2024/25 SAD thread

[Idratherbepaddleboarding]

Link to last year’s thread

Hi again, I thought I’d start a new thread for this season of SAD 😭. It’s definitely starting to feel autumnal here 🥶.

If you’re new this year, please join us for tips to get through winter, chat and general moaning!

Today is bright and sunny. I'm off for a walk to make the most of it before I get stuck in an online meeting. The brightness feels like a treat after the grey.

@LeaveALittleNote oh god, yes the raynaulds 🥶😭. My fingers felt like they were in vices on my dog walk!

@DropOfffArtiste hope the presentation went well!

I find my SAD is worse in Jan and Feb. I love Christmas so that pulls me through and I must have some reserves but they’re long depleted by Jan 😭.

Presentation went well, it is good when that happens and I remember I am actually good at my job. Sunshine today too although I didnt escape the office in daylight.

Glad it went well @DropOfffArtiste. I’m feeling crappy tonight. I set off with the dog for our 4pm walk, we usually go through the fields and meet DS off his school bus. It was so cold and starting to rain so we turned back and I’m glad we did as it started pouring down with icy rain and it was fully dark by 4:20pm 😡. There’s another month of it getting dark earlier and earlier. Even the dog was glad to turn back and he’s a Labrador!

I really can’t be bothered going back out for my pole dancing class later, the dark spoils everything!

Well done @DropOfffArtiste and I really feel for you @Idratherbepaddleboarding .

The super sun yesterday lifted me and the grey today made me crash. It's freezing here and the dark is just knackering.

I'll be in the med soon. It won't quite be roasting but it will be bright, sunny and I might brave the sea. Vitamin D central. Can't wait and I hope I will charge up enough to last me for a few weeks when I get back before I sink and start moaning again.

Sending sunny thoughts to you all.

The cold is fierce. I was at mum's today - her house is freezing even with heating. Also I stupidly didn't take any food and she barely has any in (long story) and normally I cope, but today I snapped at her because hungry and really cold isn't great! It was a tiny snap but I feel bad. I did leave earlier than planned and told her bluntly I needed to get home and get warm and get food.

I really hope it warms up as they say at the weekend. My flat is usually fine but this year, residents asked for the heating in common parts to be switched off. Annoying because that communal heating helps heat everyone's home - but I think the type of person to wear five layers and an electric oodie just never puts the heating on so they were cross about the bills. It's weird, you walk in and it's icy. A few people have now done a counter complaint so I don't know- maybe the management will go with the majority view.

How's everyone?

I have an event I can go to tonight - I don't have to - and I really don't feel like it.

in reality, going out late Nov/Dec often doesn't feel good but then I might feel bored and antsy. I dunno.

I went to an event last night. I really didn't feel like going, and almost didn't, but I'm actually really glad I made the effort. Sometimes it's worth making the effort and going along.

I’d go @EmeraldRoulette, it’s not an event but I didn’t want to go to my pole dancing class yesterday but I felt so much better after it. I’m kind of in the middle today, just like the weather!

How was everyone’s weekend? Hope everyone managed to avoid flooding!

Haven't been on for a while but have read all of your posts

It's been a bad week here but today is a new day and things are a bit better. I was really poorly last week with what felt like Covid but test was negative. Off work all week and stuck inside. Then Friday night my partner was really poorly, vomiting almost non stop and in and out of consciousness. Vomiting lasted 6 hours and then he slept. He's okay now, just aching from it all, but fine in himself. I had extreme emetophobia in my teens and this brought it all back. I've struggled to eat since and have been having panic attacks thinking I'm going to get ill too. Have been trying to tell myself he just had food poisoning and nothing contagious but the fear is crippling me. I'm very glad to be back to work today to keep busy but am struggling as my body feels weak from not eating but I'm unable to eat as I'm so anxious. Lost half a stone in 6 days and in a really dark headspace. The dark mornings and nights aren't helping and I just felt so alone last week as was stuck inside poorly when I'd normally be out and about.

Sorry for the woe-is-me story! Just needed to get it off my chest. I feel like I'm going slightly mad and am battling against my brain constantly.

No flooding here thankfully, but heard on the news that things are pretty bad in some places! Hope everyone is safe and okay?

I've had the radio on almost constantly for some company. LBC mystery hour has become a favourite listen for some light humour and smiles

Gosh @robinsrace that sounds awful! I know you didn’t ask for advice but would you maybe feel better about eating something prepackaged that doesn’t require preparation and might feel less germy? DS takes prepackaged pain au chocolat or croissants for his lunch, which I’m thinking would provide calories and a quick energy boost? Or a protein bar or shake?

@Idratherbepaddleboarding thank you that's exactly what I did when I was younger, felt safer with pre packaged things. I've just managed half a packaged flapjack and have bought some lucozade energy drink. I know how ridiculous it must all sound as when I recovered and looked back I could see how skewed my view of things were, but now I'm plunged back into it and it feels very real and very frightening. All bedding is in the wash and my partner is coming back into our bed tonight after being in the spare room since Friday. As much as I want things back to normal and know he probably isn't infectious now (it's been 60+ hours since he was last sick) I still feel really worried and uncomfortable about it. Got an upset stomach this morning but that's just from being so anxious.

