A Source of en-LIGHT-enment

Winter SAD: Not so bad this year

Well, it's been a while since I posted.  I've been busy, maybe too busy, but in some ways that's a statement to me that my SAD is under control.  When it's not, I'm home a lot more.  I started taking anti-depressants in July this year, and have been on them almost continuously since then.  It really has made a big difference.  I'm out more with my friends, and carrying through on responsibilities that I've let slide in years past.  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to make much of a difference in the amount of laundry that isn't getting done!

I'm even exercising sporadically, albeit I may not be making it to the gym 5 days a week like some of my girlfriends, but I'm also involved in different things than they are, namely my community festival board.

It's Fall...Already Past the Equinox, and Definitely SAD Weather

Ah, the crisp short days of fall.  It's now cold, and I get stuck behind the school bus if I've got a late morning at the hospital...It's the time of year where I won't ever see it being light before I'm at work again until approximately next May, at the end of the academic year.  The last few days have left me dragging a bit.  Not to the point that I am in tears, but the fact that I have had a hard time getting motivated to do anything until about 5:00 PM.  I've tried coffee, light, exercise, antidepressants and more, but I figure it's going to take a few more days before it all has an effect.  I start super early mornings on Monday and will be leaving the house long before the sun is up. 

Shifting my body clock again is going to be a struggle.  I hope to avoid the general blah feeling that I seem to go through every winter.  I've actually been fighting it off and on since the end of July.  I was really good for a while about going outside and exercising for about an hour, but then I've slipped back into my old habits.  When I am at the hospital though, I do have to walk downtown to catch the bus, so I know I'm forced to get some additional exercise.

Junk food is too constant of a companion and forcing myself back on a schedule I can only imagine will help. 

SAD Early This Year?

It's almost the end of August and I feel more like it's the end of November.  What is going on?  I think that I'm starting to be affected much earlier than normal by my winter SAD.  There have  been a few days where I have been on the verge of tears all day, which is highly unusual, especially for the middle of summer. 

Part of the problem is that I've spent most of my daylight time indoors this summer.  I've been really busy with a lot of projects, even on the weekend, so going outside has mistakenly taken a back seat to other things that I've needed to do.  I have an appointment with my physician today, and have been working to scale back my appointments and obligations for the last several weeks to allow more time for exercise and whatnot. 

Hopefully that and a couple other steps will get my body back in sync because I don't like feeling lethargic and depressed, especially during the summer!

Great Summary of Circadian Rhythms

, The Health Link at the Medical School of Wisconsin has one of the easiest to read and understand broad overviews of circadian rhythms that I have come across.  Circadian rhythms are important because many of us with SAD have body clocks that are very sensitive to light.  It's these circadian rhythms that help you wake up in the morning, go to sleep at night, and function on a day-to-day basis.  The circadian rhythms control your hormones, blood pressure and more.  The internal clock runs on a 25-hour schedule but can be reset by outside stimulus like light or alarm clock.

There is much reasoning out there that the lack of light and how it affects the body leads to SAD for some people.  Check it out, it's interesting!

Basic Overview: http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/922567322.html

Monte Don: British Gardener Extrodinaire, SAD Sufferer

This week seems to be presenting a lot of news on SAD sufferers from across the pond.  I admit I read this article both because I like flowers and I've got Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Living in England, which is ever further north than Seattle must make winter life very difficult.  I can't say that I've ever had any hallucinations due to my depression, but what an experience.  Currently the man is working on several gardening books and TV shows.  I like his comment:

How is the SAD these days, I wonder. Don crosses one long, corduroy-trousered leg over the other and grimaces. "God, I feel like an old trouper, trotting out the same songs — the only reason to keep talking about it is that it might help someone." He says that filming in sunnier climes this last winter mitigated the blues. "Coming home from New Zealand in December I thought, no wonder I feel like I do. England is an incredibly gloomy place at this time of year, in which it is not unreasonable to be miserable." Traveling with a TV crew was also oddly helpful. "There is someone to drive me, get me to places on time, put a mug of tea in my hand. If you want to, you can retreat into a cocoon and be mollycoddled.

While I don't have the luxury of someone holding my hand during the winter, I too, keep talking about Seasonal Affective Disorder so that it might help someone else!

Link: http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/gardens/chelsea_flower_show/article1789875.ece

To Each His Own: BiAura Treatments for SAD

I came across an interesting article in a Scottish newspaper this morning that talked about using Bi-Aura treatments for Seasonal Depression.  While some alternative medicines are interesting and have some therapeutic value, I always think trying them can't hurt, but they should be undertaken with a grain of salt.  If you're under medical supervision, don't stop conventional treatments without consulting your physician and it's also not a bad idea to tell them if you're exploring alternative therapies.

That being said, this sounds somewhat like Reike, an energy healing practice that does not involve hands touching the individual being worked on, but rather the practitioner moving energy around with their hands near the patient's body. 

This practitioner helped one woman deal with her SAD symptoms.  The individual found some relief from a light box, but didn't feel it was enough.  I don't know if I'd try it, but if your interested, I guess it can't hurt, and worse case scenario, you're out a bit of money and some of your time.

Link: http://www.highland-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/1776/Dawn_of_a_new_aura.html

Outdoor Walks Are Best For Depression

Most people will agree that exercise, even something as simple as walking, makes you feel better.  Walking is a key component in the Levity program  (The Levity Program helps people deal with the winter blues, or low level seasonal depression.) 

An interesting study out of the University of Essex, England,  compared the benefits of a 30-minute walk in a country park with a walk in an indoor shopping center on a group of 20 members of local Mind associations.  Almost 90% of the people felt energized, less depressed, and more self assured after walking outdoors.   

Some individuals also felt better after walking indoors, but a significant number actually felt more depressed.  The biggest thing out of all of this appears to be a trend towards Ecotherapy.  While I think the name is funny, anything that encourages people to get outside their artificially lit worlds and be a bit active outdoors is a good thing.

Bio-Brite SunRise Digital Alarm Clock

The other day I realized how old my alarm clock is.  I think I"ve had the same radio clock since high-school.  While there's nothing wrong with it, it still wakes me up and plays music, there are days I think it would be nice to replace this with something a bit more stylish. 

One thing that I have considered is getting a light alarm clock.  This one has gotten pretty good reviews over on Amazon and includes a pretty good list of features including a white noise creator, variable dusk and dawn functions.  It does use a 60-watt bulb, so you'll get quite a bit of light out of it, however it's not going to be as bright as the lamp I currently use as a dawn simulator. (I have a box/timer that i can plug any lamp into that I want.

Still for $140, I might think about this for a while before I decide to get one.

Link: Bio-Brite SunRise Digital Alarm Clock Dawn / Dusk Simulator Clock with White Noise

Prednisone & Depression

While this is not directly related to SAD, I've forgotten what a weird impact Predisone can have on my moods.  For the last week and a half, I've been taking prednisone because of some breathing problems from asthma.  I've finished the current dose, and should be getting back to normal. 

The point of this was that I am going through a lot more mood swings since I've been on this.  It's not been typical spring behavior for me, and it hasn't gotten to the point where I'm starting to get overly stimulated from the sun/light like can happen during the summer.  Mostly, I've just found myself more easily irritated, and once or twice on the verge of "stress crying".  Now that I'm old enough to recognize some differences in causes for mood changes, I can control for my behavior a bit better, or at least cut myself a bit of slack while things stabilize again.

Seasonal Affective Disorder Cartoon

After spending the whole weekend inside, I sometimes wish I could do what this guy is doing.  No one should expect to find me sitting naked in my living-room though.  It would be just a tad chilly!