SAD and winter blues

very useful information, thanks

Wow Chris. I am touched by your account and have gone through the same cycles for as long as I can rememeber. I too started to go on sunbeds realising that they helped but this year I am investing in a light box. They cost about £200 ( can be cheaper) and have signed up as memeber of the national SAD group- google it and you will find it. I think a dose of the light box every day is the way forward. I hope that now I have admitted to myself that I suffer from this condition I can now start controlling it in a productive way. I hope you find this useful Chris. Hannah

It is nice to know I am not the only one going through this, the last week has been horrible I have changed into a different person, wanting to sleep all the time, my children suffer because I find it hard to do normal things. I have ordered a Light Box today and hope this is going to help me through the winter months. My friends understand, my 6 and 7 year old dont. Louise

Hi Rhiannon, i myself am still learning the science behind my SAD i would like to thank you all for your emails and kind words they have made me feel a lot better i think its great that we can all exchange our thoughts and get it out of our system instead of keeping it to ourselfs when you have no one to talk to on the subject its terrable, i thought i was the only person that was effected in this way, Rhianno have you tryed St johns wort, this herb has been used for hundreds of years and is good for depresion and mild anxiety, other than that i am learning that B-vitamins are also good for your mood, in the ideal world every one with SAD could do with a sunshine holiday for our winter time, realLy feel this would help myself and once returned i would spend 15mins on a sunbed, and also spend some time in front of a light box, has anyone tryed this? and does it work as i spent a whole summer down the beach and used a sunbed until january and it made me feel better for those cold months but within a month of not using the sunbed i was back to doom and gloom, i hope that this plan works all i have is hope and goals, i think it would also be a good idear to keep a diary on day to day on how you are feeling and how the weather is on the day you have your moods, but dont give up hope already i feel better than i did before just by the e-mails and comments i have had, many thanks Chris

Hi sue, Sorry to hear light box isn't working, I have ordered one just waiting for delivery at the moment. I think it would help if we had more snow in the U.k because that is meant to help. Have spoken to quite a dew people about SAD and apparently the brightness of the snow helps. I haven't been quite so bad today because it has been a bright day. Clocks change tonight though and I must admit I am not looking forward to the dark evenings. Take care. Louise

Hi to all, i have been officially suffering from SAD for around the last 8 years although looking back it would explain many problems i have dealt with over time. Every year i start to dread september and the clocks going back must be the worst time!

When the doctors first diagnosed me I tried a light box and I was unsure as to whether or not it helped but I found that the anti anxiety drug Cipramil has helped a lot. I have also had hypnotherapy from time to time to help with any anxiety and relaxation.

This year though i am looking to try a light box again as my 9 year old son has been showing symptoms of sad over the last few years (behaviour changes, more nervous, not being as sociable and suffering more ill health), and i would be really grateful if anybody could recommend a good company or make!

Gosh all these letters bring me tears. I have endured sad for as long as I can remember - I am now 42! I have a light box - it works as long as I havent got to the depressive stage. This year I am struggling already, as my batteries have not been fully recharged this year due to our awful summer. I liken myself to the Durcell Bunny advert. In summer, I drum really fast. In winter, my batteries fade to almost nothing. Im off to the doctors today, Ive really had enough of feeling everything that is rotten, shattered and lethargic and i've still got months to go. Looking forward to seeing the snowdrops and spring bulbs flower again - as will I.
good luck to all this season.

Hi I would like to know if any of you who suffer for SAD have problems with drugs? I have a brother who I believe suffers for SAD. For the majority of the year he is straight, but usually around this time of year he starts using again. Can somebody give me some advice on how help him help himself?

