Anyone else had a lousy summer?

Hi Ciara,
Welcome to this forum. You will find on this site, you are not alone and everyone gives each other the support and advice they need which is a positive thing.

I have suffered from SAD for at least 20 yrs. My mum noticed a difference in my moods and behavier every September till April.

Yes people with SAD can often have symptoms on grey days too and not just in the dark winter time. Its the lack of sunshine which means you get less serotonin and more melatonin which makes you more sleepy (wanting to hibernate like you say). This can make daily chores that are normally easy to do, more difficult. I find I cannot cope with talking, my speech gets slurred, I get brain fog and cannot think properly, anxiety and panic attacks (stops me leaving the house), I can cry uncontrollable for 4 hrs (happened 2 weeks ago). I also feel reaLly bad emotional pain which makes me feel suicidal. I think about it to stop the pain. It gets worse when I fight against my SAD, when I won't accept that I have SAD. Sound familiar??? You are not alone even though you probably feel like you are.

Yes my symptoms started earlier this year, two weeks ago was very bad. I have just picked up some AD for the first time. Will give them a try.

Please please get to your Doctor for a review. You really must do that because of what you have said, you may need your dosage or type of AD changed. Its not good to go cold turkey hun. You need some support here.

Some people find a lightbox very helpful. I have done and my lightbox is over 10 yrs old but it wasn't enough for me so that why I went to the Doctors today. This site has lots of lightboxes you can buy and lots of info to find what suits you better.

Its horrid what you are going through and really feel you should see you GP. You can't help the way you feel so please don't be hard on yourself.

Below I have copied and pasted some info from this site to help you with your choice of lightbox. It depends on how much time you have to sit in front of it.

Personally, I would have it in front of me (not completely but so it goes into your eyes)at arms length whilst watching tv or reading for as much as possible every dinnertime. For my 10,000 lux box, I need to use for minimum of 1 hour a day. You don't need to stay into it, but the light needs to be shining into your eyes. I place it to the right of me on the coffee table so that it shines into my eyes but I am not actually looking into the box, I carry on watch tv! You need to use it for at least 1 week to notice any benefits but some notice it earlier.

Hope this helps, heres the info below.
Take care and do go to seE your GP (sorry if I am waffling on and on here lol!!!)

How long does it take to use the light?

The brighter the light, the less time it takes to use. The brightest need you to use them for around 30 minutes or less each day. These are the most powerful lights, designed to provide 10,000lux at a comfortable distance (arm's length) and are generally used to treat SAD. Mid-power 5000lux lights take around 1 hour and appeal to a wide range of users. If speed of use is really not important, the lowest power 2500lux lights typically take 2 hours and are a very economic alternative. Everyone's different so, to start with, we advise you to use your light for slightly longer than is typical - say 45 minutes in the case of a 10,000lux box - and see how you get on. After a few days, if your symptoms have improved, you could gradually cut down and see if you notice any difference.

Hi Ciara,

I came off tablets very gradually this summer, after 5 years on them, on and off. I've also has depression and anxiety (due largely to the SAD I think, but also some other circumstances regarding work etc.
I went to counselling, which was OK, but I enjoyed the fact that the house I went to had 5 cats sitting around, rather than the benefit from the counsellor herself!
I've also tried Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which was wonderful. I kept all my notes, and still refer to them now and then, when I'm feeling down.

Sounds like your doctor is sympathetic, which is great. Invaluable, infact. Surprising in this day and age that some doctors still know relatively little about SAD and how to deal with it.

Hope all goes well, do let us know.
Mrs Stan
xxx