In praise of a good cry… and other ways to deal with the SAD blahs!

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Neens

Go on… Let it out.

If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Winter Blues, then you’ll probably know all-too-well that tearful feeling that can inexplicably creep up on you. You ask yourself the question, ‘why do I feel like crying?’ and your brain very helpfully starts trying to generate some answers for you. Except it isn’t always very helpful. It starts to ping ideas to you and can drag you into a spinning vortex of everything that is not perfect in your life. In this mindset, it probably throws a few spiteful accusations at you too for good measure.

In this place, you have two main options: give in to it and have a good old cry or try to stem the flow by distracting yourself, putting the tears off to be released later if you feel the need.

There are times when we all need a good cry; it just seems like it has to come out. Despite being something that is universal and uniquely human, crying emotional tears continues to baffle scientists and psychologists. Most seem to agree that it’s beneficial, releasing a build-up of stress hormones and allowing others to be released into your body, providing a sense of calm.

You might find these two articles interesting:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hide-and-seek/201208/why-crying-is-good-you

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2047605/Dont-hold–crying-really-IS-good-you.html#axzz2KKutlDzH

But what about when it’s inconvenient, you’d feel too embarrassed, you know it doesn’t help you feel better, or you’re simply sick of crying? An old friend of mine, who’s a master Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner and hypnotherapist (among many other hats she wears), gave me some good tips on how to stop crying once, which I thought I’d share with you:

Chew gum or suck on a boiled sweet – it’s really hard to cry when you’re doing this; honestly, try it!
Smile widely – go on, really grin! – for 10 seconds, preferably into a mirror. This really confuses your brain! Pull a silly face at yourself – this guy certainly made me smile…
Breathe deeply. The increase in oxygen will help your body cope with the flood of emotions and focusing on doing this will distract you.
Think of something or someone who really makes you laugh, or has an infectious smile, remember a funny memory or maybe think of your kids as babies… anything that makes you smile.

After doing any of these, quickly do something distracting – put a load of washing in or tackle your housework, grab your purse and take yourself for a brisk walk and a soothing hot chocolate, play with a pet… I found these other great suggestions too, which include watching a funny video, eating something hot or cold and having a nap.

As for my way of coping; I do a bit of both – in fact, I’m indulging in some therapy right here! (please forgive my self-indulgence, but I do hope this post will be as helpful to you reading it as it’s been for me writing it!). If I’m alone then I’ll give in to the tears and let them flow, which is how I started this post, with black runways blurring my face, mascara mixing with salt water to create an inky, spidery drawing. I’ve washed it all off now – don’t worry, I’m not sitting here looking like Morticia Addams after being caught in a rain storm!!

I tried at first to fight the tears and then gave in. I won’t go into why I was crying, but unlike the times when I’m not managing my SAD symptoms very well, or I’m simply hormonal and aren’t sure why I’m tearful, I understood why and I had good reason to be tonight, so I indulged it. And then I turned to distraction. I was meant to be doing some work on my assignments for a course I started this January, but I felt like harnessing the feeling and writing this post instead. I find it very cathartic and absorbing; I definitely recommend it. Sometimes it just helps to get things out of your head and onto a page where you can see it more objectively.

That’s one of the principles behind Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). I touched on this in another post on managing SAD, and you can read more about it on Mind. When you’re feeling anxious, sad or angry it can really help. I don’t practice CBT every day; more when I’m really wound up or overwhelmed and need an outlet. It’s a highly recommended therapy for depression and anxiety. The very act of doing something productive can help you to calm down too.

Here’s how I do CBT:

Grab a notebook and write down how you’re feeling – what thoughts are in your head? How does your body feel? Can you identify what you’re feeling?
Rate on a scale of 1-10 (1 being not at all, 10 being absolutely certain), how strongly you believe each of the thoughts that you’ve written down.
Hopefully you’re feeling a little better just for getting some thoughts out. Maybe you can even see that some of them just aren’t true already? Challenge the rest of them – can you think of a time that what you’re saying about yourself wasn’t true? For example do you really always make mistakes? Can you think of times when you’ve completed things perfectly? Can you see the situation differently – for example, did that person mean to snap at you, or could they have been having a difficult day and taken it out on you?
Go back and look at the scores you gave to each of your thoughts; how do you score now? Do you believe any of them a bit less? I hope so…

Of course, another talking therapy – picking up the phone to a good friend or family member, or talking to a partner might help too. Sometimes the old maxim, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ really is true!

