Seasonal Affective Disorder

[ScaredToBreathe]

I live in Canada and get severe seasonal affective disorder in the Winter. I have been feeling very down lately because of this. I don't feeling like going out anywhere or getting anything done (but I know I should, and I want to!). I have very little energy and am often fatigued. I feel depressed, have a severe lack of motivation, and find it hard to concentrate and remember things. My body feels lethargic and just heavy and weak no matter what I do. I succumb to distractions easily and cannot seem to get done what I would like to do. I have a loss of interest in things, have low sex drive, and worst of all, when I go outside and feel how cold it is and see the sky and everything is grey and dark I just feel awful. I can't even describe it...it's just the lowest of low feelings, like I'd rather die, I just want to run back inside where it's at least warm and not lacking colours. In the summer this all goes away (except for my separate depression/anxiety).

Just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to deal with SAD and feel better. I already take buproprion (wellbutrin), which is prescribed for seasonal disorders. I also take duloxetine for depression and anxiety. This drug combo works great for me in the summer but does nothing when SAD comes in the Winter. I do not respond to SSRI meds, and duloxetine is the only SNRI that hasn't had bad side effects, so other meds are kind of out of the picture. I also have and use a light therapy light specifically for SAD treatment, though I don't find it works well enough for me. I try to eat healthy and get exercise (I work 2 jobs on my feet, nearly every day), and dress warmly. So far those are the things I've heard are suppose to help, I've tried everything and nothing works! I am planning to move to a warmer country when I am done university and save enough money, but until then what else can I do??

 

[MikeyC]

Another Canadian I know has seasonal affective disorder, and it makes sense with the cold, grey winters you experience there. All I can suggest to you is be aware of your emotions, and take conscious steps to avoid sinking. As an example, if you feel yourself getting depressed, maybe layer up and go for a walk. It will be cold but you will be exercising and light exercise is very good for brain and body. That's just one example out of many.

I live in Australia and seasonal affective disorder is very uncommon here, due to our year-round sunshine (and yes, we still have snowy mountains here) and warmth. I suggest you come live here if you really want to, haha.

 

[Sacrament]

I guess it's a matter of being okay with who you are so you can learn how to enjoy the little things about each season. I tend to get bummed out when the days start getting shorter and the hot mediterranean weather starts to get colder, but there's more than that to consider. Yes, it feels great to go out wearing nothing but shorts and a t-shirt, or to go biking with the sun on your skin and getting a tan, but it's also nice to lay in a warm bed when it's cold and raining outside (or going to the beach vs drinking hot cocoa, etc). I've learned that if I'm not okay in general, then not only am I not going to enjoy the colder months, but I won't really enjoy the warmer months either.

 

[kihira]

I live in Australia and seasonal affective disorder is very uncommon here, due to our year-round sunshine..

Most of the beyondblue type sites state it as being extremely rare in australia, but i think they're being a bit sydney-centric, there are way more winter daylight hours the further north you get. Winters down here have short days which can be cold, overcast and grey for many days in a row and I suspect, unless I'm an oddity, that SAD is commonly experienced in this part of Oz

 

[dannyboy65]

I also live in Canada. I struggle with what you struggle with in the winter. During the summer it's not that bad. My advice to you is Vitamin D with positive thinking can go a long way.

 

[MikeyC]

Most of the beyondblue type sites state it as being extremely rare in australia, but i think they're being a bit sydney-centric, there are way more winter daylight hours the further north you get. Winters down here have short days which can be cold, overcast and grey for many days in a row and I suspect, unless I'm an oddity, that SAD is commonly experienced in this part of Oz

I don't have any statistics to back me up, but I have heard that it's rarer in this country than places like Canada. Sure, possibly in Tasmania it's a higher occurrence than in, say, Brisbane, but if comparing national averages, surely it's higher in Canada than Australia. I could also be talking out of my ***. :bigsmile:

 

[Kiwong]

I sweat buckets running in summer, and have trouble sleeping night. Summer is the worst season for me.

 

[ScaredToBreathe]

Another Canadian I know has seasonal affective disorder, and it makes sense with the cold, grey winters you experience there. All I can suggest to you is be aware of your emotions, and take conscious steps to avoid sinking. As an example, if you feel yourself getting depressed, maybe layer up and go for a walk. It will be cold but you will be exercising and light exercise is very good for brain and body. That's just one example out of many.

