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!

@EmeraldRoulette I can never sleep during the day so I guess I mean hide away from the world! The extra meds (or maybe the chocolate biscuits!) did perk me up a bit thanks. AND DH got the job 🎉. They rang him only an hour after his interview with an offer!

I wish I could be the same all year round too, I feel like I’m wasting half my life!

I don’t think you were moaning though but if you were, moan away, that’s what this thread is for!

Moaning here really helps me because I know that you all 'get' it .

I often go to bed in the afternoon as part of my coping (a friend and fellow SAD sufferer mentioned this some years ago as a help) so I sort of hibernate with a book or sun soaked TV show before earlyish sleep. It does help me face (not always but often) the dark days in a slightly better frame of mind.

Thank you both

@Idratherbepaddleboarding congratulations to your DP! That's so great 😊

@EmeraldRoulette thank you!

Today has been a little bit better as I’ve decided to take 100mg of sertraline for the rest of January then go back to 50mg as last spring I had some kind of hypo mania, which was not as fun as it sounds!

How’s everyone managing in the storm?

We’ve got off quite lightly considering we’re in an amber area and we managed to get out with the dog at lunch time to a sheltered field so we got some fresh air. The wind woke me up at 5:30am though 😭.

DH wants to go to our local pub to watch a live band tonight. It’s only at the end of our road but I really don’t want to go. I CBA getting dressed up and the wind has messed up my hair so it’ll need a lot of taming as it’s naturally curly. And I’m soooo tired! I CBA socialising and it means I can’t pole dance tonight.

@Idratherbepaddleboarding I went to a music night last night and it was really good. But I didn't have anything else planned so a bit different.

not in a storm affected area but they predicted heavy rain today. We had blue sky instead! Yay!

I have experience of the hypo mania thing. Agree, it's not good.

I went and I did enjoy myself, I just wish I didn’t have to spend the whole day dreading every single outing!

Jealous of the blue sky!

No, hypomania is actually worse than depression 🙁.

@EmeraldRoulette @Idratherbepaddleboarding I admire you for going out and taking part in life. I really can't make myself go out in the dark in the winter. The thought makes me panic. It isn't a problem on dark, warm nights in the summer or abroad on holiday but here and now.....? Nah!

Sun is forecast for here today so I'm going to be outside as much as possible to make the most of it. I hope you all get some sun too, and had little or no storm upset.

@lyingonthebeach I don’t really have a choice as DH definitely doesn’t get SAD and he can’t really understand why I’m like Jekyll and Hyde. In summer, I’m up for anything and I’m winter, everything is a chore 🙁.

I’m off out tonight to a barn dance (in the village hall not a barn or I’d freeze to death!) and I’m determined not to dread it. I went last year and had a great time so I know I’ll enjoy myself once I get there. It’s so annoying though as I love to dress up and if it was warm I’d wear some little denim shorts, a tied up plaid shirt and my cowboy hat. But it’s not… I’m still going to wear the cowboy hat though 😂.

@Idratherbepaddleboarding I hope you enjoyed your barn dance - sounds fun.

The weather today is just vile; dark, grey, raining. I feel so down and teary. It's a day for vegging on the sofa with old films and carbs. I haven't got the energy to fight the feeling of depression.

@lyingonthebeach thank you, tbh though I didn’t enjoy it at all 🙁. We volunteer at our village hall events and there were only 4 volunteers helping, so I spent the night running around doing jobs instead of dancing. My friends were there, but all they want to do lately is get absolutely wasted, which spoilt it.

I agree today is horrible, plus I’m tired, full of a cold and I (finally) had my coil fitted today so I feel weird and achy 🙁.

How’s everyone feeling? Monday and yesterday were so grey, I could hardly function but today is sunny and I feel like a different person. It’s so weird!

Like you @Idratherbepaddleboarding the hideous grey on Sunday and the start of the week made me sink into teary despair and I was hardly able to function. Today, it is bright with blue skies and I already feel different :). I had my breakfast by a window to soak up the light and I'm going to drive the scenic way to my morning meeting. This afternoon is quiet for me so I'll go for a walk. I hope you are all ok and getting some brightness too. x

Sorry if this has been answered. Which SAD lamp do people recommend? Also is a sunrise alarm clock worth it? If yes, which one?

@Georgeismydog mine is old sorry so I doubt they make it anymore, the new ones look nicer anyway! It was only a cheap one off Amazon but it really works! I also recently bought a sunrise lamp (again a cheap one off Amazon) and it does help me wake up in the mornings but I don’t feel that it helps my SAD exactly. It’s good though as I was either turning my iPhone alarm off in my sleep or it wasn’t going off, which is possible as there was a thread about this the other day.

@lyingonthebeach I can’t cry due to my antidepressants but on Monday and Tuesday I was barely functioning too. Today has been another nice bright day and I’m more myself.

We had a lovely, sunny day. We wrapped up and had lunch in the garden. So good. My spirits are well and truly lifted :)

@lyingonthebeach that sounds lovely! We got an afternoon tea box and I was just thinking it would be lovely to eat outside in the garden but it was cold and grey here 🙁. Yesterday was lovely though but I was inside all day volunteering, at least the village hall is nice and bright though!

Eek! We are booking a holiday tonight for the end of June when DS finishes his GCSEs! It’s put me in a fantastic mood all day!

Brilliant @Idratherbepaddleboarding . Where did you book. Having sunshine breaks to look forward to really helps on dismal days

Mexico so it’ll be hot, hot, hot and looking forward to the food and culture ☀️

@Idratherbepaddleboarding Mexico will be amazing! Some sunny (and delicious) thoughts to keep you going.

Yesterday, the weather here was dismally grey and wet and I wanted to cry. But I've got a couple of days in Tenerife coming up. Nothing very special but a long weekend of sun and blue sky and that is what is keeping me just about sane at the moment.

@lyingonthebeach that sounds amazing bet you can’t wait!!

It was miserable here yesterday too. I had to go to a different office for work and there was nowhere at all to park so after driving round for 20mins I ended up parked miles away and had to walk in the rain, so I turned up soaking wet 🙈.

Today is beautiful. It’s my study day today so I watched the videos I have to watch on the cross trainer with the sun shining through the windows and now I feel amazing! Going to take the dog for a long walk at lunch time before a boring live seminar on Teams this afternoon.

Not really SAD related but DH and I found out last night that our so called friends have not only been bitching about us behind our backs but making up huge and ridiculous lies that have upset other people. I’m absolutely gutted TBH because it’s really hard for me to make friends 🙁.

Bloody hell! I've a couple of days of sunshine - and what a boost. And now back to this relentless, soul-draining grey. And it seems it will last all week. Once again, I feel like crying😭

I hope you are all coping.

Hello all

I've been okay so haven't posted but this week looks rough

@Idratherbepaddleboarding I'm sorry to hear that. How shocking and weird! What are they on?!

@lyingonthebeach did you go away or was it just sunny where you are?