If you find you’re crying a lot and you don’t feel like you’re able to shift your gloom, it might be worth having a word with your doctor. Certainly crying and feeling down and flat can be a symptom of SAD and other depressive conditions if they’re not being managed effectively, but if you feel like this for more than a couple of weeks, I really would recommend you try to get some help from your doctor.

Whichever methods you choose to cope when you get the ‘blahs’, whether it’s due to having SAD or not, I hope that this post might have given you a couple more ideas to try. Let me know if you do, and if they work for you? Thank you for reading and being part of my therapy tonight!!

What methods do you use to help you deal with the ‘blahs’? Are you an advocate of having a cry, or do you think it’s better to distract yourself?

Neens

Image credits:

Crying: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/113360

Funny man: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/941938

Writing, rain: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/349015

SAD see-saw – the ups and downs of managing SAD

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Neens

Good evening! When I started this blog, I was very clear that I wanted it to be not only a place where people could come for information, but also to get a more personal perspective on managing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Winter Blues symptoms. I want you to know that you’re not alone in feeling the way you do.

I’ve shared a little bit with you already of how I used to feel before I was diagnosed with SAD. I’ve also told you that in general I have my symptoms pretty well managed now. What I’ve not done so far is tell you what it’s like when I’m not managing my symptoms very well! There’s a reason for this; I don’t want to be too self-indulgent and I don’t want you to get pulled down while you’re reading. I’m by nature quite an empathetic person, easily affected by other people’s emotions, so in recognition that other people are like this too, I’m trying to be careful on this blog to keep things reasonably upbeat.

That said, I don’t want to give the false impression that I’m always okay (no-one ever really is, I find!). I’ve had a funny old few weeks; I feel like I’ve been on a see-saw! Besides having a few things on my mind, I’ve realised that I haven’t been managing my symptoms very well. My poor brain can’t seem to work out whether I should be bouncing around like Tigger, or curled up on the sofa with my book and a hot chocolate!

Part of the reason is that I don’t think I should have to be managing SAD symptoms in June and July – I can’t get my head around it! I normally jolly myself along in January and February, thinking about spring being ‘just around the corner’ and trying to plan nice things to look forward to. Problem is, with confirmation that the UK has just experienced the wettest April to June on record and double the average rainfall for June, I’m struggling to find that kernel of hope that there’s going to be a longer run of sunny days.

wpid IMAG0317 300x226 SAD see saw the ups and downs of managing SAD

My view from the bus a moment before I had to get off!

I’ve had just about all the weather I can handle in the last two weeks! After finding my walk in the pouring rain quite funny the other Sunday, I can assure you that being out in the storm up here in Newcastle and Gateshead last Thursday was really not funny. I was very lucky compared to many of my friends and colleagues.

wpid IMAG0319 300x226 SAD see saw the ups and downs of managing SAD

Driving along a main road through Dunston, Gateshead, which had become a river!

I got a soaking going to an appointment and was then stuck on a packed bus for 2.5 hours – but I was safe and sheltered! I did, however, feel really anxious, which I’m pretty sure was heightened because I was already feeling fed up with the rain. It took me ages to calm down.

A bit of sunshine at the weekend while visiting my family in Leeds had me feeling hyper again, with my Mum laughing at me talking ten-to-the-dozen, hardly pausing for breath!

Then - argh! - I felt so flat early this week. I awoke Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday mornings to grubby grey weather and felt thoroughly fed up!