Thank you for listening ❤️

How are you getting on this morning? It's bright and sunny here but a bit chilly!

@robinsrace Don’t worry it doesn’t sound ridiculous to a long term anorexic 🙁.

I’m ok thanks, it’s also sunny here so I got out early with the dog, it was very muddy though! It rained all day on Saturday so we but the Christmas tree up even though that makes us terribly lower class 😂 and we managed to get the outside lights up during a break in the rain yesterday. I don’t care though as it’s much more cheerful with them up and the dog is fascinated by the lights!

Also not been on for a while. The wind was crazy. We had scaffolding blowing off our building.

Sunny today. My insomnia has reached epic levels and I'm almost nocturnal. Forcing myself through the day today so I can try and reset the pattern.

Not sure how it started. I'm in between jobs so lack of accountability! Plus used the SAD lamp at the wrong times.

I had an awful day. Wading through treacle. Totally exhausted. I’ve been asleep all evening - now will get up, tidy up and go back to bed. I’ve reached that stage where my physical health has been affected and I can barely function. Hate it.

@Idratherbepaddleboarding bless you, thank you so much for your kindness and just for listening, it means a lot. Sorry to hear you have your own eating struggles 
Sounds like you made the best of a wet weekend! Love that the dog likes the Christmas lights 😂 lights are nice and do make me feel cosy and brighter, we're determined to get ours up this week! The local Christmas tree went up today which was nice to see. Someone down the road had the audacity to get a wooden reindeer that has antlers that wave about in the wind. Our dog did NOT approve and had a good old bark at it at 8:30pm when I took him for his last walk 😅

@PamperGoals2024 sorry to hear about the insomnia! Lack of routine can be a real killer can't it. What's the weather like there now? Hope it's settled for you. Wind and rain are grim!

@LeaveALittleNote that sounds really tough on you 😞 I went up a dose on my antidepressants over the weekend (with GPs approval) and know it will help me a little. Have you chatted to the GP about it recently? The weather looks to be brighter for the most part this week so hopefully that might make things feel easier, but the short days are really hard aren't they

@robinsrace I did increase my antidepressants last winter actually, and I’m definitely finding it easier this year as far as my mood is concerned. I’m still getting the physical symptoms of SAD though - the extreme tiredness and the oversleeping. But my mood is on an even keel. Seems like the antidepressants don’t help my physical symptoms much.

I’m actually going on holiday soon. I’ve talked about taking a winter holiday for over twenty years, and I’ve never done it before now. It’ll be interesting to see if it helps my SAD!

I hope everyone’s getting on ok. Not long now til the shortest day!

@robinsrace no problem we’re here to support! 😊 my dog would not like that either. He wasn’t sure at first as he doesn’t like change but he’s enjoying the twinkly lights. We went up to Grizedale forest a few weekends ago and he freaked out at a Gruffalo display 😂, he liked the Wallace and Gromit one though 🤷‍♀️.

To those who have upped their antidepressants, don’t forget to review it in spring. I upped mine last year and in April/ May I had some sort of hypomanic episode! Which was not as good as it sounds.

@LeaveALittleNote we usually go on holiday in October half term and it’s wonderful. Last year I lost my antidepressants (found them on the last day!) but I didn’t even need them while we were away. It makes me even more sad that I have to medicate myself just to survive 6+ months of the year in this country 😡. We couldn’t go this year as DS is in his GCSE year and I’m sure that’s contributing to my early SAD 😭.

@LeaveALittleNote I am also off to the sun very soon. I can't wait. It's part of my coping strategy and I have taken a couple of sunny winter breaks every winter for the last few years and it really does help.

Once my dc are grown up and I'm not tied down to school hols and Christmas isn't such a huge thing, I plan to have a winter trip to somewhere warm and sunny...these months are just too arduous. I always feel like I'm living half a life until summer time when I feel like I can live properly!

The SAD is making me sleep, and sleep.... I think that since the clocks changed, I have averaged 9.5 hours a night. Last night was more like 11. And after all that I lack energy. I need sun!

@lyingonthebeach bet you're dreaming of your sunny getaway now! Hope you enjoy. We went to Madeira last January and it was such a welcome break from the cold and darkness back here.

@Comedycook I feel the same, like I can't live properly during these months. It seems to have gotten worse over the last few years for some reason.

My other half reminded me this morning that it won't be long until the shortest day, meaning the days will slowly start to get longer again. Still seems like forever away, but I found it nice to think that we're approaching the 'end' of the days getting shorter. I'm off to yoga tonight after not going for nearly 2 weeks thanks to the rotten cold I had. Really hoping it lifts my spirits!

I agree with the not living properly at this time of year. I'm struggling to find motivation to do anything, even showering or cleaning my teeth. I don't want to get out of bed in the morning and when I do get up I just watch tv all day unless someone forces me out of the house!

I definitely agree with the living a half life. It’s ridiculous that it’s literally half the year or more 😭.