Hi all i have listened to all your comments and i think that might be whats wrong with me.
I moved to Cyprus in 2003 and i was there for 3 years and i had 1 minor cold and i never felt sad or irritated almost depressed.
Since coming back in 2006 i have been very moody, snappy andwhen its dull outside i just shut the curtains and wait for the day to end, i am emotionless and sluggish.
Can anyone tell me if this is how this problem starts as i feel like a hypercondriact keep going to the doctor telling them that i aint right and they can't find anything wrong.
Can Anyone Help.
Thanks

Hi there i have suffered sad for the past 10years but mine is slightly increased by me being diagnosed as clinically depressed i lived in Spain for six months last year and didn't suffer even last winter but this year it's back with a vengeance and we only put the clock back 3 days ago. The only thing to remember is we are not going mad and we are not on our own. Now i'll just hibernate in my cave until spring lol
hugs to everyone
sue

hi all,i'm really glad i joined this site it has made a great change to listen to others and be able to say how i feel about my sad i seem to have spent the last ten yrs in my own little bubble with no one quite understanding how i feel so its gd 2 know im not alone i will always remember telling my father in law i had sad and he said to me ur not sad u have always got a smile on ur face!! i think that sums it up really some people just dont understand and never will.sue

wel jon thanks for your comments but i totally dissagree i love the winter the cold dark nights etc but they just dont like me u cant just say that we automatically think we are depressed or fed up just because the time of the yr i dont like the hot summers but obviously the bright days make me feel good like everyone else.As i have said before people who do not suffer with sad have no idea what we go through and it certainly isnt all in the mind so i hope anyone who is reading this page and is a new member to remember the feelings u r feeling r quite normal its not in your mind and us genuine suffers who understand will help support you.sue

Look guys basically right I dont know many people who particularly like the winter months, they are cold, the weather is normally crap it gets dark early and its difficult to maintain a nice sun tan unless like me you use spray tans lol. Sometimes I feel like I dont particularly feel like getting up in the morning but after ive been for a run the day then begins and you just have to take it in your stride, do your best in whatever you need to do and then have a couple of beers, just remember that at the end of the day nobody likes it when its cold and raining but its all part of living in britain and if you dont like it move to sunnier climates, im not trying to be harsh with people who suffer with this but I really do think its something that you can do something about yourself. Thanks Jon

Hi everyone, I'm a sufferer and have been for as long as I can remember. My 'remedies' include exercise (in the gym and outdoors), chocolate and alcohol (small amounts!). When I had the money I'd go abroad during Christmas/New Year. That helped a great deal. This year I'm going to buy daylight energy lightbulbs 125/130w and see if they help at home. The alternative is to paint the walls bright yellow!

I have an old Bodyclock I bought from OutsideIn about 5 years ago that helps, just needs to emit enough light for the whole bedroom rather than a section. Maybe it's time for an upgrade.

hi everyone im a sufferer from sad im glad iv found someone else out there who knows wat im going thru.i went to my doctor about this an he told me it was all in my head.i some times sit in tears i feel so deprest with this is there anything anyone can recomend to me

Hi all. It is really encouraging to read all your comments. I loved the one from ME relating herself to a duracell bunny, beating really fast in the summer and slowly in the winter. I find this too, I'm creative, inventive and fun to be around April- August (not long I know!!), the rest of the year I can be nervous, forgetful and unsure of myself with low self esteem and negative thoughts. It's really rubbish because it has meant that I have been able to perform well in summer exams but then have found myself dropping out of things- courses, jobs the following winter. I have sometimes found myself becoming hyper in the summer especially in my early twenties, where I would make decisions without thinking them through or how they made other people feel, spending lots of money and going off in tangents.
Regarding the drugs side of thing I think a number of people who suffer from this type of problem may find themselves dabbling in drugs. They release the hormones seratonin and dopamine that you are lacking when you are depressed and this obviously releives the symptoms for a while. The only problem is that in the long run you are going to be doing much more harm than good. The light boxes work by releasing these happy hormones- the medical thinking behind this is that the light reaches the back of the eye (retina) and sends impulses to a part of the brain called the hypothalamus which controls mood, appetite, sleep, sex drive and regulates hormones. One of these hormones is serotonin and so the more light we have( as SAD suffers especailly) the happier we are.