So, given that I’ve had some things on my mind, how do I know that I’m suffering with SAD symptoms? Well, yesterday and today have been the perfect indicators. After waking for the third day in a row feeling miserable, I used my SAD light in the office yesterday and felt almost instantly better. A good laugh with my lovely colleagues helped plenty too! Today, I sat out in the sunshine (yes, really, there was some!) for an hour at lunch and felt great. Nothing has changed in terms of what’s on my mind, but the bright light gave me a very perceptable lift.

The silly thing is, I know that I need to use my light on dull days, but perhaps I’m more of an optimist than I give myself credit for! I kept thinking that it might be brighter on the way home, or the next day.

A day or two of dull weather in summer isn’t normally an issue, but a run of several days or weeks can very easily leave you feeling as bad as you do in winter, if you’re a Winter SAD or Winter Blues sufferer. Once you’re feeling bad, it can be harder to lift yourself back up, so please – don’t make the same mistake I’ve made this last couple of weeks – get your SAD light back out of the cupboard!

If you’re supporting friends, family or colleagues who suffer from SAD, please try and be patient with them; what can seem like baffling mood swings really can be a result of what the weather’s doing!

One last thing; I thought I’d let you know that Lumie has a sale on at the moment. If you’ve been thinking about buying a SAD light for a while, now might be a good time to invest in one!

How are you managing with the summer rain? Can you relate to my see-saw analogy? Does anyone fancy emigrating with me to the Canary Islands?!

Image credit – children playing – http://www.sxc.hu/photo/884206

Summer SAD

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Neens

Hi again!

Hope you’re keeping well? Tonight I’ve got a really interesting post for you about Summer SAD, which I hope will be as illuminating for you as it was for me (yes, I hear you groaning! ).

When I talk about ’Summer SAD’, what I usually mean is suffering from the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Winter Blues-type symptoms when our eccentric British summer is at its ‘worst’. Or is it at its best? Well, for some people ‘Summer SAD’ means a very different thing. And the trend for wetter British summers is very welcome for them. Tomorrow’s Summer Solstice will also come as a relief for sufferers of Summer SAD, as it means the days will gradually shorten.

Let me explain. I met Stuart in the Lumie forum, where I continue to chat and enjoy ’meeting’ new people. I was intrigued by a thread called ‘Summer SAD’ and had a look. Stuart and a few other people were discussing how they struggle with hot and sunny weather, explaining that it makes them feel irritable and anxious, among other symptoms.

I have since read a little more about ‘Summertime Depression’ and was amazed to discover an estimated 600,000 Britons experience these symptoms.

Stuart explained how he feels really fed up when the clocks go forward and the days become longer. This is the opposite of how I feel, so I was really interested to hear more about Stuart’s experience. What struck me most was how isolated Summer SAD sufferers must feel. Winter SAD has in recent years become much more recognised, but I’d never heard of Summer SAD and neither had Stuart until he stumbled across that thread. We’re so used to describing warm, sunny weather as ‘lovely’ and grey, rainy weather as ‘miserable’. But to Stuart and others like him, these labels are reversed and can make them feel like outsiders.

Stuart has kindly given me permission to share what he told me with you, which he wrote as a Q&A… I’m sure you’ll find it as fascinating as I did

When was I aware of suffering from Summer SAD?
It has only been within the last eight or nine years that I have become actually ‘aware’ of my dislike/hate (a strong word I know) for the summer months. For many, many years I have preferred to stay out of the sunshine, but never thought it was anything other than me, being me.

Going back as far as I can remember, as a child I did love the rain and winter months. I was born in Scotland; but that said, I do not remember it raining or snowing too much. When it did rain I used to stand outside ’til mum called me in. I remember standing under the eves of my parents’ house watching the rain falling and always feeling disappointed when it passed. Even back then aged 5-10, Halloween and Christmas were always the things I most looked forward to.

I have pretty much always wanted to stay out the sun. On family holidays I always wanted sun specs and a holiday hat…and this was well before what we know today about sun damage. It was also nothing to do with disliking the summer… the months of the year meant very little to me at that age.

