Clocks going back, SAD and The Dark.

[OtraCosaMariposa]

I know there are several of us on here who struggle a lot with the darker evenings so thought I'd start a thread to see how everyone is getting on.

Clocks went back today and this is usually for me the start of the gradual slide into crapness until the Solstice when we turn the corner and start heading back into the light. November is hell. The first three weeks in December is more hell. But I'm determined this year will be better.

I have my light box. Today in my part of Scotland is bright and sunny so I'm off out for a walk in a bit to get some sun on my face. I've been taking high dose Vit D for a month already.

(Oh and if you're looking for a thread to witter on about hygge and cosy and snuggling on the sofa with hot choc and the famalam piss off. This thread isn't for you.)

I was keeping out but the piss off annoyed me. I feel for you, I know how much I hate the sun and heat and it's shit whichever of the seasons you hate. But maybe spare a thought when you tell us all to just stop moaning because who doesn't love the sun? We hear that all the bloody time.

Peace and love. I hope you can find a way to get through it, having your life affected by the weather sucks.

What a great idea for a thread. My sunrise alarm clock is a winter essential for me, as are vitamin D supplements & upping my prescription of ADs as I really struggle with my mental health this time of year. I might have to force myself to get out for a walk later, make the most of it being sunny outside at the moment.

Can anyone recommend some SAD lamps please?

Another one with my sad light and vitamin d! The sad light helps massively, I don't know about how much the vitamin d helps me in terms of mood, but I'm always low on it when I've had bloodtests, so I guess it must help a little topping it up!
Today's not helping, it's awful where I live today, awful winds and a heap of rain, its making it seem so dark and gloomy.

@rockbird I expect these aren’t the people who tell you to just stop moaning about the sun!

Placemarking as I’ve found my people. Although feeling rough with a stomach bug so can’t quite muster the energy to chat about best ways to get through winter. I’ll be back though.

Place marking. I've had terrible SAD in the past. Anti depressants from October until March were the best thing. I don't get it as much now.

I've got a Lumie sunrise alarm clock, and a Lumie SAD light as well. The Lumie SAD lights are expensive, but you don't need to pay VAT if you say that you have SAD, and there's also a trial period.

Our local mental health charity lets you borrow SAD lamps and our library has one on in the winter and there’s always folk reading at it. Thought I’d post incase any other charities loan them and people could borrow before they decide to invest in one.

@Rockbird not the thread for you I’m afraid.

And yes after being abused on the summer moaning thread when I merely pointed out we’d had quite a shit summer so far I’m taking pleasure in this. Because winter never fails to deliver on cold and dreariness and dark yet sometimes we don’t even get our nice summers to help us though.

I've read a lot about plants and how they can help with SAD. I've spent all year adding lots of plants to my house and getting them establish. They're in every room now and they do make me feel more relaxed. Has anyone else tried this?

I’m another Scot diagnosed with SAD and I’m glad to have found this thread.

It’s really sunny here today so I’ve been for a lovely walk. I don’t feel ‘right’ until the lighter nights start coming back in again and I live for the winter solstice as I know the nights start getting slowly lighter again.

I have a SAD alarm clock and have been using my SAD lamp for the last few weeks in the mornings. Like another poster I use it doing my hair and make up. I’m also on a high dose of vitamin D.

@DragonontheWagon I use this one and it’s made a massive difference to my life.

Went for a run in the sun with my little boy and that helped. He was chatting about the beautiful colours and loved running through the crunchy leaves. Tried to see it through his eyes and live in the moment. It is a beautiful day. Then took the dog out. Think he’ll help this year, first year with a dog forcing me out every day.

Will definitely try more house plants!

Thanks @Mollymorals does it have to be used in the morning? Can I use it in the evening, mornings are too busy.

I'm staying on anti-depressants through the autumn/winter to at least stay relatively stable touch wood and I'm taking a high dose vitamin D because my blood levels showed they were down again.

I don’t use mine in the evening as it interrupts my sleep pattern. I go to bed super early though (9pm) as I’m up at 5am.

I have this list up on a cupboard in my kitchen as a daily reminder of things I can do to help myself, it becomes more useful the lower my mood is and more muddled my thinking becomes. I don’t know where I got it from originally, I think just online, I keep meaning to re-do it more personally but I put it there during one of my ‘don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good’ moments of clarity about managing my mental health. No way can I do all these things every day. But for days when I can’t get myself together to eg. eat properly etc, I’ll look at the list and choose something else (like ‘spend time in play’ - ok, play with dog, or game on phone etc) and at least get that positive reward of knowing you’re doing something self-care.

