing my inevitable demise!)

[expatinscotland]

I probably couldn't manage it w/o my lightbox . Go for at least 10K Lux.

I put it on whilst I'm giving DS his first feed of the day - it's best used within a half hour of waking up.