[unstoppableflow]

I live in Ireland and in winter it gets REALLY gloomy...like sunrise at 830 and sunset at 4pm.

The last two years it really fucked with my game and mood, I was really depressed....However, this year I seem to be doing something right as I am only slightly down

Here's what seems to help:

1)Exercise at least 4 times a week - I go to gym as I have every winter but this year I am playing tennis outdoors at least twice a week...this 4-5 days of exercise REALLY seems to help...also sometimes get a little sun on the weekends while playing also good for vitamin D.

2)I am on around 850mg of DHA (Omega 3 cod liver oil) a day....used to take around 360mg which had little effect in the winter

3)SAD lamp - its a little lightbox I sit in front of sometimes.

4)I just try to get out of the house more - book store, coffee shop, food with friends etc.

What about you guys?

[HiFlo]

I have depression normally, and then when the light is dramatically cut in the winter, it depresses me even more.

In terms of supplements, what has helped me are the NOW Brand 5HTP and the Perika (Nature's Way) St Johns Wort. These have helped a lot.

Exercise - cardio + weightlifting 6 days/wk.

Interestingly, fish oil has never done anything for me - if anything, I've felt it increased my depressive symptoms. I've done a ton of research on it and find nothing but positive reactions to it, but for some odd reason it does the exact opposite for me. I've tried everything from dosages of 200mg to 10g per day.

Also, and it's so damn hard, avoid drugs and alcohol. These provide a brief, capricious mood lift, but then leave me lower than before. The only way I can live stabily with depression + SAD is abstaining otherwise my moods become a downward rollercoaster. Now, this is much easier said then done for those of us with addictive personalities.

I hate flourescent lamps, and they give me depression and a headache, especially when they are most common and so prevalent everywhere. I gotta get outside as much as possible, or at least get natural light and fresh air.

[Aer]

SAD? More like Vitamin D deficiency. Take a 5000mg pill. You're cured.

Worked for me and I'm endured some pretty bad winters up in upstate NY.

[Wool Suit]

Yeah, my last Ukrainian ex. She would really start to lose her shit if rained/was overcast for too many days in a row. And winter? Bad news.

Made the sex better.

[_DC_]

completely agree with HlFlo. Ive had minor depression in the past and both 5htp and SJW have helped. also, No Fap, less alcohol, exercise, and eating quality foods.

[Saladin]

I do. I haven't been depressed but my sleep patterns have gotten completely fucked.

I was taking 2,000 IUs of Vitamin D but I'm gonna bump that up to 4,000 IUS as I"m getting practically no sun.

[teh_skeeze]

I get seasonal depression every year, minus the two "winters" I had in Miami. I'm going to try some of the suggestions here. I'm hoping that working full time for the first winter in 5 years will help. I still see myself going on a Tussin run sometime in February as it gets too cold to want to go out and do anything.

[iknowexactly]

(11-29-2012 02:36 PM)Aer Wrote:  

SAD? More like Vitamin D deficiency. Take a 5000mg pill. You're cured.

Worked for me and I'm endured some pretty bad winters up in upstate NY.

Warning: amateur diagnosis and prescribing here. D may work, but everyone's different.

[iknowexactly]

(11-29-2012 01:28 PM)unstoppableflow Wrote:  

I live in Ireland and in winter it gets REALLY gloomy...like sunrise at 830 and sunset at 4pm.

The last two years it really fucked with my game and mood, I was really depressed....However, this year I seem to be doing something right as I am only slightly down

Here's what seems to help:

1)Exercise at least 4 times a week - I go to gym as I have every winter but this year I am playing tennis outdoors at least twice a week...this 4-5 days of exercise REALLY seems to help...also sometimes get a little sun on the weekends while playing also good for vitamin D.

2)I am on around 850mg of DHA (Omega 3 cod liver oil) a day....used to take around 360mg which had little effect in the winter

3)SAD lamp - its a little lightbox I sit in front of sometimes.

4)I just try to get out of the house more - book store, coffee shop, food with friends etc.

What about you guys?

I have a similar symptom set and the same things seem to help for me..I also use St. John's Wort which has been used since the ancient Greek times and is first line treatment for mild-to-moderate depression in Europe, and gaining credibility is USA.

In particular, in summer I feel great, e.g. mountain biking like an animal and maxing out CV heart rate (at 55 years old) in August, but then in October every year my moods crash. THis is Northern California.

Aso, getting off alcohol totally helps. Even a couple beers/wine a day severely made my depression worse.

