Seasonal Affective Disorder
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
Seasonal Affective Disorder
For a second year in a row I'm feeling a little depressed, low on energy, melancholy and a general feeling of glum that I have to work to shake off each day. Last year it came along with some really frustrating libido issues as well.
I'd thought it was related to my recovery and stress I was dealing with in life at the time, but now all of a sudden it has hit again. It was all starting early fall last year too... Like a light switch with no real explanation around October.
Now I'm wondering if maybe I have long dealt with that.... And perhaps that played into my drinking. I know I did tend toward increased heavy drinking in the winter months....
So, just another wrinkle in my recovery process. Learning about light therapy and the importance of getting outside each day for a while. I'll augment my vitamin d and fatty acids, maybe SAMe and 5htp supplements... And talk with my therapist about other ideas.
Anyone else deal with SAD?
It feels like this is sudden onset, and it's frustrating. But then again maybe it's always been an issue and I'm just noticing it more in sobriety.
I'd thought it was related to my recovery and stress I was dealing with in life at the time, but now all of a sudden it has hit again. It was all starting early fall last year too... Like a light switch with no real explanation around October.
Now I'm wondering if maybe I have long dealt with that.... And perhaps that played into my drinking. I know I did tend toward increased heavy drinking in the winter months....
So, just another wrinkle in my recovery process. Learning about light therapy and the importance of getting outside each day for a while. I'll augment my vitamin d and fatty acids, maybe SAMe and 5htp supplements... And talk with my therapist about other ideas.
Anyone else deal with SAD?
It feels like this is sudden onset, and it's frustrating. But then again maybe it's always been an issue and I'm just noticing it more in sobriety.
Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: UK
Posts: 1,042
I've never labelled it, but always feel a bit blue around autumn time, shorter days ect... and facing a long stretch before the days get longer again. I'm not a fan of Christmas either so that doesn't break up the winter for me. Keeping fit is my tool and it does make a bit of a difference.
Hope your vitamins and therapy help.
xx
Hope your vitamins and therapy help.
xx
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
I never really considered it before. My Dad mentioned it to me last year when this happened, but I really thought it was all just early recovery related.
Today I realized that this was all starting again just about exactly the same time. So maybe there's something to it.
Today I realized that this was all starting again just about exactly the same time. So maybe there's something to it.
Sober since 10th April 2012
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 6,047
FO, why not do some research? I believe light therapy helps, and if it doesn't it's probably not SAD.
I tried to convince my doc I had SAD in summer because I don't cope well with heat, but he says not.
I tried to convince my doc I had SAD in summer because I don't cope well with heat, but he says not.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
Yep, I have been doing research! And actually your doctor may not be correct... I've read several articles including ones from Mayo clinic that say summer SAD is a condition - rarer than winter - which does effect many.
I'm looking at lights and am going to go to my doctor to have bloodwork done and am going to discuss this with my therapist.
I'm looking at lights and am going to go to my doctor to have bloodwork done and am going to discuss this with my therapist.
You're not shackled to not drinking, you're free from drinking
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: MN
Posts: 1,406
I've suffered with depression my entire adult life, but it's always worse starting in the fall and into winter. I live in Minnesota where during the winter months you get up in the dark and come home from work in the dark. I'm in an office all day long and there are a lot of overcast days too. That darkness gets me down. I've tried the lights and they don't seem to do much for me. Even exercise isn't the same as it is when I can get outside and do it. Everyone is different but this is one point of reference.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
Jd - I'm in the upper peninsula of Michigan so I can relate. The fall and winter nights are long and dark. The cold doesn't help either. I stay very active and I do outdoor winter sports, and I had never seen a winter sadness pattern before - but then again I was also drinking and smoking pot, so I probably just medicated it that way.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 4,860
I'm always reluctant to engage in self-diagnosis ... but I have done so myself with regard to SAD. I think I have a touch of it. It's the pits to have the day begin in darkness and find it is dark when you leave work. And, yes, the cold can be hard on the soul. What helped me a LOT was committing to exercise -- I think it made all the difference in the world.
Free Owl, all this time and I never knew you are a Yooper. For some reason, I had it in my head you were a California guy. Go figger!
JD, I'm a fellow Minnesotan. Everything you described is spot on. Have you thought about joining a gym?
Free Owl, all this time and I never knew you are a Yooper. For some reason, I had it in my head you were a California guy. Go figger!
JD, I'm a fellow Minnesotan. Everything you described is spot on. Have you thought about joining a gym?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
Originally Posted by Venecia 
I'm always reluctant to engage in self-diagnosis ... but I have done so myself with regard to SAD. I think I have a touch of it. It's the pits to have the day begin in darkness and find it is dark when you leave work. And, yes, the cold can be hard on the soul. What helped me a LOT was committing to exercise -- I think it made all the difference in the world. Free Owl, all this time and I never knew you are a Yooper. For some reason, I had it in my head you were a California guy. Go figger!