That’s what I was trying to say about not just writing off the whole winter-cosy thing completely, trying to embrace a little of the reality of the season - like getting out winter pyjamas etc - comes under ‘pay attention to small pleasures and sensations’, ‘mindfulness’ and ‘avoid depressed self-absorption’ points for me personally. Accepting what is going on and finding a way to make the best of it and avoiding wallowing in the if-only of it all. Which is NOT the same as saying “don’t whinge/buck up” etc that is not what I mean at all! I hope this makes sense my brain is very muddled today to be honest.

I’ve also read about making a mental health first aid box as well. The idea being that for those times where you are so low your brain is a massive muddle and you can’t even think enough to see your way through, you look in the box/kit and you do whatever it says whether you feel like it or not or think it will help or not, because it’s you-when-well helping you-when-unwell. Mine would have things like luxe bath oil, short craft kit (like a mini cross stitch), colouring, list of feelgood movies, reminder of favourite healthy takeaway/readymeal etc. I know these things will get me through and feel better after but in low moments am much more likely to drop hygiene standards, not eat/eat junk, waste time unproductively etc, and then feel even shitter, and so it goes.

DP has it every year. He's usually (his description) 'going a bit weird' by late September.

So we're hitting it head on this year to see if that helps.

A-Z Vitamin daily. Extra vitamin D daily (I have huge deficiencies, as my pasty as fuck Scots heritage skin means I can't spend time out in the sun.

Sunrise clock, with the sunset function used at night.

Forcible getting up and out every day, without fail. Curtains open and windows open from first thing. Walk outside at lunchbreak, without fail - even when it's raining, get an umbrella and get outside, as the daylight, even on a crappy day, is still daylight.

Masses of veggies at every meal.

Activity. Not flumping around on the sofa until 'things' are done, whether that's housework or something more enjoyable.

And the soft, squishy, cozy stuff as well. Lots of lights, comfortable furnishings, comfortable clothes and shoes, as it's a whole load harder to feel happy when your socks are wet and there's a cold draught down the back of your neck.

So far, he's been completely different this year compared to others.

www.lumie.com/products/arabica this is mine.

I got diagnosed with SAD 20 years ago - it soon became clear I wasn't depressed any other time of year and it wasn't related to other events. I take antidepressants from Oct to Jan each year, and vitamin D and cod liver oil, and have a Lumie daylight alarm clock, and a light box to snuggle up to when I get home, and I can just about hold down my job and function.

Cleaning and organisation doesn't happen for three months, so pay the cleaner to come round more often and Christmas is all about low stress and last minute shopping.

Another thing I want to look at is my diet
I'm sure that I eat food in the dark winter months that is "comforting" but does little for my energy levels
Have mad a zingy Thai curry for tonight in an effort to mix things up a bit

When it's cold, grey and wet though you want to eat stodge! So much easier to go for a healthy salad or something in summer when it's light and bright, in the UK in November you just want to eat pasta, cake, potatoes and chocolate. Or maybe that's just me.

I often hear people moaning about how crap January is after the "fun" of Christmas but that's not how I see things at all. After the Solstice the light starts coming back and knowing we're over the worst of it lifts my mood hugely. January is a fresh start, new beginnings. On 1st Jan the sun in Glasgow rises at 8.47 and sets at 15.53. By the end of January that's up to rising at 8.13 and setting at 16.47. Almost 90 minutes more of daylight. Huge, huge difference.

I also get no joy from the consumer fest of Christmas and would be more than happy to opt out of the whole thing. Unfortunately my kids think otherwise.

Oh and also agree about the romanticising of winter as this time of cold, crisp, bright and frosty. Most of the time what's not what you get. You get drizzle, rain, wind.

And also it's not about the sunshine as much. It's about the LIGHT. Not the heat. Even the brightest, sunniest winter's day is dark by 4pm.

I watch the sunset and sunrise times daily - sad but true. Like you @OtraCosaMariposa January for me is new beginnings and the knowledge the nights will be MUCH lighter in a few weeks. Normally by mid February sunrise is around 7.20 and sunset approx 17.35, that’s when I start feeling better again.

It's very noticeable on the breakfast news when they're interviewing people outside in London. Daylight there, pitch dark here. 22nd December is the shortest day this year.

I think November is so tough as it gets darker, quicker. Each day in November we're losing between 3 and 4 minutes of daylight a day in Glasgow. Almost half an hour a week. Very noticeable. By December the decreasing daylight rate slows to a difference of just a minute or so a day. So although it's DARK, it's not getting worse as quickly.

May I ask a question for those who use the SAD lamps / light boxes please? This may sound stupid, but do you need to wear sunglasses when using them?! I have really sensitive eyes and I need to wear sunglasses outside even on averagely bright, non-sunny days in winter .... would this mess up the positive effects of the lamp?