hi ,another new member
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Posted by Anonymous, 11:20 29 October 2004hi,i've been reading the posts on this forum for a while and thought i'd say hi.i've not been told i have SAD by the doctor,he thinks its anxiaty.I told him that its only around this time of year i feel bad but it didnt seem to register with him so i just soldier on with work and home life the best i can.I was wondering if u guys suffer from anxiaty and heart palpatations as part of SAD or could it really be something totally different,but it only happens around this time of year till next march/ april time then i'm fine for the rest of the year.
many thank for any help steve | |
Posted by clare, 12:45 29 October 2004hi steve and welcome.
My symptoms are usually feeling very tired, sleeping alot, eating alot, and mild anxiety. I also dont want to go out with friends and i am generally moody and antisocial until spring comes along. The best way to tell is buy a light box and see if it works. I feel much better from using mine and i really noticed a difference when i stopped for 2 days. :) clare | |
Posted by Bright One, 13:01 29 October 2004you don't have to buy a lightbox. Outsidein will let you trial and www.Sadbox.info will let you rent for a month.
Test a lightbox and see how you feel. | |
Posted by Craver, 15:08 29 October 2004Hey Steve, I'm new too, registered this week (although SAD for 10yrs) and have my first lightbox this winter.
I also find anxiety becomes more of a problem from October time, I'm not an anxious person in general but along with the symptoms Clare has given (withdrawal and sleeping a lot being my main probs) I do find anxiety has a fair part to play. As Bright One mentioned, you can rent lightboxes from outside in. I have mine on a two month trial, for me it has an immediate physical effect, relaxing my body in the same way an hour on a sunlounger in the summer does! After a few days it helped to clear my mind, and now has an positive effect overall. Still early days but its definately doing something... :D | |
Posted by siddy, 18:29 29 October 2004Hello and welcome,
I do get anxiety normally in september and spring for a short while it seems to tail off in the depths of winter. I do wake up some nights (2am)with panic attacks and can't get back to sleep thinking i could have a heart attack. Don't know if this sounds familiar, | |
Posted by Anonymous, 18:52 29 October 2004This would be my first year to actually NOTICE the symptoms for myself. I did however connect the feelings before when I spoke with a doctor and though him to just be "over-diagnosing".
Well, I notice a strong difference in personality when fall hits; mood changes into a depressive tone and I eat a lot more than normal. I do have slight anxiety, and I also have a hard time keeping stress from taking over and driving me to anger. I noticed that Excersize helps a lot. Lifting weights and tanning have helped me tremendously as well as getting fit for the summer time (I have a beautiful girlfriend now that i have started taking care of myself) Its hard to fight it right now because I cant go to the gym...and my girlfriend is trying to help me with it. her class just learned about S.A.D. Psyche. Well, this is my story! 8) | |
Posted by Julie in Sussex, 21:19 29 October 2004Hi Steve, Craver and Matt, and welcome. Hi B1, Siddy & Clare.
Glad you've got a lightbox Craver, many on the forum would agree it's certainly a step in the right direction. Don't just "soldier on" Steve, trial a lightbox ... most of us here have found that the only way forward is self-help. In fact one day we must do a poll to see how many of us have actually been SAD Diagnosed by a Doctor/Specialist, very few I feel. As I see it, GPs see SAD as a bit of a misc/fringe/abstract complaint, not quite worthy of their time, irritating ... right so I have finally said it the way I feel it. Oh, yes, we are talking mental health, no wonder... Anxiety, yes, do I know that one. It settles itself comfortably amongst the lethargy, self doubt, frighteningly dark thoughts, munchies, friend avoidance and general inability to concentrate or articulate. Normally anxiety does not attack me during the day, well it might well, but as I am in a zombie like state it has little effect, but between 2-3am it will grip me, bringing on a panic of being desperate to get away from my mind, whilst there seems to be no escape at all from it. This is a major experience in the still of a dark night, but in the morning I become safely distanced from it all, almost to the state of not believing that it happened at all. Back to being the zombie I guess. Anxiety seems to be worse in Sept+Oct, easing in the darkest months for some reason, then mounting again in Feb+March. I ramble, but really to empathise for all those in this same old boat (oh yes and I have got a lot of my chest!) Kindest things all. Julie | |
Posted by Mrbeanfan6372, 15:28 30 October 2004Hi and welcome Steve
I had similar problems. Anxiety was usually bad in the winter. Unfounded, silly anxiety about a million things. No clue why, until I did some homework. Almost never exp. any in the summer. Started to check into it. Oh yeah, I couldn't wake up in the winter, tired, etc. Every year. I hated winter. It was so cold, bleak, dark. well last winter i took charge. Saw a doctor who wanted to put me on pills. I told him i would rather try a light box. he wrote an order, and I got one. I could have just bought it, but eventually the ins. paid for it. (took almost a year). I took his pills for 2 days and threw them away. I can tell you that we are approaching a dark point of our late fall here in the US, and I am feeling better than i have in 20 years. I light box daily, 30-45 minutes while eating breakfast. Switched up my diet a little, trying to eat fewer grains and sugars, more protien, and leafy green vegetables and fruits. Exercise--am running 3 miles a day now. Drinking lots of water and taking vitamins. Like I said, I am feeling better than I have in 20 years. I am approaching the weight I was as a high school athlete 17 years ago, and am in as good of shape as then if not better. Prayer I think definately factors in as well. God is good, and He will help you through whatever you are dealing with. You can feel good again. I am looking forward to a fun-filled winter. We have SO much fun to do here. I live in an area that can be rather brutal with temps down to -40 at times. But we can ski, snowshoe, snowmobile, go sledding. etc. I am fired up about these things and am even thinking of buying either a snowmobile or a set of skis for winter recreation!! Mr. Bean Fan | |
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