Yep, I am a Yooper! Though I am also a CA guy (lived there for several years) and also lived in the South Pacific and Germany. The years I lived in coastal regions I never dealt with anything seasonal but maybe it was always with me when I lived here in the northern tundra.
You're not shackled to not drinking, you're free from drinking
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: MN
Posts: 1,406
Originally Posted by Venecia
I'm always reluctant to engage in self-diagnosis ... but I have done so myself with regard to SAD. I think I have a touch of it. It's the pits to have the day begin in darkness and find it is dark when you leave work. And, yes, the cold can be hard on the soul. What helped me a LOT was committing to exercise -- I think it made all the difference in the world.
Free Owl, all this time and I never knew you are a Yooper. For some reason, I had it in my head you were a California guy. Go figger!
JD, I'm a fellow Minnesotan. Everything you described is spot on. Have you thought about joining a gym?
Free Owl, all this time and I never knew you are a Yooper. For some reason, I had it in my head you were a California guy. Go figger!
JD, I'm a fellow Minnesotan. Everything you described is spot on. Have you thought about joining a gym?
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: US East Coast
Posts: 14,286
I use SAD lights (after being diagnosed by a pdoc). My life-long depressions have a number of causes and I needed a variety of treatments to deal with them. None by itself is "the" solution but each makes a noticeable difference. The lights I use are a "light visor" so I don't need to be entirely immobile during my half-hour of light therapy. That's when I usually catch up with SR in the morning :-)
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 4,860
Sounds like you do a lot to take care of yourself, JD. I also try to do walks during the day.
You're right -- this has been a beautiful fall!
May I ask you a question? How long have you been sober? I ask because alcohol is a depressant. I, too, have fought "the black dog" over the years but in sobriety, life got easier. Funny how that coincided with me no longer pouring a depressant down my throat almost every night.
I say that to offer encouragement. So much changes -- and gets better -- in recovery.
You're right -- this has been a beautiful fall!
May I ask you a question? How long have you been sober? I ask because alcohol is a depressant. I, too, have fought "the black dog" over the years but in sobriety, life got easier. Funny how that coincided with me no longer pouring a depressant down my throat almost every night.
I say that to offer encouragement. So much changes -- and gets better -- in recovery.
AlmA
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Marbella Spain
Posts: 714
The best moment in my day is when I stand warm in the sun
It gives me energy!
Good healthy habits helps and sports.
Having a Hobby helps.
the less you do the rustier you get the less active you feel.
Even if yo do not feel up to it join something that takes your mind for a bit.
SAD is not only having no light but no strength for living!
Start slowly Activities in your life you enjoy and will turn into GLAD
It gives me energy!
Good healthy habits helps and sports.
Having a Hobby helps.
the less you do the rustier you get the less active you feel.
Even if yo do not feel up to it join something that takes your mind for a bit.
SAD is not only having no light but no strength for living!
Start slowly Activities in your life you enjoy and will turn into GLAD
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 10,912
Hi FreeOwl,
I may have a mild form of the summer SAD and it developed later in life or at least became more noticeable, around my mid-30's. No idea if my drinking contributed to it or not directly (my active alcoholism was also in my 30's), but I have seen two sober springs/summers now and the pattern seems to remain with regard to the seasons. It's quite predictable now and I sense the effect even regardless of whether I have other temporary challenges and difficulties ongoing in my life at a particular time. For me it mostly affects my motivation level in general -- there is a time of year in the spring when I clearly feel a drop and then early fall a marked increase.
I had a thread about this topic here if you have not seen it yet:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...4-seasons.html
Biminiblue had an interesting post about the winter blues and success with vitamin D on the second page.
What helps me best when I get these spells are two things: regular exercise and quality social life and human contact. I used to isolate and spend a lot of time alone when I was drinking and in early sobriety. Even as a kid or a heavy drinker, I tended to notice a pretty significant improvement in my mood, energy, and even cognitive sharpness whenever I had good relationships with a lot of depth and interesting interactions, and the opposite when I deprived myself of these. I've also had great experience with therapy (with the right person and approach) to help make me mentally more stable than ever before, regardless of temporary stresses or seasonal patterns. I think a healthy and balanced diet matters, too.
There was a time in the past when I used 5-HTP (which is basically an acute, short-acting dose of serotonin) to boost my mood and motivation; it worked quite well for a while but then it stopped having an effect. I would not recommend it without carefully researching it and consulting with a doctor though because it can interact with other meds / supplements and also not everyone seems to have good experience with it. Finding the right dosage and how to distribute it during the day was also a bit tricky.
