Seasonal Affect Disorder

[sjc0816]

Does anyone struggle with this? I can't remember ever struggling as much as I am right now. I'm in the midwest (Iowa) and the "feels like" temp right now is 20 degrees. Gray and dreary. It's almost April and even the forecast is bleak.

I walk my dog several times a day and still get to the gym 2-3 times a week and I am still really having a hard time. No energy, can barely get up in the morning. Couch potato at night. Just overall......pretty down. I know my husband is having a time with it too. We are both super BLAH.

Does anyone have any other suggestions on how to deal with this? I've even started a whole 30 diet to try and give myself a nutritional boost (and to remove alcohol from the equation).

[littlebird]

I do. I supplement Vitamin D and use a light box. Can't say for sure if they help, but maybe I'd feel worse without them? Getting outside is key, but you're already doing that.

[SimplyFinanciallyFree]

I sometimes struggle at times as well.  It sounds like you are doing a lot of the right things: getting outside and exercising regularly.  Like littlebird said, try adding Vitamin D into your diet and try a light box (make sure you get one of the higher powered quality ones - like Verilux).  I do know of people though who have moved from our cloudy state to places where there is more sun since our winters are long.

[madsquopper]

My spouse has this and uses one of those light boxes. Says it helps quite a lot.

[Vegasgirl]

Yes, I supplement vitamin D3 10,000 IU basically from the time change in the fall until the weather in spring is such that I can get out and get sun on a regular basis.  Also I switched my alarm clock to a sunrise clock which helped a lot. 

[Greystache]

Fellow Iowa native here. I dealt with the problem by moving to California. There is sooo much wrong with CA, but we do have the best climate on the planet.

[Sibley]

It's pretty blah outside, I don't blame you for struggling. It's really not helping that we'll have a nice day, then it snows again! Hang on for a little longer - spring will come. Eventually.

[bebegirl]

Cheers from Seattle! Same problem. I checked my Vitamin D level and it turned out below the necessary range. Surprise!

I take vitamin D supplement and purchased happy light:

https://www.amazon.com/Verilux-HappyLight-Liberty-Personal-Portable/dp/B00K08ZDBI/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1522339945&sr=8-3&keywords=verilux+happy+light

Every time it is a bit of sunshine I make sure that I am outside enjoying it.

[SC93]

I lived in Omaha for 19 years and felt the same way. Moved back to Texas and the problem was gone. Although we did have 1 week of cold weather here..... lmao

[StarBright]

We moved to NW Ohio a couple of years ago after several years in lovely, temperate North Carolina and the difference in my emotional climate, sleep schedule, food cravings, etc were markedly worse after the move.

I started using a lightbox in February and it has made a world of difference for me. I use it for 20 minutes, full strength, first thing in the morning. The biggest thing I've noticed is that my sleep has improved dramatically and that seems to make everything else better too.

Spring is almost here!

[Ders]

It was long, hard winter here in Indiana as well. I have a very bad case of spring fever right and long to walk outside and not hate it. I'm someone that likes the cold too! But I've had enough this year and ready to open my bedroom windows to a nice spring breeze.

[honeybbq]

Another Seattlite, another vote for Vitamin D.

Also, get out and do something outside every day. Even if it's walking the dog around the block.

[Million2000]

I got this for the first time when I moved to Pennsylvania from the southwest. Every year I lived there I noticed I felt "low" every winter, never happened to me when I lived in a sunnier climate. For me it was a combination of snow, cold, and more importantly lack of sun. I got rid of it by moving to south Texas right in the middle of winter. I'm not SAD anymore.

[asauer]

I do.  I also take Vitamin D, use a light box and get as much outside/ exercise time as possible.  Those three things have significantly improved my symptoms.

[StarBright]

I haven't seen anyone else mention it in this thread but I forgot to mention Fish Oil! I wash my vitamin D pill down with a teaspoon of fish oil and then go sit in front of my lightbox.

[shelivesthedream]

One weird thing I find helps is whacking the heating up to summer temperature levels for a few hours. For us, that around 25 degrees C. I don't do it often, but when the cold and darkness are really getting to me it's a nice little boost to sit around remembering what it's like to sweat.

I also recommend buying some early-flowering bulbs. A little reminder that Spring WILL come.

[asauer]

One weird thing I find helps is whacking the heating up to summer temperature levels for a few hours. For us, that around 25 degrees C. I don't do it often, but when the cold and darkness are really getting to me it's a nice little boost to sit around remembering what it's like to sweat.

I also recommend buying some early-flowering bulbs. A little reminder that Spring WILL come.

Good thought.  My doctor said it can be helpful to use a dry or wet sauna if you have access.

[bottlerocks]

Geographic relocation.  I moved to FL from a place with only mild winters and SAD is no longer a consideration.  It's hard to express my quality of living improvement to others who aren't as affected by it, but I don't think I could ever go back to anything above the panhandle.  Another option given this constraint is to become a snowbird.  My current area gets about 40-50,000 extra residents from Nov-April every year so obviously it's a popular choice.

[lukebuz]

Yet another Iowa native - who moved to a warmer climate too.  I had a touch of SAD, right around the 3rd month of snow.  I solved it by moving to Bowling Green Kentucky.  We get 1 really cold month, 2 cool months bracketing it, and then it's spring!!  We are already mowing and flowers are popping.  We still get snow, and 4 seasons, which is ideal for me!  Not too hot, not too cold!

[wenchsenior]

I do. I supplement Vitamin D and use a light box. Can't say for sure if they help, but maybe I'd feel worse without them? Getting outside is key, but you're already doing that.