With the lights, there are some that have fragile florescent lamps and some that use LEDS. I broke a lamp in the florescent one and it was hard to find and expensive. Maybe the LED ones are better.

I felt so much better sitting with that light in my face in the winter morning. The effects are almost immediate and there seems to be no side effects but a slight eyestrain sometimes.

[scotian]

I get it bad, especially since I have to work outside and in Alberta, Canada where I live it gets down to the minus 30s and 40s on a regular basis, so I get the fuck outta Canada for a few months each winter.

I agree with the vitamin D deficiency, at my work the health and safety people put up posters saying how 85% of us lacked it and encouraged us to supplement or eat foods rich in it.

[unstoppableflow]

(11-29-2012 08:40 PM)scotian Wrote:  

I get it bad, especially since I have to work outside and in Alberta, Canada where I live it gets down to the minus 30s and 40s on a regular basis, so I get the fuck outta Canada for a few months each winter.

I agree with the vitamin D deficiency, at my work the health and safety people put up posters saying how 85% of us lacked it and encouraged us to supplement or eat foods rich in it.

Interesting...just compared Ireland with Alberta and Alberta (according to Wikipedia) in its dullest month still gets around 100 hours of sunshine a month - compared to Dublin's 55 hours in December.

Who would have thought Ireland is duller than Canada? (But obviously not as cold!)

I agree about the Vitamin D.

[Anon-A-Moose]

I had SAD as a teenager. Sunny D + vodka helped. Having someone else under the blankets to cuddle helped (don't judge me lol)

It faded as I got into my twenties, apart from a really bad period around 21-22 when I hit a really bad depressive episode. Working out does seem to help a lot.

[Handsome Creepy Eel]

My solution:

[scotian]

(11-30-2012 05:01 AM)unstoppableflow Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 08:40 PM)scotian Wrote:  

I get it bad, especially since I have to work outside and in Alberta, Canada where I live it gets down to the minus 30s and 40s on a regular basis, so I get the fuck outta Canada for a few months each winter.

I agree with the vitamin D deficiency, at my work the health and safety people put up posters saying how 85% of us lacked it and encouraged us to supplement or eat foods rich in it.

Interesting...just compared Ireland with Alberta and Alberta (according to Wikipedia) in its dullest month still gets around 100 hours of sunshine a month - compared to Dublin's 55 hours in December.

Who would have thought Ireland is duller than Canada? (But obviously not as cold!)

I agree about the Vitamin D.

It depends where you are in Canada, if you compare Ireland with a place on either coast, say Newfoundland or Vancouver, you may get similar results. The prairie provinces, especially Alberta actually have the most sunny days in Canada but its dark from 1600 until 0800 and as you can imagine, cold as fuck, even on those bright sunny days.

[sixsix]

I have it as well.

Will order some Vitamin D.

[Moma]

I remember Nova Scotia being dreadfully overcast and yes people from Britain will suffer more than Canada (in general). I never minded the cold (you can always wear a jacket) but it's the lack of sun that is a drainer for me.

[txtraveler]

Up your Vitamin D


I lived in Pittsburgh for 2 years(from Texas) When it got cold(with little to know sun) I had to up my intake and it worked. Felt better overall and was more like my summer self

[CMan0928]

I also suffer from this. I've taken nothing in the past for it, however. I guess I should get back into my normal routine of jogging at least 4 days per week, as that seemed to really help quite a bit. Winter sucks in New England. Maybe I'll pick up some Fish Oil from GNC.

[EisenBarde]

Go South, young man.

[MidniteSpecial]

Move to de islands mon.

[UnW]

Yeah I used to to an extent, but these days it's not too bad.

[Fatless]

In the winter I use different FULL SPECTRUM lightbulbs and even put them on during the daytime to increase my exposure. In the evenings I then use different lamps with normal "warm" bulbs before going to bed.

http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/

They're a bit more expensive than regular CFLs, but worth it if you feel gloomy when you have a long shadow at high noon...

Recommended also for those dark and dreary early-mornings is the Philips Wake Up Light (500+ 5***** reviews on Amazon)

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Hf3470-60-...B003XN4RIC

[Dr. Howard]

I go to a tanning place 2-3 times a week during winter, not for the jersey shore effect but to feel like I'm at the beach for 15 min. So far so good on my mood.

[raliv]

what everyone else is saying: vitaman d and fish oil.

I get SAD really bad but D and fish oil keeps it in check.