Individual depression+ SAD

Hi guys and gals.

I have put "individual depression" because it seems the right way to say it because i think we are all suffer in our own individual way.

I also want to know if SAD is separate from our depression or if they are interlinked.

I read that some people are holding down a job and to me that is a dream.
Im sure i had my depression curbed through taking herbals and being with positive people who had aspirations similar to mine.
SAD seems to have pushed a reset button and now im back to the lowest-not mood wise as in the physical feeling that feels like heart crushing, stomach turning, sickening feeling that i used to get about 4 or 5 years ago. But im for sure feeling the strain of a total turn around in sleeping patterns and i have no positive routine whatsoever.

On average bed time is 4am and getting up at 4pm. went to bed at 7am the other day.

What i would like to know is what its like to come out of SAD and still have depression and if you can still have the positivity like i had before SAD.

Also is there anyone at kind of the same stage of life and stage of dealing with depression as me?
I would like to know if there is anyone who struggles to progress in either education or work and maybe has high aspirations but SAD gets in the way.

Thanks in advance.
James.

Hi James

To answer a couple of your questions. I have what has been called by the GP's as re-accuring depressive disorder. Basically this has been diagnosed because I have had more than three severe episodes of depression. I have kept a diary for the past twenty years or so and this helped us to see that there was a seasonal pattern to my depression and it was always at it's worst between January and March each year. Through my own research and working with my gp etc the diagnosis has been SAD.

Although my depression does lift through the spring and summer it is still an underlying problem. It is managable most of the time without medication in the spring and summer but more difficult in the autumn and winter. There is a definate change in the way I feel when I am coming out of the Sad period as I have hypomania once spring hits so I do notice the change. I can't sit down I have to be on the go all the time, I make rash decisions, decide to take on unrealistic projects and it can be quite frightening. Once I have settled down I enjoy a somewhat normal existance through April-Sept and it's fantastic.

I have struggled to progress in my career as I am a part-qualified accountant and can't undertake the work to progress any further. Even if I did the study in the summer to get to a higher level once winter hit I know my work would suffer and I wouldn't be able to maintain a good level of work. I manage about 25 hours in the summer and reduce to 20 in the winter. I would never to able to work at management level because I would have to work full time and I am not able to do this.

The way I manage now is to set myself realistic goals and accept that that is all I can do. I don't beat myself up about not being able to work full time or progress in my career. I do an excellent job at the level I am at and that is more important to me than doing a somewhat 'average job' at a higher level.

James, set yourself realistic goals. Are you working at the moment? If you can only work a couple of hours a day at the moment then don't beat yourself up about it, it's progress. It will make you feel better honestly. Even if it is only voluntary work to begin with it will get you out there.

Also you really need to try and regulate your body clock. If you don't go to bed until 4am force yourself to get up a bit earlier each day until eventually you will be tired before 4am because you have been up earlier.

Hope this helps hunny. One thing I would like to add is that if I didn't go to work I would never get up or get dressed. I find it the most difficult thing in the world to do but it gives me a purpose in life, without it I would just crumble.

James, you might find a dawn simulator helpful for getting up in the morning. If you don't get yourself into bed, there isn't a chance to sleep. My dawn simulator has a sunset simulator as well, which is a very pleasant way to go to bed.

You might try googling 'sleep hygiene if you are having trouble sleeping, it might give some hints as how you can improve the quality of rest you are getting.

Speaking to a GP about it may help.

Above all, try to be relaxed about your sleep pattern, stressing out about it doesn't help.

I'm taking magnesium, which has helped with leg cramps, restless leg syndrome and generally stops me fidgeting, thus giving me a chance to sleep, but this is self prescribed. COuldn't possibly recommend you do that of course LOL. It might be something different that is causing you the problem, 'just' need to identify what it is.

I was asking because a friend of mine has been severly ill for four years spending a lot of time in hospital. It turns out she has mercury poisioning which was only picked up with the Vega test. She had some cosmetic treatment which caused the leak into her blood stream. Having had her fillings(13 all together, 7 at one time) removed she ended up severly ill and back in hospital for a while. I know she has spent approx £50,000 pounds on trying to find a solution, going to the US and Czech Republic.

It is something I have considered having done due to my ME. I do feel that because I have so many sensitivities and allergies to medications and enviromental issues it may be of help.

She has recently been in the local and national papers regarding this. I will try and find the link if you are interested.

Sorry to hear you had a bad time at the dentist Me. Do you know what caused it?

I had to have a crown done on Monday, right at the back, upper one, it was really difficult to do, was there for over an hour. The dentist said it would be 190.00 and be silver so I opted for the white one @ 300.00! But it's a start.

I have about 7 to be replaced but am going to do it one or two at a time to minimise the effects as I have read the body can go into shock. Disgusting really.

Here is the link to my friends article, it may be of interest.

http://icnorthwales.icnetwork.co.uk/flintshire/news/tm_headline=mercury-nightmare-puts-couple-in-debt%26method=full%26objectid=20362386%26siteid=50142-name_page.html#story_continue

Hi Aaron, maybe you are one of the few people who suffer with summer SAD. There is somebody else on the forum who does suffer from this.

I am like yourself, I find that I get anxious and depressed at the beginning of the season (autumn for me). I have discussed this with my GP and we think it's because I know what is to come during the winter, how I am gonna feel etc. I just feel like it's impending doom! Once I am there I seem to cope better.

Hi Suzie - I've lessened the impact of SAD when I've planned for it. That usually means putting a few things in the diary which are likely to make me want to face the weeks ahead - rather than dread the season that is passing, and that I grew familiar with (even though I may not have always enjoyed it!).

Thanks for all of the replies.
I will get stuck into them tomorrow and we can get some conversations on the flow.

Thanks for the link Suzie. It's a small world. Your friend's story is very typical of the stories of others on my mercury forum, though the way she was poisoned sounds rather novel. That isn't one I'd come across before.

She's in good hands if she's following Andy Cutler's protocol. That's what I'm doing. For many it seems to be the safest way to chelate mercury. He runs a Yahoo list of his own but I don't talk there a lot because I prefer the other forum I belong to where people chat and support each other more.

Mercury poisoning is a terrible, insidious condition and most people aren't aware they have it. Unfortunately your friend is wrong; amalgams have not been banned in America. Most EU countries are enlightened enough not to use it but the UK is not one of them.

I'm sure she'll recover in time and I'm glad she worked out what the problem was. There are so many things in our modern lives that are not good for us, though we are continually reassured that they are safe and harmless.

Sorry, did you describe somewhere what was going on at the dentist's, and why you were there? Do you think you could be having a reaction to the anaesthetic?

It must have been a reaction to the anaesthetic injection then. Had it loads of times before, so very strange, unless they have changed the drug! My jaw still feels a little stiff.

Yes, strangely enough, I did have a good breakfast that morning (not normally that big as I usually exercise), and I had not quarms about going to the dentist for filling so its all a bit strange.

The only time I heaved was when the assistant sucked up the water a little too close to the back of my throat!!

Back there again on Monday, so wish me luck. Might ask for a glucose tablet before I sit in the chair this time.

Me x

Lucky thing.

All went well with me today, changed the injection so that it didnt contain adrenalin. Didnt get the shakes, but did feel a bit of pain.

Two less amalgams now though at least.

Me x