Anything we can do to help our brain release more of these happy hormones the better ( as long as it is not illegal drugs). Foods which help the release of these "happy" hormones in the brain include chocolate and bananas. No this is not just a way of excusing ourselves from eating bananas smothered in chocolate, there is scientific reasoning to it- these foods contain chemicals which are used by the body to made these hormones.
I have joined the SAD Association recently which keeps you updated on SAD- it was only £12 I think. The website address is www.sada.org.uk.
Their latest entries by suffers are encouraging SAD suffers to make sure they get enough Omega 3 in their diets. Omega 3 ( found in oily fish such as sardines, mackeral, pilchards and salmon, not tinned tuna) helps the brain to function properly ( keeps the messages flowing properly ). Every one knows the saying that fish is good for the brain.. well its true. If people aren't too keen on fish then taking daily cod liver oil (Omega-3) supplements is an option. There has been a some scientific research on this concluding that " Daily cod liver oil users were less likely to have high levels of depression ". Just something to keep in mind.
Regarding lightboxes I have found the Philips ones pretty good- they delivered mine quickly and they look really nice- don't look too clinical. These are from Lightbox UK - www.sadbox.co.uk.

Hope this helps. Its great to read all your comments so keep it up. Best wishes Hannah

Just to let you all know that I (alias the Duracell Bunny) did manage to get to the doctors. She was very helpful and immediately offered to organise a light box for me - fantastic. I have, however, already got a light box and a dawn simulator, but felt an immediate relief and respect for her. She recognised my associated depression and prescribed Prozac. Since then I visited the Apollo website and found that my bodyclock was totally wrong. It told me that the best time for me to receive my light is at 6.30am. So I now wake up with help of serious lights, at 6.30am for 45mins. Take my tablet, take kids to school then go for a run or aerobic class. People start to be liking me again and I am now have been invited for coffee everyday since. My dizzy fairy dust head has gone and I seem better able to access my intelligence - you will all know what I mean. Also my cravings for carboyhydrate has gone too, so Im losing weight. I suppose I am just extremely sensitive, and am lucky it is all working so quickly, but equally my sensitivity dictates that I will fall back quickly too.

I also got a book out of the library called Winter Blues by Norman E Rosenthal MD - interesting reading, especially in those mornings in bed with my light box on overdrive. One of the things I shamelessly hadnt realised is that if you have a condition, such as cataracts, it obviously stops some light entering the back of the eye which can make the condition worse.

My only problem now is getting away from my light box, it bathes me in such wonderful light that I find it hard to switch it off - but I know that if I have too much then the manic phase starts!

Keep going Spring lovers, we will get there together. ME

hi me glad u have found a doctor thats so understanding and seems to be up on all the information on sad just wish that we could all have understanding doctors.Well its that time of yr the clocks have gone bk and its now dark very early on but i must say it doesnt get me down like a very grey gloomy day i am looking forward to xmas so thats sumin to look 4ward 2 i suppose my mood may slip once the festivities are all over they do say jan and feb can be the worse for sad suffers but i shall plough on reguardless.sue

hi mejust reread some of the letters and noticed on yours that u had been precribed prozac from your doctor hows that going? also do u ever find urself wanting to drop of in front of ur light box?. thanx sue

hi again me thanx 4 replying bk i was told u had to keep ur light box at least a couple of feet away from u and not to stare into the light so im not sure if i have been doing it wrong for the last ten yrs lol.in answer to wot u said about being a planner i do plan lots of things as i work for myself and have to keep on top at all times other wise my buisness wud go down the pan i do feel some daysm that i cant be bothered but u have to carry on.I also suffer with negative thoughts in thrm winter months that can drag me down but on a positive note prozac is fantastic i have taken it for ten yrs approx and it really does help.sue

