SAD sufferers check in: How you feeling right now?

[prolesunited]

I just got out of bed and need to commiserate.

[DELUSIONAL]

1. Fine -- I gave up and head south for the winter

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. I slept from 8 pm last night til 7:30 am today

It's rained almost every single day since Christmas..I'm over it...this is not MY California. Where is my January heatwave?

[prolesunited]

3. I thought it NEVER

rained in sunny southern California?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. Just think...a year ago today... we were having dinner and listening

to the lovely mariachis...you were drinking a perfect margarita

[prolesunited]

7. No kidding

Perhaps that's how I managed to get through last year. Plus, I was working out more. I really need to motivate myself to do that because I know it helps.

These sights were *much* better than the snow outside my window right now.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

14. So what was that wedding thread about?

Are you getting married?

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Winter is a very difficult time for us SAD people. I am in NYC, and

it has been raining since last night.....I am going to go take a nap.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

6. I am in South Lake Tahoe right now...

taking care of my Mom after knee replacement surgery.

I should state right off that I hate the winter, the cold and snow. Hate'em. I am a San Francisco 60s-all-the-time gal, born and raised. I am the shame of my Scandanavian ancestors.

We are in the midst of the worst snowstorm since '97. I'm looking out the window and seeing the snow line a foot above the bottom of the waist-high window frame. And it's supposed to keep going through Tuesday.

I find Tahoe in the fall/winter almost unbearable because the light is almost nonexistant. Living in a pine forrest leaves the houses dark, even in the high summer. In winter, with the day light shortened even worse by the high mountains ringing us, it becomes a black tomb. We have every house in the light on all day long and it's STILL too dark for me.

How am I feeling right now?

Like I couldn't get on a plane to Miami fast enough!

But I have to stay another two weeks until my sister relieves me of Mom duty...

Sob...

Thank the gods for Celexa.

[prolesunited]

9. That sounds truly miserable

Hang in there! If I knew it would only be two more weeks, perhaps it would be easier knowing that it would end.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. In your case, I'd have to get one of those special lightbulbs

I think they have them at hardware stores...

[prolesunited]

18. I know

I'm looking into it. That and Jason coming back home will get me through the winter.

[AlCzervik]

13. I'm in elk grove and it's shitty here again today

i'm sure it's miserable in the bay area right now. At least the snow is pretty to look at. It'll get better.

[Dzimbowicz]

8. It's not so bad here in the south

I did have a hard time with it when I lived in Germany for several years. At first, I had no idea what was happening to me. In the autumn I was depressed, in the spring I was exhilarated. It was as if I were bi-polar. Later on, I learned of SAD and realized that was what I was experiencing back then.

Hope you feel better soon.

[jeff30997]

10. Yeah.Not enough light in the winter (I live in Canada) so...

I'm pretty depressed right now.

[prolesunited]

11. I have all the classic symptoms

Carb cravings, weight gain, too much sleeping, lethargy. I'm quickly slipping into lack of interest in everything.

I really need to take the steps I know will work to get this under control. Maybe after a nap...

[jeff30997]

15. What exactly are the steps ?

[prolesunited]

17. What works for me

is to exercise nearly every day. I have a nice little set up in my basement. I also need to not give into the carb cravings, getting more fresh veggies and protein in my diet. Those two steps really seem to help with the lethargy and weight gain, but it is sooo hard when you barely can get out of bed to make it through the day.

The other thing is to take advantage of ANY day there is sunshine by bundling up and going out for a walk, even if it might mean taking a few hours off work. I think it's a valid use of sick leave.

Edit: Thanks for asking me to put this down. It really helped me to focus.

[jeff30997]

19. I really need more exercise and to take walks is a good way to start...

[prolesunited]

16. Some winters are better that others

Last year, I kept up better with my exercise program and went to San Diego for a week in January. I got a virus in December and was sick most of the month and my asthma was out of control so I really didn't stick with it.

[Individualist]

20. Sunny day in TN

In late October of each year I start taking a low dosage of Elavil for SAD; was doing okay this morning until I signed on and saw the news about Khephra. Now I'm really down.

[supernova]

21. Yesterday was hard

because it was so cloudy. No incentive to do anything, at all. I had wanted to get out and go to the flea market, but I didn't make it. Stayed on DU all damn day.

Still cloudy today, but the sun occasionally pokes through.

[InvisibleTouch]

22. Better this year than last.

For whatever reason. It's not the light-level for me so much as it is the temperature. I can be perfectly content on a warm rainy day, but a brittle-cold bright snowless day will bring me to a standstill. I don't even want to venture out the door. Been taking St. John's Wort this year, which may be helping, but we're not into the deep dank depths of February yet.....