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Seasonal Affective Disorder and bipolar

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Posted 1/17/2009 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
Well, we are buried here under snow and the temperature has been in the negatives for the past 3 days. Today it's "warmer." It's 13 degrees! I am very affected by the weather. Too many gloomy days and I start having serious problems with my mood. Anyone else have this issue?

serafena
Posted 1/17/2009 5:34 PM (GMT 0)

Hey serafena;

I think that is natural for anyone. I know I hate winter time. The cold, rain & short daylight hours really get to me after a while. Especially when I worked midnights. I would get home before the sun came up, then wake up & get a few hours of daylight before it got dark in the evening. I often say I couldn't live somewhere like greenland or Alaska because of the long periods of little or no sun. Or somewhere like Seattle, where it is riany or overcast all the time.  I have cabin fever so bad right now because of the cold & rain we keep getting. Living in the south we usually have mild winters, but not this year. Being unemployed right now isn't helping either, I'm bored out of my friggin skull!

Hope you have a good day!

Rocket

Posted 1/17/2009 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
I get that yearly as well. Have you tried tanning? I know a lot of people that tan in the winter, not to stay dark but it actually helps their moods!
Posted 1/18/2009 10:52 AM (GMT 0)
I get really anxious when it is very windy
Posted 1/18/2009 3:30 PM (GMT 0)
Tanning, that's an idea. I may try that. Thanks BD!
Posted 1/19/2009 1:44 AM (GMT 0)

   I am awefull this time of year. I hike, use lights, work out, put my bikes out where i can see them everyday. Jan and feb are really bad for my family and me. This is the first year i am going to be on medicine, and i got a parttime job to help keep me busy, so i am hoping that this all helps me get thru this time.

   Bill

 

Posted 1/20/2009 7:59 PM (GMT 0)
I get depressed in winter. The medication makes me shiver all the time so I am freezing even when others are snug. I try to sleep as much as I can - at night as well as during the afternoon. It helps the day go by more quickly.
Posted 1/23/2009 9:47 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Serafena, have you gone tanning yet??? How're you feeling???
Posted 1/24/2009 3:04 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, I get awfully depressed in winter when it is cold and I can't go outside without freezing my rearend off. I too try to sleep as much as I can to make the days pass quicker. I rent dvds from Netflix which helps some until I get one that's sad and makes me more depressed LOL man I am pathetic arent I? I try to keep myself as occupied as possible but heck, now I am running out of things to do.
Posted 1/24/2009 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
Oh thank you for asking! I haven't gone tanning yet! I keep forgetting about it! I really should do it, shouldn't I? I'm doing a little better. The cold weather broke, the roads are decent at least, and there's a little sun. It won't last but as long as there's something I can deal. But tanning -- you should see me -- I'm the ultimate in pasty, pale girls. I glow all summer. I don't tan even in July -- I burn, it peels, I'm white again. Tanning is a funny concept even. But I like the idea of really bright lights for 10 minutes or so. I'm gonna try it...

serafena
Posted 1/25/2009 12:31 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

 

I have seasonal affective disorder, too, and this winter has been really hard.  My moods have been up and down all winter.

Shebsy, I also shiver all of the time with this cold weather.  Is it because of our medicines?  I am on triliptal, lamictal, seroquel, and zyprexa.  I didn't know that our meds affected our body temp, but it makes sense.

 

I've started using a special lamp for the disorder and I think that it's starting to make me feel some better. 

 

Serafena, please tell me how your tanning experience goes.  I have never used a tanning bed before either, always afraid of skin cancer, but maybe it could help more than hurt?

Posted 1/26/2009 4:54 AM (GMT 0)
My wife has this... I don't have a major issue per say , but sometimes it can get me down a little. I guess because I grew up in a cold climate and now live where it rarely gets below freezing it doesn't seem to bother me as much. I still hate that the only time I get to see the sun is through a window at work (I work long hours). I've also heard that tanning can help a lot with SAD... my wife had to use one to get ready for her mom's wedding and it seemed to perk her up a lot. Hope you've had a chance to try it out and that it worked!
Posted 1/26/2009 6:17 AM (GMT 0)

serafena said...
Oh thank you for asking! I haven't gone tanning yet! I keep forgetting about it! I really should do it, shouldn't I? I'm doing a little better. The cold weather broke, the roads are decent at least, and there's a little sun. It won't last but as long as there's something I can deal. But tanning -- you should see me -- I'm the ultimate in pasty, pale girls. I glow all summer. I don't tan even in July -- I burn, it peels, I'm white again. Tanning is a funny concept even. But I like the idea of really bright lights for 10 minutes or so. I'm gonna try it...

serafena

Meeeeee too!  So don't feel bad!  I'll be the person you see on the beach sitting under an umbrella under a tree wearing a big floppy hat rubbing SPF 60 on her! tee hee!!!

But you know what?  My skin is flawless!  I've seen some of my friends who've tanned for years, and they look WAY older than their time.... heck, I still get carded at the liquor store and i'm 30!

Posted 1/27/2009 2:50 PM (GMT 0)
Hey guys, sometimes this is from, or made worse by, vitamin D deficiencies. The best source of D is direct sunlight, but when it's not available you're not getting it. We fought this pretty hard at our house, but the addition of D supplements really helped out.

If you try it, and it doesn't help, you really haven't lost anything. Next time you're anywhere they sell vitamins, consider picking some up (straight Vitamin D). Any brand, just one a day.

If I'm singing to the choir here, go easy on me...I'm new smilewinkgrin
Posted 1/27/2009 3:39 PM (GMT 0)
No, I didn't know that, about vitamin D. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.
Posted 1/30/2009 12:22 AM (GMT 0)
Jondoe, vitamin D deficiencies can cause mood changes and depression. My vitamin D levels have been very low for the past year. I have my blood tested every 3 months and am taking a vitamin D3 with 1000iu's. It and sunshine are supposed to help me get back to the necessary levels..

Butterfly
Posted 2/1/2009 11:44 AM (GMT 0)
Not ony do I have sad but I have been diogonsed with ABi-polar foo a long time .  For some reason everytime I start to feel better for a while I go off my meds  Why is this  I do not understand myself  I have always been medicin compliant till a fewe years ago when i just rebelled nd said enough is enough and went off everything cause i was on a lot of meds narcotics as well for pain so i went off of everything and now im in terriboel pain cause i just broke my back agai! this itime in the torasic region 3 vertabreas again and im in terrible pain taking 2 vicoden a day alomst sometimes and cymbalta, blood pressue meds anti-itching meds, now i have to take a dont pee you pants pull detromil, and i take valium for insomnia when I wake up too earley and cannot get back to sleep but they stopped working now.  i forget what else i take cauwe I took a whole vicoden this morning and it is wearing off now and sitting here makes my back hurt worse-

knitwit

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