Hi ME, you said that your doctor is organizing a light box. Is that on the NHS or will you have to pay? I'm asking because at the moment I really want to try a light box, but have so little money that I just can't afford one.
On the subject of planning, I think it might well be a symptom. I don't tend to be much of a planner all through the year, but in summer I can get away with it and things will still get done (albeit in a slightly haphazard manner!). In the winter though, if I don't plan I just spend days in bed and get overwhelmed at thinking about doing the slightest thing. This year I'm trying to sort that be writing lists in the evening of what I have to do the next day in the order I'm going to do them, and I'm finding that it is keeping me a little less stressed than before as things are step by step rather than all clamoring for attention at once.

rhiannon
She offered to organise a light box - but as I already had one, I declined her offer and didnt progress it further. I did enter her office in a really pitiful state. I was so pleased to see her I blubbed and blubbed - so depressed I couldnt think straight. I suppose I looked (and was) desperate, and she was understanding of SAD.

If I do have to plan anything, then it is like writing in pen in your diary as upposed to pencil. If it is cancelled I get frustrated and fed up. I find it hard to understand my husbands constant need to plan then later cancel those plans. It can drive me potty in the winter.

Good idea to sort out your brain by writing things down though. Youll get great satisfaction in ticking your finished jobs off, and at the end of the day you will realise that actually you have done much more than your SAD brain portrays.
ME

Hello my name is Anita i have just done the questionare and have a test core 21 what would be the next step for me to take can anybody advise me not sure what to do thanks

Kayley, I can't sleep at all at night - I nod off infront of the TV by when I go to bed - that is when the trouble starts - pure panic and anxiety takes over - any tiny issue becomes MAJOR and coping with anything is hard. Just ordered a light box and also taking 5-HTP although haven't seen any results from the 5-HTP yet - been taking it for 3 weeks only though.

Thank you for the comments. I will talk to my brother, as soon as he comes down from his high. He has lost his job again, and has no money. He is not answering his telephone, or his doorbell. I know that he is in his apartment only because of the special code he has between his son's mother and him. Please I do not know what more to do for him. He stop going to his therapist, and do not let any boy in right now. Is there anybody out their that is going thru the same thing rightnow or knows somebody who is going thru something like this?

has any one who has just bought a light box seen any improvement on how they are feeling? any info would be great, thanks chris

Thanks for your support everyone and you comments.
This is great!!!

Thinking about emegrating again, i honestly think its the only answer for me. :-)

Just been reading the messages. I also have SAD and was diagnosed 12 years ago. I use a lightbox which I got from one of the shopping channels for around £86 - it is small and fits into a handbag - and also use my Dawn Alarm (from InsideOut - £59). This is great especially if you have to get up in the dark winter hours for work. I am also on Prozac, - I was fortunate that my (new) doctor recognised the symptoms and referred me to the Department of Psychiatry. One of the signs of SAD is that the body temeprature is often lower than usual - which creates problems if you are feeling unwell!!!I have the acute form of SAD which manifests itself by feeling "foggy" all day, not wanting to get up in the morning, going to bed at 9.00pm in the winter, and stuffing carbs!!!I also fall asleep at around 4.00pm each day and my thinking process slows down. I also had slurred speech at nighty, but this seems to have gone now. We had a conservatory built onto our kitchen three years ago, and I spend a lot of time in there, - this has helped me greatly - when I was working I was in a room without natural light, which aggravated my condition so badly that I had to be re sited into a brighter room. One really helpful thing is to have a holiday in the sun as late in the season as possible. This helps to get you through the Christmas months, Sunbeds don't help - wrong sort of light. You need "white light".
I've learnt how to pace myself now, but still count the days until the clocks go forward.

sorry I meant mryouwho!

Hi Frank, I certainly understand what you mean. I tend to be quite nervous and paranoid around new people at the best of times, but in the winter it is definitely a lot worse. I always assumed that people wouldn't like me when I met them, and it's something which I've been able to overcome, but at this time of year I have to keep on constantly reminding myself that I'm being paranoid. I think that any kind of insecurity that is present does try to make itself known when you're down in the winter, so the only way around it is to try and remember that in the summer you don't feel it as much, so it can't be true. I do understand how hard it is to keep perspective though!