I did suffer from ‘Prickly Heat’ as a child…. I say ‘suffer’, though I don’t remember it being a problem for me - other than the fact that on holidays abroad I used to occasionally get left in the hotel room, covered in calamine lotion, under the supervision of my lovely Gran (who was happy for a siesta), whilst the rest of my family went out for afternoon sun fun and ice creams.

Leaping forward to my 30s, I moved to London. I suddenly started to be aware of the sun and weather for the first time as a factor in my life. I would love rainy and grey days. Friends would assume that this was because I grew up in Scotland… their perception was that it always rained and snowed ‘up there’, but that was not the case.

I, with no thoughts about ‘Summer SAD’, just started to avoid going out when the sun was out, as much as I possibly could. When I did go out, I would start thinking about hats again, covering up, and sun protection lotion. I do remember buying calamine lotion in Boots at this time, because I was starting to get red spots on my arms and upper legs – heat rash!

On my best friend’s birthday (seven years ago) she wanted to go to Brighton. On the train home she mentioned to me how red my forehead was. By the time we returned home I was so aware that I had really badly reacted to the sun during the day. I was blistered and sore on my forehead, yet she was fine.

This was the moment I truly became aware of the sun’s effect on my life. Not because I had been weather-beaten by Brighton’s sunshine; rather, that the happy day of being out had left me feeling sad and down. It was quite an eye-opening moment for me. I disliked the feeling of being over-heated, squinting because of the sun and I’ve disliked sunny days out ever since.

I must once again say that it was nothing to do with having a reaction to the sun in a conventional sunburn way. Rather, something within me, over the whole of my life, suddenly came together. I realised that hot days were not something I wanted for me; that grey, colder, and winter nights really do make me smile.

How does it affect me both practically and emotionally?
Waking up in the morning and taking a peep out the window is always quite pivotal in my day. If it is wet, rainy, grey or overcast, be it summer or winter, then I will genuinely feel a sense of happiness deep in the core of my body. If the sun is shining I will feel part of me sink. I don’t brood about it. I just get on with the day, but if it is really sunny outside I start to re-plan and re-schedule my day in a way that will help me either avoid going out or minimise the time I would need to go out.

I work from home as a Computer Animator, so do not need to go out to work. Whether this is just the way my life panned out or whether I planned it that way without thinking, I don’t know. Either way, I am grateful.

If it is really warm outside, I will have as cold a shower as I can brave in the morning. The need to cool down is often more to do with the thought of the sun and heat going round in the background of my mind, more than the heat itself.

I live with my best friend and if she is around in the morning, I will do the normal thing of opening the curtains. If she is not I will happily leave them shut. I am so switched on to the changes in light outside. Even if a cloud passes over the sun, and the light in the room dulls for just a second or two, I get a happy lift. It truly is that quick!

If I need to go out and it is sunny I either go out first thing or leave it ’til late afternoon. Between 10am – 4pm would not be an option, unless I had to. Crossing over to the shady side of the street, walking slower to reduce any heat anxiety and carrying a bottle of cold water in my bag helps.

Anxiety for me does play a part in going out in the summer. The thought of being trapped on a busy train or bus on a hot day really would make me try to avoid them at all costs. I have before now had to get off a bus in a silent and polite emotional panic because it was so hot and sunny and I really could not cope with being in a tin. Within minutes of being on the bus, I was getting panicked, sweating and felt so alone, as everyone else seemed fine. Now I seek a seat out of the sun!

At home, as evening comes I find myself perking up. I don’t get miserable or depressed as such during the summer, but I do get SAD. I look forward to summer being over and while it is here evenings make a good break. I love evenings at home, when it gets dark… even in the summer.

Have I found any treatment that helps?
I don’t know of any to be honest. I take Belladonna during the summer.

Ed note: Belladonna is sometimes prescribed by Homeopathic Practitioners, but I wouldn’t recommend any treatments without consulting your GP.

Have I spoken to doctors or any experts about it?
Never… Apart from the response I wrote on the Lumie site (and now this!), I have never spoken about it. Friends and family know I don’t like the summer and that I don’t want to be out in the sunshine. I don’t, however, know what they think about it!