I live in Australia and seasonal affective disorder is very uncommon here, due to our year-round sunshine (and yes, we still have snowy mountains here) and warmth. I suggest you come live here if you really want to, haha.

Actually, funny that you mentioned that because the warmer country I said I was planning to move to once I have the funds is Australia haha! I've also considered New Zealand. Never been to either but Australia seems like a beautiful country with lots of sunshine, interesting animals, and for the most part great people I would like to further attend university in Australia while working as an elementary school teacher if there are jobs available (there are practically no jobs for teachers here). I seriously can't wait. I get so excited just thinking about it...but I think it will be at least another 5-10 years before I move there.

 

[MikeyC]

Actually, funny that you mentioned that because the warmer country I said I was planning to move to once I have the funds is Australia haha! I've also considered New Zealand. Never been to either but Australia seems like a beautiful country with lots of sunshine, interesting animals, and for the most part great people I would like to further attend university in Australia while working as an elementary school teacher if there are jobs available (there are practically no jobs for teachers here). I seriously can't wait. I get so excited just thinking about it...but I think it will be at least another 5-10 years before I move there.

Oh, okay, haha. Welcome to Australia, future ScaredToBreathe!

Teaching jobs here are also quite hard to get into. It's a competitive field with many teachers stuck on casual work. However, you never know your luck and being from overseas, you may have more of a chance. Plenty of good universities in this country, even if a lot of them are located in the major cities.

You have many years yet, anyway, so worry about that when the time comes.

 

[Aylaa]

All I can suggest to you is be aware of your emotions, and take conscious steps to avoid sinking. As an example, if you feel yourself getting depressed, maybe layer up and go for a walk. It will be cold but you will be exercising and light exercise is very good for brain and body.

:thumbup: You said you already get exercise at work, but really try to get outside when you can, it does help.

I guess it's a matter of being okay with who you are so you can learn how to enjoy the little things about each season. I tend to get bummed out when the days start getting shorter and the hot mediterranean weather starts to get colder, but there's more than that to consider. Yes, it feels great to go out wearing nothing but shorts and a t-shirt, or to go biking with the sun on your skin and getting a tan, but it's also nice to lay in a warm bed when it's cold and raining outside (or going to the beach vs drinking hot cocoa, etc). I've learned that if I'm not okay in general, then not only am I not going to enjoy the colder months, but I won't really enjoy the warmer months either.

This is true, I did suffer from SAD a lot more when I was more depressed. I could hardly function at all anymore in winter, I was extremely tired all the time and my mood reached a low point every year. There's a bit more to it than getting bummed out about the weather - I actually did appreciate the little things about winter and I LOVE snow, but when your body just won't cooperate because it needs more sunlight, that doesn't help. Now I'm feeling better overall, the SAD doesn't get as bad as it used to either. But winter is still harder for me and it throws off my internal clock when it start to get dark around 4 PM. Grey skies are depressing. It was better when I had a job because I was busy around the time it got dark, the office lights were usually already on and often there was a beautiful sunset outside the window. Now when I'm at home, my brain likes to shut off for the evening as soon as it starts getting dark. h: Or never really start up properly on particularly grey days. That's when going for a walk can really help. (I will need that today!)

 

[ScaredToBreathe]

This is true, I did suffer from SAD a lot more when I was more depressed. I could hardly function at all anymore in winter, I was extremely tired all the time and my mood reached a low point every year. There's a bit more to it than getting bummed out about the weather - I actually did appreciate the little things about winter and I LOVE snow, but when your body just won't cooperate because it needs more sunlight, that doesn't help.

I agree. I do get out and I love going for walks when I have the time but you're right about your body not functioning or cooperating with what you want to do because of the tiredness and depression. And even if I go out, if I don't feel well it usually just makes me feel worse. Last Winter here was one of the worst in decades and I can remember many days where I couldn't even get out of bed and just slept all day or slept whenever I could between work and school. If I tried to get up my eyes would feel heavy (like when you stay up all night and your eyes want to close), I'd have barely any energy when walking around like it felt so burdensome just to take steps, and I couldn't think straight or concentrate because I felt so tired (and this negatively affected my grades...I'd involuntarily fall asleep when trying to get assignments done).

Thanks for the feedback everyone!!