I'm feeling so much better with my SAD lamp only after just a week of using it! Yipeeeee.

I have similar feelings Pixie - I am finding it difficult to get out of bed and I am totally inert most of the day. I am also avoiding going out, which is something that happens at this time of year. Shame Christmas is not in the summer. Even my own family doe not realise what it feels like, they just think EVERYONE feels "tired" in the winter. I think there should be more publicity about SAD so thaqt others see it as a real dysfunction. My light box definitely helps.

Hi All, I don't myself suffer from SAD, however i do believe my partner does. When we 1st met in October 7yrs ago we believed he was depressed, sleeping all the time, not interested in work, life or anything etc. It took me over a year of support, patience and major encouragement to get him to the docs where he was given anti depressants and advised to go to counselling. After 1 mth he stopped taking the medication as he felt better, and attended no counselling, this was in the spring. Since then we have been through major ups and downs and separated on many occasions. We also have a 2yr old. I have been so supportive and understanding and i do believe it is SAD he suffers but i feel i cant be the 1 to help him if he wont help himself. We are currently on a break.....ie he packed a bag and took off because he cant take any more. Can anyone at all help? Can anyone tell me what its like living with a SAD sufferer and how they cope? I really love him but its so hard to keep loving someone who doesnt love them self.
Thanks

Sorry!The last bit on my post was for anyone generally that can answer
my query.

Similarly think I've suffered this for years. It might well explain the bizarre devotion I had to snow as a child and even now; I think it turns the whole environment into a light box at a dull time of year. I'm intrigued by the vitamin D comment. I know it's only produced by the body in sunlight, so it makes perfect sense, but would like to know if there's other studies to show a link between mood and vitamin D. Now here's one for you. I would like to know if sufferers are more likely to have been born in the later winter months. I'm a capricorn and reckon it means I am more prone to SAD. Why? Because my mother would have been subject to less light during pregnancy. Just a hunch I have. Along with a feeling that I'm closer related to the hibernating hedgehog than most. That was a joke that one.
Light box has been on my desk over last 5 years at 3 different companies. Always get treated like a leper for it, apart from the girls who relate to it. Have same paranoias in winter as others on this blog. Dawn simulator has worked-ish, but reckon on getting a teasmade to give me a short term reason to get up. I need the sugar I think to get metabolism started. Also have a theory that sufferers have lower blood pressure than average. Deep breathing when you wake and a glass of water can help to raise you from slumber. It washes away the sleepy hormone from your saliva I understand.

has anyone tried God? We`are discussing our problems as if we have no spiritual connection with a living and true God. If lack of light bothers you, you will be completely blown over when you watch the news. When we wake up to the evils in and around us without running from it we will see we desparately need a savior and there is one. His name is Jesus and He absolutely cured my depression. I was depressed for 5 years until I surrendered to Him and recognized it was a sin problem. We are all in sin. Once we see that the problem is easy to solve. Just thought I'd share what really helps.

Hi Curleyperkins,

I've had councelling before in the winer, and I'm not really sure whether it worked or not. For the tmes that you need to vent and don't want to lay it all on family and friends its pretty useful :)
As for how to get an appointment in the first place it sounds like they've really been hopeless with you! I think I was lucky becauae I was a student, and waiting lists are shorter then. I know this sounds really awful, but something I've been recommending to my boyfriend who wants to go to councelling is that he exagerrates his problems when talking o the doctor, ideally mentioning a drinking problem and suicidal thoughts... but this may be a little unethical (when I did it I had an appointment within a week though). Best of luck with it though

Hi Rhiannon - yes think I have slipped through the n et! I am a well controlled diabetic and saw my consultant for a review and told him that I was having trouble with carb. cravings due to the SAD. He contacted the Dept. of Psychiatry which initially diagnosed me but they class me as "walking wounded" and not unwell enough to have input as the system is so overloaded. Luckily my husband is a counsellor and understands by problems but can't really work with me because of professional ethics. I just wondered whether counselling was the nor. or whether you have to be "desperate" to get some sort of support. I must say I feel a lot better now that I know there are other people out there who have the same issues. On with the lightbox and dawn simulator, and countdown to clocks going forward. I know most people feel worse after Christmas but I always feel a bit better as we are coming out of the dark and towards light, so start the countdown on January 1st.(89 days) which means today there are only 109 days to go!!!!