Do I feel under pressure to stay positive, i.e. because we’re ‘supposed to be’ happy when the sun shines?
OH BOY YES!

‘What a lovely day, gorgeous day, beautiful day’…

‘What a miserable day, horrid day, terrible weather’…

Can a grey, rainy day, or a cold and snowy day not be a lovely day too? Honestly, I think ’lovely day’ is under-used and should be heard more during the colder dark days of winter.

To be more serious… yes there is pressure. You are expected to enjoy the BBQ Sunday afternoon, to love a day out at the seaside for a mate’s birthday and have lovely holidays in the sun. I have just, without thinking, listed three things that would make me feel sad to have to do; three things that I would avoid getting involved in.

What’s the best day for me in my year?
The longest day in June and clocks going back in October. When I know the longest day is coming up… that means the days are going to get shorter from then on. And when the clocks change… earlier dark nights for me is the best news ever - it is the countdown to winter. HAPPY DAYS!

Ed note: I’d like to thank Stuart very much for his openness and honesty about what it’s like to suffer from Summer SAD.

I found myself re-assessing the language that I use and whether I should now differentiate on this blog about Winter SAD and Summer SAD. What do you think? Do you experience Summer SAD? Some people get both Summer SAD and Winter SAD symptoms – do you experience this? As always, I’d love to hear your feedback and comments!

Further reading:
Learn more about summertime depression: http://www.webmd.com/depression/summer-depression

Image credits:
‘playing in the rain’ http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1195988
‘summer rain’ http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1020189
‘I like London in the snow’ http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1192028

Happy Sun-day!

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Neens

Hi lovelies

Just checking in with a quick post to say that I hope you’re enjoying the sunshine and feeling heaps better for it. I certainly am!

I know some people haven’t seen as much sun and are still struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) symptoms. I’m really sorry if this is you. If you want to chat, you can send me an email (neina@sadlightblog.info), or head over to the Lumie forum, which is still active.

We’ve been lucky to see a lot of sunshine in Newcastle and I’ve had a really lovely weekend. It started early, with Friday off to see my best friend, Emma, getting married. She looked so beautiful and the day was just perfect.

I’ve made the most of the sunshine, too; pottering about and reading in the garden yesterday. An afternoon in the park with friends today.

I love people-watching in the sunshine. Everyone just seems so much happier and content. Parent wpid IMAG0262 Happy Sun day! s are out playing with their kids. Couples are canoodling (love this word!) in the park. Friends are playing tennis and cricket, having barbecues and a good laugh.

It’s not before time is it?! Summer’s certainly kept us waiting this year – the little blighter! ;) I noticed that even those friends and colleagues that don’t suffer with SAD or Winter Blues were getting really fed up with the relentless rain and gloominess.

For my part, I was too. I started writing a post the other week, when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and ill, but didn’t finish it. I was wondering whether I felt so bad because I wasn’t managing my SAD symptoms well, or if it was just me/life! In truth, and as is often the case, it was undoubtedly a bit of both!

This week, although the worries I had on my mind are still there, I think the sunshine and my lovely friends have helped me to feel lots better. I’ve always felt so much more able to cope with what life throws at me when the sun’s shining… do you find you’re the same?

I came across this old photo of me at maybe four years old and it made me smile because I haven’t changed a bit; I’m so happy to be out in the sunshine! When I’m 84 I’m sure I’ll still be the same!

By the way, if you’ve experienced a real surge in your energy levels and you’ve felt bouncy and fizzy since the sun came out to play, you’re not the only one! I’ve also noticed I’ve had a few people finding this blog, who’ve been searching for ‘Hypomania’. In SAD, it’s considered to be quite common when spring comes around and usually disappears quickly. However, Hypomania and Mania is also experienced by people suffering from a bipolar disorder, so it’s always best to see your doctor if you experience highs and lows year-round.

