Nearly time to be SAD

Sorry I meant to put this on health

So sorry that you have this annoying affliction in the winter months. Try not to worry about it happening - or you will "think yourself into it" - my Mum used to say that.

The only thing to do I think is to get out and about in the little light that we have available during the winter - the exercise will ginger up your happy hormones and perhaps make up for the lack of light a bit.

I do hope that things turn out better than you are expecting - keep us all posted.

St.John's Wort is my salvation, I suffer too. We have a light that gradually wakens us to mimic natural daylight, and that helps somewhat. Going out in the daylight for at least 20 mins a day and letting the sun get on your face whenever possible in the winter helps a little - if you can motivate yourself!

Apart from the tablets, the only thing that used to work for me was a mid-winter sunshine holiday. With DBH being a teacher, that is no longer possible, as ideally it would be in January and February half-term for us is a time to catch up with marking and lesson-setting.

I was told you need half an hour of natural light on the retina every day to offset SAD so a stroll outside at Midday should help BUT it sounds as though your reactive depression is very naturally related to these bereavements and not just winter Blues- have you thought about bereavement counselling-] - sometimes we need a hand to pull us out of the ditch. . Of course you can talk on here but a face to face 1-1 would be very helpful I think.

Kiora, I am blighted with SAD, as well as your lamp do try to get out of doors mid day for about 15 - 20 minutes, not easy if raining or very cold, the more light reaches the back of your eyes the better . Try not to give into the craving for biscuits etc. I found when it was finally diagnosed it was a help to think - this will pass come March. Even if you didn't have SAD you would have been depressed coping with bereavement

Another thing I do much to the amusement of my family, I buy a students diary so the dreaded January is not the first month, helps the mind

There is the SAD association you can contact too. If you want to contact me please do, I understand how fearful you are x

Warm colours in the house. A fleecy blanket on the sofa. Cheerful DVDs ready to put in. Keep the news bulletins off and background music on. Classic FM is good for that.

There wasn't much to get out in last winter, so try to be outside for as much light as you can. And perhaps try topping up your sunshine before winter arrives - just here in the UK if you can't go abroad.

I wonder if a boost of vitamin D would help in the winter - you can easily buy good vit D tablets in Boots or health food shops nowadays.

Hope you have a better winter Kiora and that the weather is better for all of us.

If you are working, can you get outside to a park or somewhere in your lunch-hour, perhaps eat a packed lunch outside or take a flask of soup on a chilly day?

I have a sad lamp too and find it a great help. I go for a half-hour walk every day and make sure that I stamp along and swing my arms vigorously (it helps that we are deep in the countryside so only the cows can see me). If I can't go out I do exercises on the wii and find the bright light helpful. I always finish up with the step class which is quite energetic.

yes to the SAD lamp - it helps
I also find getting up as early as possible even if it is dark - somehow the lack of light is not so bad in the morning - and then going to bed early.
agree about getting out of the house - walking the dog or just going a walk ( not to the shops as they bring out the depression in me)
last winter was especially bad as it was so wet and windy and bleak and went on and on for so long - a few frosty sparkling days or even some snow is preferable.

The swedes paint their house interiors white, also much of their furniture too, to reflect as much light as possible, then just have accents of warm colours. The other thing they do is use lots of tea lights. It really does help, I tried it. I keep at least one just within my eyeline throughout the winter, by the computer or on the television.

DBH suffers too, he has just started to use the sunrise lamp again I noticed.

I bought one of those lamps for my student granddaughter as she told me she felt depressed in the mornings if she had to wake up quickly and the feeling lasted all day. The lamp really worked for her. If it can work for a teenager, it can work for anyone.

I didn't find the sad lamp effective but I know it works for other people. As others say try to get outside every day. Keep an eye on your vitamin and mineral intake.

I wish there was a magic wand. I hate sleeping a chunk of my life away every winter. I find the worse time of year is January and February. I try to persuade myself it will get better as the days get longer. I have a ticker that counts the days from the winter solstice to the spring equinox so I can see how long before it starts to gradually improve.

Me too, I dread those months. No energy whatsoever.

the sunrise lamp, by the way, is different from a SAD lamp. It seems to make the day seem brighter for longer, waking you up with light in a natural way as would happen the rest of the year. The original manufacturers gave away hundreds of them to people who lived in the Arctic Circle to help them, one to every family. I thought they would lose a fortune, but what happened was that most then went out and bought one for each bedroom.