I had the same thing for years Stained Glass Lady - I'd put mysef on a waiting list in about August/Sept and by the timeI was offered an appointment I was fine!
I normally feel worst in Jan/Feb, but it is very encouraging seeing the countdown there curleyperkins, I think might start doing that on my calendar!

My 2 year old son (3 in Jaunuary)exhibits alot of the symptons of SAD. He refuses to eat anything after breakfast, loses a vast amount of weight. Goes to sleep at 5pm collapsing on the sofa, wakes at 4-5am every morning. He sobs constantly like a really unhappy child (not normal at all for him). This behaviour has started in late October and disappears by about February and his normal behaviour resumes. Last year we sought medical treatment but after running normal medical tests everything came back negative. However it's happening all over again this year and we're starting to get a little worried. We have two other children that are unaffected. Does anyone have any suggestions? How do we get this properly diagnosed?

Misty, I can really sympathise. I've suffered from Winter Blues for years which this year went to full SAD that had to be treated with antidepressants. Thankfully I'm out of the hole now and off that but I don't want to go through that again so did a bit of research for myself. I've come to the conclusion that SAD isn't so much a disorder as an evolutionary adaptation us northern Europeans have for life at these latitudes. Time was, the onset of darker days would stimulate us to fatten up on the autumn food glut then conserve energy through the lean winter months by sleeping a lot and being as inactive as possible. Thinking of it that way it really makes sense for us to be sluggish and antisocial at this time of year :) Unfortunately it just doesn't fit with the way we want to live these days!

Since I got my head round that, coping with it has become a lot easier.

To keep myself active I make sure to stretch the day length out to at least 12 hours. Waking up in the dark is totally unnatural so I have a bedside lamp on a time-switch (£3.95 at Tesco!) that comes on an hour before I get up in the morning. I try not to sleep more than 9 hours in any day (the production of the melatonin you need for sleep scavenges serotonin out of your brain). In the morning I drink a big glass of skimmed milk with my breakfast to make sure I have plenty of tryptophan to kick-start serotonin production for the day. On bad days I drink 2-3 cups of St John's Wort tea which you can get for ~£3 for 20 bags from most health food stores.
The other thing is force yourself to get outside as much as you can. Even overcast days in winter are brighter than inside so go for a walk round the block at lunchtime and get some fresh air.

Hope that helps you as much as it did me :)

MIsty I say the same to you get outside even if it an overcast day for a long walk you need to exercise. There is enough light to help you somewhat and go to see your GP.

you are welcome and let us know how things are going.

I was born in October and my daughter was born in Jan. I hope she doesn't get this.

I hate to spoil the month theory, but all the members of my family who suffer from this were born in the summer, including myself (May baby). It's funny though, because a few weeks ago I was wondering if it was just summer babies people who had it as the winter would happen after they were used to it being warm and sunny!

A couple of you have mentioned low libido now, and i was wondering if there's anything any of you have found to help that? I know it's not one of the most importants problems, but I'm finding it hard to explain to my boyfriend that it's the winter and not him, especially since we've just moved in together - i think he thinks we're doomed!

I was born in February and my son, who also has SAD was born at the end of September. Interesting theory. My daughter has ME and it is interesting how similar the symptoms are to SAD,ie
tiredness, lethargy , lack of motivation etc.I wonder if a light box might help her too.

