Seasonal Affective Disorder - SAD
S.A.D (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
Did y'all know about Seasonal Affective Disorder - SAD? This is a common disorder that impacts us, especially women, during winter months.
Some of the symptoms include:
• Depression and/or hopelessness,
• Anxiety,
• Oversleeping,
• Cravings and weight gain
• Difficulty concentrating and processing
Most of these symptoms are created by a low level of serotonin. How can we help with these feelings?
1. Eat whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruit, and greens. Do not forget how important quality protein is for you.
2. Avoid junk food....yes, that means chocolate!
3. Get some sun! Many of the low levels of serotonin are caused by too much melatonin. Melatonin does the opposite of serotonin. It makes you sleepy and ready for bed.
4. Get moving! Exercise is a great way to boost serotonin levels. If it is too cold to exercise outside try a gym or exercising at home. There are great websites and home videos that will get you up and moving.
5. Develop a bedtime routine. Remember when you were younger and you had a permanent bed time and wake up time? This is great for your serotonin and melatonin levels. This routine helps balance you out. Plus, everyone loves a good night's rest!
What else do y'all do that helps you beat the winter blues?
Thank you for this informative post! I have dealt with this for as long as I can remember and it's good that it's getting some recognition.
@Elixxir
I deal with it too! I have a habit of staying inside during the colder months, because I HATE COLD. haha. However, by doing this I deprive myself of important vitamin D. I try to make a habit of fourcing myself to go outside to get some much needed sun!
@SMLHappy
Hi
Thats really great and usual information right there.
:-)
@TranquilLavenderFields
I am glad you find this useful. I think everyone experiences some sort of SAD symptoms during the colder months. I find these tips very helpful for me. I hope they help others too!
@SMLHappy
yes most definitely, i guess many of us suffer but are unaware.
Thank you
Hello :)
I'm happy to see someone trying to raise awareness of SAD. I've had it for 5 years now, this is the 6:th. Just knowing about it makes it much easier to deal with, and I can imagine there is a lot of people out there who don't really know what's going on with them.
The first two years I had SAD were very rough, I didn't know how to deal with it. I hadn't found any of my coping methods yet, or the naturopathic drug I now takes. Now that I'm aware of my disorder, I can prepare for it in time and count down the time until it's over. I've learned roughly when it starts and ends, and that is a big help.
I think it needs to be recognized by everyone really. People write you off as lazy or just weak. They tell you that you just have to suck it up and carry on. But SAD is really serious, and can affect you severly. I become really sensitive to stress, the tiniest pressure make me break down in tears. It had a big impact on my studies, as I failed almost all my classes because I had no energy. My SAD-period lasts from mid-august to february/mars. That's half a schoolyear. I wish it would be as recognized as any other disability, because that's what it is.
Oh, and as for how I deal with it.
The drug I take is made of the flower St Johns wort, and it's "A traditional herbal medicinal product used to relieve the symptoms of slightly low mood and mild anxeity." that's a quote from the package. Wether it's placebo or not, I don't know. I feel better when I take it. You can drink it as tea as well, but I prefer taking a pill to just get over with it. The tea taste like grass, I'm not a fan of green tea.
Unfortunately, it makes you sensetive to the sunlight, so that kinda defeats the whole "need more sunlight" method. But it works better for me.
I also find soothing music to help.
I think the best thing is that I accept and allow myself to cry every now and then. I just go to a quiet place and let the tears stream. It's usually something silly that triggers it, such as not knowing which classroom I should go to. It may not be that known, but there is a lot of hormons and chemicals in your tears. The body gets too much of it, and crying is the solution to subside the "feeling".
@Soulcry
I love finding natural remedies for illness or low mood. Essential oils are also a great way to help a low mood. Some different oils are great to pop in a diffuser to help me relax. Tea is also a good go to drink.
Crying can sometimes be great to feel better. I feel like a good cry helps me reset my emotions and start a way to healthily find a way to feel better.
Thank you for the tips!
@SMLHappy Oh, I've never heard of essentials oils. I googled it just now, and I think I might try it sometime. Anything that can help is welcome :) thank you for sharing that
@SMLHappy
I am sufferng from this already
I workout
go dancing
Journal
play with my cat
at bedtime I make a drink recommended by an Indian MD warm almond milk with turmeric honey cinnamon sort of like a milk chai makes me sleepy and warm Even made it with pumpkin spice delish not high calorie
call friends
watch comedies binge on old tv favs
@Dancersoul
Sounds like you have some great tricks to help with this. Thank you for sharing!
Bumping this Thread!
Clocks will be turning back again in another week.... thought this thread might help some of those who suffer or have symptoms of SAD
@SMLHappy
Love to see awareness about this
I would like to add that S.A.D can also be induced in summers as some people find heat intolerable.
Besides, seasonal allergies can cause frequent flu days, meaning days of inactivity, isolation and low energy, which can also lead to similar symptoms as that of depression.
@SMLHappy , @countrygirl1231 , @TranquilLavenderFields , @Soulcry , @Dancersoul , @PoliteOcean , @Hope
I was thinking about this today! I‘ve had seasonal depression in the winter for the last… oh, 7? years. But last spring, and again today, I’ve had anxiety from bright sunlight… anyone know what could be causing that? It happens within seconds or minutes of being outside in bright light. I get very anxious and panicky — my breath quickens, etc. Being in the dark helps me calm down.
Sometimes I also have what I would describe as “positive flashbacks” in nice weather like this — it feels like a flashback and feels like I am not in the present for a second, but it’s a happy memory of good times in nature. It’s not just remembering a normal happy memory, though — it’s disturbing to really feel like I’m back there and not in the present. It makes me feel very ungrounded.
Does this sound like SAD, or something else? I also have autism and wonder if the anxiety with bright light could be related to that. But I don’t remember getting anxious with sunlight as a kid or anything.
