SADD that time of the year

[Flur]

I've had SAD since I was in college. Before I knew what it was I referred to it as "the slide down into the dark." I had a really hard time with college winter break, which was 6 weeks long in December and January.

I've found that what helps best is getting outside as much as possible. I've also found the exercise helps, and outdoor exercise is the best of all. Having a project that you can work on when indoors helps too.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Another thing I found that is helping as the days get shorter is I switched to using soy milk. I get PMS so bad it's ridiculous and I noticed that this is the first month I didn't get 'the week before' craziness I always feel. It's actually a fluke that I started drinking soy milk but I'm glad I did. When aunt flo arrived I thought...whoa...what happened to 'the week before'??? I think it was more my mood that kept me from riding than the weather. I'll just keep riding and riding and riding. I also bought a TriNewt light so I can ride in the dark. Maybe I should just shine that on me?!

[Red Rock]

Thankyou all for this thread. I do not know if I actually have this or not but since I have been back in school and working at the same time, my grads have been worse during the winter months. Summer semester, which is usually the most diffucult, has been "easy" so to speak.

When I was a kid growing up, I did not notice these things as much. I will take the advise given here and try to be outside for a half and hour at least a day, somehow.

Red Rock

[NbyNW]

Another thing I found that is helping as the days get shorter is I switched to using soy milk. I get PMS so bad it's ridiculous and I noticed that this is the first month I didn't get 'the week before' craziness I always feel. It's actually a fluke that I started drinking soy milk but I'm glad I did. When aunt flo arrived I thought...whoa...what happened to 'the week before'??? I think it was more my mood that kept me from riding than the weather. I'll just keep riding and riding and riding. I also bought a TriNewt light so I can ride in the dark. Maybe I should just shine that on me?!

I'm not too familiar with the science of it, but as I understand it soy has phyto-estrogens than some women respond well too. On the other hand, some people find soy proteins impossible to digest . . .

For PMS, especially in the winter months, I've had pretty good luck with Women's Phase I supplement by Vitanica:

http://www.vitanica.com/supplements_05.htm

My mom introduced me to tofu & soy milk at a pretty young age, so I really have no idea whether I am better off with or without it. All I know is some people have had very positive experiences with it and others have had negative experiences. I guess I'm just in the middle and it's something I like to eat from time to time.

The literature in the light that I bought says that there are specific frequencies of light that help us to wake up. I'm not sure if a TriNewt would have those frequencies.

[crazycanuck]

Well, it's almost here. We down under have spent the last 4 months in our winter & am so happy it's almost summer. WAHOOOOOEYY!!!

During the blech months (June-Sept) I don't change many routines. I bike/swim when it's still dark out. Our group swims at an outdoor pool that's naturally heated. I'm a wee bit crazy.

I crave the days there's beautiful blue skies & spend as much time outside as possible. I did the exact same thing when I lived in Canada. Embrace the sun, a nice book, friends etc & you'll get through winter!

C

[michelem]

Well, with all the fog we've been having lately as well as it getting dark by 5pm, I decided to go ahead and follow my doc's recommendation to purchase a 10,000 lux broad spectrum lamp. It looks like a desk lamp so I can use it at work, but it is also portable enough that I can bring it home to use in the evenings and on weekends. I'm supposed to start by using it 30 min. AM and 30 min. PM. I'll let you know how it goes once I receive it and start using it. Thankfully it has a 30-day money back guarantee in case I don't notice a difference. These things are VERY expensive! But, it will be worth the cost if I don't end up feeling like crapola by February.

[Velobambina]

I suffer from SADD, too. This year, I bought a "happy light" that I use every morning at work. It seems to be helping. You can find them at www.verilux.com (I think that's the manufacturer). I bought mine from Giaim but later found out that verilux sells them directly.

I also started taking 1000 iu/day of vitamin D.

Only 12 more days until we start adding minutes of sunlight to the day.

[eclectic]

I don't suffer from SAD per se but I HATE getting up in the dark every morning so I purchased a "dawn simulator"

http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com...tor_17_ctg.htm

(scroll down to see it)

I LOVE it ! ! ! ! It is a much more gentle way to wake up and I wake up ready to go instead of groggy.

I also try to swim 3 or 4 days per week in the AM - for some reason the bright lights and water of the pool work as therapy for me (I hardly ever swim in the summer.) It makes going out in -20 F weather much more bearable.
I swim in the pool where I work so it isn't too much of a stretch.