2025/26 SAD thread

[Idstillratherbepaddleboarding]

It’s 1st September tomorrow so we’re back for another year’s SAD thread.

Welcome all old and new who struggles in the cold and dark months for advice and general moaning!

The only rule is no talk of snuggling under blankets, crunching in leaves (which will realistically be a soggy wet mulch, or pumpkin spiced anything!

Advice from previous years’ threads:

A SAD lamp can help as can a daylight alarm clock.
Try to get outdoors when the weather/ light allows it.
Try to keep up with your exercise routine or start a new one!
Remember to take your vitamin D and multi vitamins.
Try to have something to look forward to.

That’s true, so many are feeling fed up atm aren’t they?

I can’t wait for things to feel more hopeful and uplifting.

I avoid the news at all costs in winter (and at most other times!) as I don’t want all the negativity in my head when it’s dark and gloomy anyway.

I feel flat as a pancake today.

@EmeraldRoulette me too, I feel so down I feel like I could just stop breathing altogether 😭.

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding oh no
I feel for you 💐

@EmeraldRoulette and @Idstillratherbepaddleboarding Sorry you are both struggling at the moment 💐 I really hope you both feel better soon.

I forced myself to a Pilates class yesterday, it was difficult (physically and mentally!) but I did feel a bit better afterwards. Also did a bit of baking whilst listening to the radio, which helped relax me a bit.

Actually, I think I have identified what was wrong

I've been taking a new supplement - somewhat against my better judgement, because it had ashwaganda in it - which I've taken before and it didn't suit me. Just made me feel odd and I couldn't work out why

Anyway, I suddenly realised this morning that's probably what the problem was.

I think it's flattened out my cortisol levels or
something. I've taken it five days in a row. I haven't even posted on here for a while because I was feeling reasonably normal for winter. I think this supplement is at fault.

Anyway, it's a shame because the supplement was quite handy in other ways - saved me having a green powder in the morning, which is good stuff but sometimes you just think eww...green powder...

But it may be time to go back to Green powder! Much as I don't like it, it definitely makes winter better. Annoying when you spend money on a supplement and it doesn't work. Perhaps I should take it before bed, but it's got other things in it.

maybe a good one to have in the cupboard for anxiety, who knows

I don't know how long it will take to go back to normal.

What supplements should we be taking to get through this time of the year
I'm sure I'm deficient in something as I'm so tired all the time
I'm vegan ,which doesn't help matters and dieting

I can't seem to pull myself together at the moment

@Newyearsparkle I genuinely found Rheal green food powder to be very helpful. I had two months of it. I bought the one with the spirulina, chlorella etc, it's about £25 a month though.

Sorry, I can't link because MN is going through a phase of crashing every time I try that.

It helped with that feeling of being completely drained of energy. I will be looking for a capsule that doesn't have anything else in it but I wonder if I'm asking for too much - maybe I need the benefit of the actual powder which presumably can't be squashed into a capsule. I wouldn't feel the need to take it in spring and summer.

others here find vitamin D really helpful. I take it because I should, but I don't notice it making a difference. I also take a B12 complex.

Thanks I think I saw a green capsule on Amazon as gummies

My message has gone

It's remembering to take them to .
I definitely felt better when I was eating more
I know for a fact I can't possibly be getting enough protein in
That can't be helping

I take max strength Vit D and ginseng. I can't say that they are life changing but I think they help a bit

What does gingsin do

Ginseng is supposed to have lots of benefits but the one I want is improved mood

Yes I’ve been trying to increase my protein, I suspect I’m often just not eating enough, I’m beginning to wonder if that links to my low mood.

I'd not considerd that ..might be possible tho

Morning.

It's raining again.

What a surprise. Not.

Is winter over yet? I'm so fed up of rain, wet clothes, wet dog, wet children, wet coats, muddy shoes, struggling to dry laundry inside... I have a cold and my period and a list as long as my arm.

Hope everyone is hanging on in there kind of... X

Yes wet and muddy here (very muddy!) and sadly more of the same forecast all week 😢 wet dog, wet clothes, muddy floors sigh….

Only just hanging on!

It's kind of dark outside
meh

OMG it has taken me a long time to get that ashwaganda out of my system. Wish I'd never taken it really. I think I'm just about normal today so hopefully I'll bounce back.

I don't feel like going out in the evenings at all though. I've got something I can go to this weekend and next week. And I just don't want to. It's not even a problem to go. It's local.

@EmeraldRoulette I hope you keep feeling better for not taking it.

It's funny what we try to feel better. I have had some success with herbs to help me but I always saw a lady who made me herb based tincture to help build my stamina and energy up during burnout.

I'm currently taking a women's pmdd type vitamin supplement and I have no idea if it's helping but am a bit scared to stop taking it right now! I would love to not need ADs but again... It's not worth considering stopping.

My forray into HRT does seem to be having the most beneficial impact but even that's a lot of trial and error and patience.

I don't want to brag but we've some blue skies today and it heellpppzzzss soooo much. Back to rain tomorrow though.

I’m so tired of doing all the things I need to do to feel better… well not even better just less bad 😭.

@mrsdiddlydoo we had sun today too! I think it's going tomorrow

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding yes it's really annoying isn't it?

In terms of the supplement, it was maybe a really stupid choice. I don't know. It combines my omega oils, the ingredients of my green juice, and some B vitamins. Why they had to stick ashwaganda in there I really don't know. But it was a low dosage of that bit so I thought I'd give it a try because it saves on two other supplements and the green juice. It's in a dual capsule.

I presume that is why I've been feeling so bad the few days I took it? It's complicated because this dark grey weather attacks my brain so then I get confused about what's going on.

But I should've looked more into ashwaganda because there are a lot of stories saying people feel really low in the same way I did, and it's been banned in Denmark. There was apparently a call for information here but I don't know what information they got

And there was a really low amount in there - the average that seems to be on sale if you take it as a separate supplement, is about 4 to 10 times higher than what was in this capsule!

I have actually reported it to the seller because that's how bad I felt, I genuinely thought it was worth reporting.

now I need to stock up on the green juice powder! I genuinely find that helpful in winter. It is all about getting me to baseline functioning though. Nothing really gets a better result than baseline.

Oh I hear you.

I can get quite tearful with frustration at taking such good care of myself and finding it doesn’t give me the boost I need it too.

It’s a lot of acceptance sometimes isn’t it?

The sun here was really lovely and I had a long walk in it. But I am sooooo tired and need to work tomorrow.

Are those of you working able to be productive at work? I don’t feel I am able to give what I would at other times and sometimes it’s quite a lot less than my hours are.

If I am WFH it’s easier to take breaks, lie down, have a cry etc but I feel guilty I’m not able to do more. I always get a bit worried my resilience and capacity won’t return 🥹

I do worry about my capability and resilience never returning. Over the last year I've worked really hard at trying to change my thought pattern to one more centered around acceptance at who I am now and that being OK, and that I'm doing all the things that need doing and that's good enough. It doesn't stick all the time though. It's complicated isn't it. And the rain has returned so now I'm back to woe and misery. And feeling useless and rubbish.