zjw

oh and yeah ask me how i feel about shorter colde days in feb or march. i'm normally battling some serous seasonal depression by then. it all starts off well and good woohooo new seasons holidays etc.. but by then i'm getting pretty gloomy myself.

biminiblue

December is the month I dread, Z.

I don't have any family, so by the time Christmas rolls on by I'm ready to throttle anyone who says "Merry Christmas."

Not a fan of holidays...nor the really short days. It's a double whammy.

zjw

when i was a child i always heard that people where more depressed around the holidays as a kid I never understood that.

when i got older some of my greatest battles with depression and suicidal thoughts always came around the holidays!

But there is still a part of me that does enjoy some of it I try to focus on that aspect of it as best i can its a battle tho eyar after year.

BrendaChenowyth

I've always been prone to depression during these cold, dark winter nights and the way I have to combat that is by pushing myself to get out and do something. Bundle up and go shopping, go to the gym, go take a dance class, go visit a friend for a late dinner.

Time to get used to night driving again!! I generally didn't do any over the summer... Past few nights was trying to figure out why my headlights were so dim, someone finally clued me in... gotta go buy a new bulb today! Duh.

KAD

Ditto. I hate to sound like a Scrooge or Eeyore but, because of current life circumstances pertaining to my children, the holidays are a very...discomforting time of the year. I look forward to just getting past it.

trachemys

Jack frost roasting on an open fire
chestnuts poking at your toes....

biminiblue

In fairness though, there are so many unrealistic expectations around Christmas and Thanksgiving. Even when my family was still living - there was unnecessary drama. Someone (*cough* Mom, I'm looking at you...) always got their feelings hurt or bent out of shape over pretty much nothing.

Wrong gift.

Not enough gifts.

Not enough profuse thanks over whatever she decided was important.

Meh, it ain't all bad being without family.

trachemys

bimini, you're such a hardash. you need some love.

biminiblue

trachemys

there's popcorn?

SoberCAH

The short days certainly impinge on my ability to exercise outdoors.

And running when it's super-cold outside is a challenge for me.

I like Daylight Savings Time a lot.

When it stays dark and cold, I just sit at my desk and work longer.

And I wear a lot of wool and sleep with an electric blanket.

Around the house, I may wear sweat pants instead of gym shorts.

trachemys

I got room, I can take on loving another.

behindblueyes

I am 100% sure as soon as my child is the age where I can leave (can support herself), I am gone.

I can tolerate the decrease in light. However, I can not tolerate the decrease in light plus -20 degree wind chills where I live. Also. was just diagnosed with arthritis in my leg and the cold is already locking it up. Can't work or walk. This is probably why I'm such a whiner right now.

sleepie

That's sad Bimini.

basically I could get a paperclip for Xmas and it would go on the wall to be treasured for someone thinking of me.

Behindblueeyes- let me tell you a little trick I did over the summer, when I get my weird heat/sun/summer based depression. Maybe you can reverse it.

I was always in and out of a cold shower- now I think you could bundle up if you are cold- I know heat and sun makes me feel fatigued and like I am about to drop at any moment. My anxiety blows up to epic proportions in the summer so I had a dim room and had my laptop on a video with just rain coming down so that I could hear it, and I even had snowy pictures up...

Reverse all that and maybe brighten your indoor environment with imitation flowers and photos of sunny days or something like that?

sleepie

Whatever season it happens in I know that this kind of thing is not good. It almost destroyed me this summer.

behindblueyes

It is 130pm and I'm bundled in bed. Havent got up yet today. Not good.

I have photos of sunsets and beaches hanging in rooms. I also recommend "seasonal affective disorder for dummies".

I feel for all of you. It's hard to even find purpose to move.

ScottFromWI

Sorry you aren't having a good day Blueyes. I work in an office with Brick walls and no windows and my counselor recommeded having a "natural light" lamp, they actually make light bulbs that somewhat replicate natural sunlight. I dont' have SAD officially but I do feel more down in the dumps now that it gets dark so early too, and the light does seem to make it a little better at times.

Ariesagain

I hate this. It starts getting dark now around 4:45...full dark by 4:30 in another few weeks. Too many critters to walk the dogs in the dark, let alone let them play in the yard...porcupines do not respect fences one iota.

I 'vet been rebelling all week by just keeping us on the old schedule...it may be 8:30 in the rest of the zone, but in AriesWorld, it's 9:30 and bedtime and so there.

Delizadee

Me too GMO.
The holidays and birthdays of the past year have been extremely horrible for me. Up until august, I did get very suicidal because of life circumstances as well.
Christmas was always a time of huge Christmas party for the misfits and orphans in our lives. So the lonely people always came to us for warmth, laughter and cheer. It made the holidays a thousand times better.
Now it's just me and little one. It's very underwhelming. There was no brouhaha for her 4th birthday. It's depressing. I am hoping it will get better.
Make some new traditions. Little ones. I don't want all these occasions to turn into just another day because I am sober and my life has changed so much.
I wish we could have a big SR Christmas get together!