I have been awake since 4am I am going to the doctors and then I have alot of other things to do. You have to force yourself the exercies will do you some good. Good luck hope you feel better soon.

cheers. Actually it turned out to be ok today. I had an assignment due in for uni and i had already decided that it'd just have to go in late but then i got a phone call from my friend who asked me to come meet her-i really didnt want to but she persuaded me and today ended up ok. Got my assignment finished and handed in and am on my way to the doctors now. Hooray

well done :)

I also have a supportive husband. He says the dirt won't go away we will get it cleaned up together.

Well done, Misty. Hope you get the help you need. My GP has been great - it was she who suggested SJW and even told me to eat a couple of squares of dark chocolate if I felt my mood flagging in the evening (just don't overdo it!).

As for the libido, yeah, I had problems.

Warning for the guys - chick-stuff ahead...

Everything stopped for me, including my periods so I thought I was starting an early menopause (I'm 46). OK, that was a plus from my point of view but it really was proof there was something more going on that just in my head. Unfortunately things started up again as my body chemistry sorted itself out again but I'll take that as the price for not feeling so crappy. And Hubby was pleasantly surprised when a week into prozac I suddenly jumped him (heheh).

On the exercise front - yes it's important but it doesn't have to be strenuous. Like I said in my earlier post, even a 5 minute walk round the block can do you the power of good. If you can manage more then great, but the important thing is getting yourself out in the air and daylight.

glad you found the sun dixietrix. I will mabe see it tomorrow right now there is a blizzard outside.

Its christmas day, I cant stop crying and cant be bothered even opening presents.

I hate suffering from SAD.

hi hannah hope ur r feeling alittle better today we r all here for you as we have all felt the same way, i must say i love the run up til xmas but its all gone flat now and im desperate to take my decs down im feeling down knowing there isnt much to look forward to now but as stained glass lady said the spring is round the corner which is gd as we will all feel so much better,i hope it helps talking to people on this site and that u r able to talk to ur doctor and family and get some support.all the best and happy new year to everyone.sue

I also am glad the christmas is over. I was unemotional all day just wanted it to end. Was at my parents but it felt boring and just wanted my hubby to take me home. atleast everyone understood. Would have liked to been somewhere warm and sunny as well.

IrishMark you should go to the begining of the form page 1 most everyone stays around there. Ask your questions and people will answer.

I've never officially had it diagnosed but every winter the same happens, I become paranoid,restless in bed(although I spend about 18+hours a day in bed) depressed to the point of suicide so much so I changed career, to include frequent trips abroad to sunny destinations for the winter, I thought that would help to a certain extent it did last year, this year I am the same as I ever have been. I am at my wits end, I spend at least 10 days away in tropical destinations once a month and I still feel as bad as ever.

Hello everyone, i suffer from winter blues, when its a cloudy day, raining, cold, i am very sad.
This all starts from about November till March, and as soon as i see the sun i am a different person, cheerfull , happy, want to paint the town yellow.
Doctors say anti depressents dont help that much out, although people do have to take them, this depression is very bad thing, when i am going through it i up set my wife, my 4 children; but when i am feeling a bit better they all thank the god.
I really dont know how to come over this, so it does not happen to me every year, how can i finish this?
I pray for all of you who go through this like i do too, may god help us. If anyone can suggest something please do so, very gratefull, thank you. Mohammed

I lived in Asia for 17 years and have been back in UK for 10 and have been miserable without realising it - until this winter when things got really bad - started AD's today and have a lamp which does make me feel a bit better but I'm all over the place starts around the time clocks change and get manic and happy when the daffodils start popping up! Christmas was a disaster although I put on a brave face for the photos - still haven't properly appreaciated my presents they are still in a pile on the floor behing the sofa!!!

I've just been told I may have SAD every winter for the last 5 years I end up really run down and around Christmas end up with severe eye problems so much so they swell up so I can't see, my Husband gets annoyed cos I'm so tired and don't want to go out anywhere or mix with people.I wake up and within a few hours am so tired again I thought I was cracking up.The worst is when I wake at 3am and then wa