I definitely suffer from SAD.  I had no idea how bad it was until I left the Midwest for the sunny SW to go to college, and my whole mental state transformed (I had been dealing with depression on and off in high school) to energetic and positive, despite the new stresses of college and living away from home and poor. 

Then, after college,  I moved back to the Midwest and WHAM! severe depression returned the very first winter.  Ugh. 

I have been living in a sunny climate for the past 17 years, but I still ran into trouble in Jan/Feb/early March like clockwork.  So 3 years ago, I started making a real effort to go outside and and walk every day during the winter, or failing that, use the light box for a few hours. If I went more than 2 days without sun, I took supplemental Vitamin D.  It has made a huge difference!  I haven't had SAD at all in the past 3 years.  It could be coincidence, but I really doubt it.

[kimmarg]

Same as everyone else, get outside, vitamin D, light box.  I do think being warm helps. I get so cold sometimes!  I also think it matters what you are used to. I grew up pretty far north and while I do think I have a touch of SAD here when I moved to the sunny southwest for a while I remember just feeling like the darn sun would NEVER get out of my eyes. I could have burst into tears for some shade.

In other news, it's Day 112 since I saw the grass in my backyard and I'm now starting to see some progress around the edges!

[MrThatsDifferent]

Does anyone struggle with this? I can't remember ever struggling as much as I am right now. I'm in the midwest (Iowa) and the "feels like" temp right now is 20 degrees. Gray and dreary. It's almost April and even the forecast is bleak.

I walk my dog several times a day and still get to the gym 2-3 times a week and I am still really having a hard time. No energy, can barely get up in the morning. Couch potato at night. Just overall......pretty down. I know my husband is having a time with it too. We are both super BLAH.

Does anyone have any other suggestions on how to deal with this? I've even started a whole 30 diet to try and give myself a nutritional boost (and to remove alcohol from the equation).

Have lots more sex together. Like, lots!

[DreamFIRE]

Does anyone struggle with this? I can't remember ever struggling as much as I am right now. I'm in the midwest (Iowa) and the "feels like" temp right now is 20 degrees. Gray and dreary. It's almost April and even the forecast is bleak.

I'm actually optimistic this time of year.  I have fond memories of March 2012, but we knew that was like once in a lifetime.  This March sucked pretty badly, but I'm optimistic we'll get some in April.  If not, there's always May!  lol

[wildbeast]

Things that work for me are: light box, vitamin B-12, going for a walk every day (even if it's short or if it's overcast and raining), and having lots of light on in the house.  Lots of lamps, high wattage bulbs, etc.  If my house if bright and cheerful, I feel really good, even if outside is dark. 

I've noticed that some years are better than others too.  This year, I only used my light box for about a month, but some years I've had to use it a lot more. 

[shelivesthedream]

Oh yes, and from time to time I'll also make myself an outrageously out-of-season summery meal. I don't know what you associate with midsummer, but mine might involve a big tomato and cucumber salad, some pseudo-barbequeued food, and ice cream for pudding. I also find a tin of peaches a nice little mood booster. I have, however, learned that winter strawberries are worse than nothing.

[poniesandFIRE]

Another vote for vitamin D. I feel like it's made a big difference for me the past two winters. I live somewhere where it snows for like half the year. Every year is different, but the lack of sun is brutal.

[profnot]

I was taking 4,000 units Vitamin D then my doctor told me about the possibility of kidney stones.  Too bad, as the Vit D really helps.  So now I take 1,000 or 2,000 on gray days and not at all April - Sept.

B-12 helps, too.  Shots work the best.  I take tablets most of the time.

And I take burpless fish oil capsules.  The burpless coating makes all the difference - no nasty after taste at all.

[wenchsenior]

I was taking 4,000 units Vitamin D then my doctor told me about the possibility of kidney stones.  Too bad, as the Vit D really helps.  So now I take 1,000 or 2,000 on gray days and not at all April - Sept.

B-12 helps, too.  Shots work the best.  I take tablets most of the time.

And I take burpless fish oil capsules.  The burpless coating makes all the difference - no nasty after taste at all.

Yes, the kidney stone issue (runs in my family) is why I don't just take Vit D daily.  I take 1,000 after 2 or 3 days of no natural sun.  However, one thing that helps prevent kidney stones is just to squeeze a couple capfuls of lemon juice into water every morning.  The citrate breaks down the oxalates, or prevents them binding to calcium or some such.  I forget.

[Tris Prior]

I am starting to think that my seasonal affective disorder has less to do with light for me, and more to do with cold. I absolutely cannot stand cold. It snowed yesterday. I am SO SICK of not being able to go outside without the skin on my face hurting, without my eyes watering from cold wind, without bundling up in winter gear and being STILL cold, etc. It's actually been fairly sunny for a Chicago winter, over the past few weeks. But, god, the COLD. In April. Argh.

I have a garden center with a greenhouse a few blocks away from me. Sometimes I go there and stand in the greenhouse with the tropical plants to get a taste of summer.

[tyrannostache]

I live in the far north and suffered from SAD for years without really knowing what was going on. I just thought I hated December-March. I started using a Verilux light and taking a small vit D supplement. Then I got pregnant and had bloodwork that showed I was seriously Vitamin-D deficient. On my doc's advice, I take 5000IU of vitamin D daily--we'll revisit at my next appointment. Altogether, it has made a huge difference.

Of course, I'm still pissed that it's snowing on April 5, and I'm DONE with dealing with getting kids geared up in snowpants/hats/mittens every day. But I'm not depressed about it, and I don't feel like yelling at everyone in my house. So that's something.

[o2bfree]

Another Seattle-area person here. Yup, getting outside helps a lot. Skiing pretty much cured my SAD, all that fun activity in bright, white surroundings.