SAD Back Again?

Hi There.. Is it me or does anyone else feel as bad as they did in January and February over the last few weeks?
I gave up the lamp and anti depressants mi Feb and got a few blasts of sun.. Everything going great, lost 3 stone in weight but recently all the symptoms are back and put on half a stone?
I am going back on the lamp and anti depressants tommorow till it warms up! thats a laugh it's only 20 days till June?
Trevor

Hi Trevor and Bagpuss - I came here today especially to start a topic on this, but I can see that it's common.

I've been bursting into tears for the past three days. Eating more and the weight just isn't going away, in spite of my activity increasing. Feeling sleepy and totally zoning out, forgetting important things.

I will seriously need to look into a new light box. I still have been weighing the pros and cons of it.

No chance, I have to get one now.

Let's try to support people here again!

Hi Everyone. I read all your recent posts and although the way we all feel is 'sad', the fact that we can write about it lessens the 'aloneness' of the situation.I have been suffering (unknowingly) from SAD since I was a child. I can remember every year going into a new class and the tension involved in getting a desk near a window. Its only now that I remember how important it was to me and how I loved school because there were bright lights there. All throughout the years I have hibernated every winter and yet until recently I never realised I suffered from SAD. I dont think I can face another winter without some relief. For the moment I feel okay because of the longer days and some sunshine but the threat of the next autumn already feels like a REAL threat. I take 20 mg Ciprimal for the last few years but it dooesnt seem to have any effect in winter. Any suggestions from anyone?

It sounds like you may well find some benefits from using light therapy at the moment. The weather has been very grey and sufferers have found they need to use their light boxes even though its summer.

If you are finding that the light levels are low, then it is best to use light therapy.
By having a light box before the symptoms kick in too strongly, can also really help towards getting a head start in preparation for the new season, having this extra boost just before you start to sink down hill, may well put you in good stead for the greyer months ahead.

Please ring 01954 780500 for further advice.

Hmmm... yes, these few days of gloom after the sunshine in the UK are probably giving a lot of us saddoes the jitters. Have to admit to feeling different to a week or so ago. After the last two non-summers, where a record number of people reported early onset of SAD, I stay on a low dosage of Fluoxetine, take vit D3 and have two hours with my Lumie desk lamp.
There is part of me that wonders if once you are diagnosed with SAD, as soon as there are a few dull days do we get a psychosomatic reaction to it. Similarly, I am so conscious of the fact that 11 days from now the days begin to shorten.
What happened to me last winter- which was only a few weeks ago- seems like a bad dream, and this time of year I can even doubt the existence of SAD.
Anyway, I'm rambling. Fact is it does exist. Let's anticipate some more sunny days, enjoy them, and perhaps on the 21st celebrate the dying of the light in a way which acknowledges that it is not forever (I may even run naked through the woods- no site moderator, only joking.)
Finally, I would just like to say that my original diagnosis was depression. Now I know it's not, at least I have the luxury of knowing that by spring there will be an end to it.
Look after yourself,
Allan

I've felt very down this week after over 2 weeks of rainy gloomy days, thinking of getting my lightbox out.
My symptoms don't usually begin until the end of September, it's only the beginning of August now.

I felt down last week and my appeite (sorry can't spell) started coming back. I made myself sit outside in the garden even when is was raining a bit. I feel great again now. This feels so good knowing for the first year that I can do something about this.

Thanks Skye and all,
I got my lightbox out of the cupboard yesterday, have it here next to the computer, feeling a little better today, still gloomy weather.
I've a strong craving for carbs. comforting food like home made rice pudding ! I slept for about 2 hours yesterday afternoon too !
Sorry to hear there are other members feeling the same, hope the lightboxes make us feel better soon, hugs, Pegi

Despite being on anti-depressants and using my light box daily, I am struggling big time. I'm not so bad during the day but spend my evenings in floods of tears. We haven't had a summer here at all and I feel even though it's only early August I am settling in for the winter.

I've realised what was causing me to be so bad when I wrote my last post. We had been on holiday to England for 5 days, and though it stayed dry it wasn't very bright. Of course I didn't have my light box with me and that made me worse. Now I'm back using the light box and all is under control again, even though we still haven't had much bright weather.