Disability or not a disability?

The Lumie forum is for general discussion of Seasonal Affective Disorder and all things light therapy. To join in you'll need to register.

We do not monitor this forum every day. If you want to reach Lumie please go to our contact us page.

Claire
joined 14 Nov 2003
24 posts

send a pm

Posted by Claire, 18:49 15 November 2003

Hi Oldhippy

Just a quick note. I work in a secondary school and according to their statement of disability SAD is considered as a disability as it is a life long illness and affects day to day activities. The school have offered me as much support as possible and even offered to buy me a light box. I can change my hours if I need to and they would make special arrangements for me to have treatment if and when I need it.

I realise that not all employments are as supportive as mine, but maybe if others took a page out of their books it would be much more recognised.

I was also dismissed by doctors for seven years until I almost cracked up and demanded something to be done when they referred me to the mental health team and my current psychiatrist. They pionted out that it is a mental illness - therefore a disability!!!

Also, as many people cannot afford light therapy boxes You can buy them from INDEX Catalogue. They are £200 but I couldn't afford one either and got a store card with them so that I could pay for it monthly and have it straight away - Just an idea.

Hope that it may be some help to you.

oldhippy
joined 6 Jul 2003
205 posts

send a pm

Posted by oldhippy, 20:42 15 November 2003

Hi Claire

Its nice and refreashing to know that out there exsist responsibe employers, I can understand that from the educational setting seems to come the more responsible attidude towards SAdies. I was given a lot of help at Uni during the Winter time which i proberly would not have completed the course otherwise.

Perhaps education is the way forward for employers to understand "this person CAN do the job" with a light box, plus im sure they could also get some tax releave or payment for employing a disabled person.

Its very good with my Doctor at moment as he knows about SAD and is interested to know more about it :D

carole
joined 2 Nov 2003
11 posts

send a pm

Posted by carole, 21:25 15 November 2003

Hi Clare and everyone else out there,

Glad to hear you have help and understanding at work at work. What really bugs me is the doctors they dont seem to recognise sad and until they do joe puplic is never going to understand it. :? It is so disableing nobody knows unless they experience it but each time i have mentioned it to my dr. ( and over the years i have moved house and had a few different drs) they have simply brushed it to one side and said to me well you have got a long history of depression. But looking back i have suffered from sad since i was about 22 about the time i had my first child. Over the years i have had all the different treatments starting with electric shock treatment (that was horrendous) :twisted: in the beggining the anti depressants and tranculisers were addictive each time i would try to come off the tablets in the summer and be desperate for them again in the winter. But nobody has ever suggested i keep a diary, when i look back it is staring me in the face. I now feel strong enough to go to my dr and tell not ask and see what happens. This forum has done more for me in two weeks than the dr has done in 30 years . I now use a light box twice a day.i set my alarm for 6 am and use it for an hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon. It has had a remarkable effect i have been waiting for that dreadful black cloud to descend again and it hasnt happened. I went for a walk with the children today and i really enjoyed it for me at this time of year is unknown.

Anyway enough rambling

keep smiling carole :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Julie in Sussex
joined 21 Jan 2003
541 posts

send a pm

Posted by Julie in Sussex, 09:30 16 November 2003

Hi there Claire, oldhippy and Carole

Absolutely brilliant that you have such support where you work Claire, possibly a case of having more support from your employer than from your original GP! Though you did seem to get his attention in the end, well done. Have you just told your employer that you have been diagnosed as suffering from SAD, or have you had to show them GP type paperwork? Excellent way of getting a lightbox I must say, I wonder if any lightbox companies do an installment plan at all....

And Carole, you were not rambling ~ reading your last post was just like looking in a mirror for me. So true that until SAD is recognised by the medical profession, we haven't a hope in hell of getting our friends and wider circle to comprehend our situation. I still feel I am classed by so many I know as being slightly wacky.

I too have been swept aside by all the GP's I have ever had as being a depressive and told to accept that this is par for the course for me. SAD is not that complicated to understand, why is there such resistance?

Antidepressants have also proved addictive for me, especially the MAOI's. They did work, but I never had proper instructions on how to come off them and got into such a mess I even rang the Samaritans in complete despair. ECT nearly killed me, utterly barbaric and reduced my incredible 250Mb memory to a shadow of its former self.

Yes, doesn't a lightbox have the most incredible effect. But whatever you do, don't get as complacent as I did about its use. Routine and timing are of the essence in maintaining your ability to keep SAD at bay, without that commitment it's back to the slippery slope which ends in the black hole........

Blue skies and a sunny crisp day in Sussex, wonderful. All good wishes. Julie

oldhippy
joined 6 Jul 2003
205 posts

send a pm

Posted by oldhippy, 10:16 16 November 2003

It is really sadening that when you read some recent posts that the medical profession have to resort to the use of ECT to treat SAD, to me its a sign that SAD is not understood and has not been daiagnosed correctly by whatever reason.

Its barbaric and a insult

I think why may of these so colled learned officials in varoius government depaterments refuse to see what SAD is that as I have stated elsewhere the fear of aknoledgment of something that might cost them something.

As many acepted methods of treatment (medications etc) are seen to be something that is understood in its method of administering and the actions of the same medications it is far more acepted in a western society.