So overall, my suggestion would be to experiment with different things and figure out what works for you. I am generally a fan of holistic approaches where the combination of different coping aids and the pattern of their application matters because this is what seems to work for me best as opposed to one or two single tools or medication.
I may have a mild form of the summer SAD and it developed later in life or at least became more noticeable, around my mid-30's. No idea if my drinking contributed to it or not directly (my active alcoholism was also in my 30's), but I have seen two sober springs/summers now and the pattern seems to remain with regard to the seasons. It's quite predictable now and I sense the effect even regardless of whether I have other temporary challenges and difficulties ongoing in my life at a particular time. For me it mostly affects my motivation level in general -- there is a time of year in the spring when I clearly feel a drop and then early fall a marked increase.
I had a thread about this topic here if you have not seen it yet:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...4-seasons.html
Biminiblue had an interesting post about the winter blues and success with vitamin D on the second page.
What helps me best when I get these spells are two things: regular exercise and quality social life and human contact. I used to isolate and spend a lot of time alone when I was drinking and in early sobriety. Even as a kid or a heavy drinker, I tended to notice a pretty significant improvement in my mood, energy, and even cognitive sharpness whenever I had good relationships with a lot of depth and interesting interactions, and the opposite when I deprived myself of these. I've also had great experience with therapy (with the right person and approach) to help make me mentally more stable than ever before, regardless of temporary stresses or seasonal patterns. I think a healthy and balanced diet matters, too.
There was a time in the past when I used 5-HTP (which is basically an acute, short-acting dose of serotonin) to boost my mood and motivation; it worked quite well for a while but then it stopped having an effect. I would not recommend it without carefully researching it and consulting with a doctor though because it can interact with other meds / supplements and also not everyone seems to have good experience with it. Finding the right dosage and how to distribute it during the day was also a bit tricky.
So overall, my suggestion would be to experiment with different things and figure out what works for you. I am generally a fan of holistic approaches where the combination of different coping aids and the pattern of their application matters because this is what seems to work for me best as opposed to one or two single tools or medication.
You're not shackled to not drinking, you're free from drinking
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: MN
Posts: 1,406
Originally Posted by Venecia
Sounds like you do a lot to take care of yourself, JD. I also try to do walks during the day.
You're right -- this has been a beautiful fall!
May I ask you a question? How long have you been sober? I ask because alcohol is a depressant. I, too, have fought "the black dog" over the years but in sobriety, life got easier. Funny how that coincided with me no longer pouring a depressant down my throat almost every night.
I say that to offer encouragement. So much changes -- and gets better -- in recovery.
You're right -- this has been a beautiful fall!
May I ask you a question? How long have you been sober? I ask because alcohol is a depressant. I, too, have fought "the black dog" over the years but in sobriety, life got easier. Funny how that coincided with me no longer pouring a depressant down my throat almost every night.
I say that to offer encouragement. So much changes -- and gets better -- in recovery.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
Aellyce mentioned her other thread...we are good at self-medicating, that's for sure. My experience (N=1) with Vitamin D was so dramatic that it literally changed my winters. I was so affected by the winters that I just tried to hang on until Spring. I live in the PNW, pretty far north like a lot of you. I slept a lot and couldn't shake the feeling of doom and gloom. After adding Vit D six/seven years ago I actually started to care about stuff, and I no longer dread winter nor do I sit in front of the TV with ice cream for four months like I was doing. Okay, so I changed a lot of things - but I don't think I would have found the will had I not shaken that daily depression I woke up to every winter morning. I haven't noticed any adverse effects, and my doctor has given the okay, even though I was never tested for Vit D levels. I suppose it could be argued that my drinking increased - maybe I was not used to feeling so "up." God knows I have to tinker with that.
Mad Scientist 101.
Mad Scientist 101.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Midwest USA
Posts: 630
I have a little blue light "Golite" by Phillips. I have had it several years, and start using it when the days get shorter. Just plugged it in to charge up this morning!
I use it for 15 minutes or so in the mornings and seems to help a lot!
I use it for 15 minutes or so in the mornings and seems to help a lot!
Quit 4/17/15
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Pa
Posts: 15,172
I have been struggling with this for years. It used to just affect me November to Feb but it has been hitting me as early as September now and lasting through April. I spent money on a high quality light last year which seemed to help. This is my first fall not drinking and I feel good so far and haven't started the light yet. Not drinking mass quantities of a depressant can only help with fighting SAD. Good luck to everyone struggling with this on top of our drinking issues!
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