But there argument might be is it SAD or some other medical mental health condition, therfore treat for the later first which seems to be the situation.

Carole here is a shinning example of light v years of "aproved" treatment.

It seems the a Naturial form of treatment is proberly seen in the same thought as "quack" remedies.

It would be interesting to see how many alternative light treatments are been sold in the UK. But then I suppose the Government thought on this is why bother providing NHS light boxes when the SAD sufferers are buying them and is not costing the public purse.

Now here is a thought :idea:

Prince Charles is well known for his stance on the naturial way of treatments, perhaps getting someone like him to take the cause :D

but then as we have seen in recent events, the governemnt rarly listen to the people and especially a minority like SAD sufferers.

Donna
joined 28 Nov 2002
273 posts

send a pm

Posted by Donna, 16:16 16 November 2003

I too cannot believe you had ECT treatment . :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:
This makes me very angry.

I work in Nursing and one thing I have noticed by some Doctors is that they treat the Medical Model and not the person. What I mean is they just write out a prescription for tablets instead of talking to the patient to see if they maybe anything else contributing to a cause.

I'm glad to say that not all Doctors are like that though :D :D :D :D :D

People who know me well, know that I'm not the type of person to fake something such as SAD so they know that my symptoms are very real, but people that don't know me may think that I am lying and that there is no such thing as SAD!

I want to use working for the NHS to my advantage in the future and make people realize that sad IS VERY REAL.Any ideas how to do this anyone??????

Love 2 all
DonnaX

Julie in Sussex
joined 21 Jan 2003
541 posts

send a pm

Posted by Julie in Sussex, 17:37 16 November 2003

Hi Donna and oldhippy

Must put in a "ps" here to my post above. I feel at all times it is important to be fair, just and accurate .........

In all fairness to the medical profession, the ECT I was given was back in 1984 (the year SAD was first defined). It seems it was the only response the GP could come up with, it was March and was the climax of 3 dire months when the postnatal depression I had, peaked, he was at his wits end to know what to do with me. I don't suppose for a minute that at that stage he had even heard of SAD, it was a completely new definition. Hubby and I know now however, that it was SAD and it made everything that was already terrible, so much worse. Although SAD had only just been defined, in 1984 I had already "suffered" winters for about 14 years, Jan, Feb and March being the worst of the six months, annually.

It's true this treatment is barbaric whatever type of depression one has, but at the time I was so desperate I couldn't have given a damn what they did to me.... but, the aftermath was beyond description, and I remained ill and even more bewildered.

Actually, re-reading Carole's post I believe she was given ECT for depression, her GP didn't seem to recognise SAD either.

So, in fact I was given ECT to treat depression rather than SAD (although on hindsight it was because of SAD that I was so desperately ill at the time). I would never ever consider ECT again..... though I was so out of it on that occasion I would not know if I considered it or not! Must have signed a piece of paper though I suppose.

From one who has "Got THE T-shirt" ! Julie

Donna
joined 28 Nov 2002
273 posts

send a pm

Posted by Donna, 17:46 16 November 2003

I'm just so glad you have come through it Julie and Carole. I know the Doctors probably did what they thought was best at the time.
It's all about education don't you think??

Love to you all
DonnaX

carole
joined 2 Nov 2003
11 posts

send a pm

Posted by carole, 19:54 16 November 2003

Hello and thank you all for the response of my last posting,

Julie you are right in saying my E.C.T. was along time ago and i hope it is not used now like it was then . I do know my memory has not been any good since then. (around 1977-78) there are so many people with mental health problems i dont know why to is taboo to talk about it. Why should we all have to buy our own lightboxes i am on benifits so to get a lightbox i put myself into dept. But if i want anti depressants i can have them anytime.(just dont understand the system)

Julie I dont intend to get complacent about my lightbox i am useing it religiously i set my alarm at 6 am and make myself get out of bed so that i wake properly. I like this feeling of looking forward to xmas i cant remember having had it before. Usually by the shortest day i am wrecked dont want to be in that big black hole. By the way i am managing to eat my fruit @ veg instead of all the carbs i usually eat and i am sure that is helping.

keep smiling everyone, goodnight.

carole :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

oldhippy
joined 6 Jul 2003
205 posts

send a pm

Posted by oldhippy, 22:17 16 November 2003

Hi Carole

Yep Im in the same position as you finanicaily with relation to "state" benefits, it is today a education in itself to work through and of course take into account nothing that they dont want to.

I must admit and from stories I have heard about the system that it is only there for these that know the system inside out, just happens to be the very people the system is designed to stop. Thats not saying all are like that.

But the routine in your days are important andd if possible eating right as I know how dif it can be on the "sick"

But keep it up and you will notice a difrence in yourself :D

Bright One
joined 29 Jan 2003
226 posts

send a pm

Posted by Bright One, 10:57 17 November 2003

Grrrr and wahey!

Grrr because we seem to have an inability to think things through! Instead of treating the person we treat the symptoms. We deal with the illness and not it's cause. Drs dole out antidepressants and the real reasons go undealt with (I don't blame drs, they have 10 mins to sort the world out)

But WAHEY!

Carole I am so happy that you are feeling good. Isn't it amazing how a bit of routine can literally change your world. I love it.

Post a reply

home > forum