Anyway, that’s enough rambling from me for now! I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed that we’ll have plenty more sunshine this summer and that everyone will be feeling happy and well.

- Neens

SAD – coping when the weather’s gloomy

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Neens

So, hands up – who’s felt their Seasonal Affective Disorder - SAD – and Winter Blues/Winter Depression symptoms return in the last few weeks?

The papers are reporting today that we’ve had a month’s worth of rainfall in 24 hours; the wettest day of the year so far. Frankly, I wish the rain would pack its bags and get lost! Yep, I’m missing the sunshine…can you tell?! Having a daily dose of artificial sunshine from my SAD light isn’t really making up for it (especially because it’s spring and it should be sunny, dammit!) Last year my colleague, Lynda, coined the term ‘spring anticipation anti-climax’… I think that’s exactly what the country’s suffering from!

As I made my way home this evening in the rain, I thought about the things that I do, or try to focus on, to make myself feel better when the weather is what we British folk might call ‘mucky’. I thought I’d share them with you to see if they might help you feel better, too…

Things I like to do to make myself feel better:

my home at Christmas

Putting on cosy socks after being soaked.
Cosy nights in. I light candles, wrap up in a blanket or drag the duvet onto the sofa and snuggle up with a book/watch a film and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate.
Comfort food. There’s nothing better to me than simple dishes like chilli, casserole, bangers and mash, soup, cottage pie and lasagne – mmm!
Have little home spas. Long hot baths and ‘proper’ facials just aren’t the same in summer – you don’t really feel like steaming your face in summer, right?
Visit the local Turkish baths or sauna. I find this particularly helpful for relaxing my neck and shoulder muscles, as I often find myself hunching against the cold and wind.

Things I like to focus on:

That simple feeling of relief when I get into the house and it’s warm and dry.
There’s no rainbows without rain.
There’s no wasps around. The huge house spiders we get in autumn are usually gone by winter, too.
I love the smell in the air and how everything looks freshly rinsed after a good downpour.
Without the rain we wouldn’t have such a beautiful, lush green countryside that’s so admired by other countries.

When you suffer from SAD, light therapy is just one of the things you can do to manage your symptoms. Trying to adapt the way you think about the weather or darkness, treating your body with care during these conditions and a little self-indulgence can go a long way.

I’ve come to believe that if you listen to your body, it will let you know what it needs. If the darkness makes you feel like you could hibernate, sometimes it’s easiest to go with the flow and indulge that a little. Not too much, mind – you still need to get out into natural daylight and move your bones. But what I’m saying is that if you find yourself wanting more of those cosy nights in than you’d want in summer, it’s quite natural – please don’t beat yourself up about it!

Have you been struggling with the extreme change in the weather compared to the end of March? What do you do to help yourself feel better in gloomy weather?

Take care,

Neens

Image credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1204146

Where’s the sun gone?

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Neens

Hi folks

So, we’ve had the most glorious weather over the past week or so. I’ve been very fortunate to be off work, and I’ve made the most of it!

wpid IMAG0235 Wheres the sun gone?

wpid IMAG0233 Wheres the sun gone?

I woke up to a very different picture this morning, as I’m sure the whole country did. It’s no suprise; I knew the forecast. But goodness! What a difference. Dark grey clouds hang like an overhead press gang.

It’s a bit of a shock to the system after a week of wall-to-wall sunshine. If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD, these shifts in the weather can have quite an affect on you. I know all-too-well how it feels: you think, ‘Yay! Winter’s done, sunny days are here, and I can say goodbye to SAD or Winter Blues symptoms for six months.’ Then some dull days go and spoil the fun.

This is why I recommend keeping your SAD light handy. It would be great to put it in the back of the cupboard until October, but unfortunately you might need to use it again. The longer daylight hours will hopefully be easing your symptoms now, and even on a dull day, a walk during the day will be beneficial. But please don’t struggle, thinking you ‘shouldn’t’ need your SAD light – if you feel the familiar symptoms reappearing, don’t ignore them.

Hopefully the sun will put his hat back on and come out to play again very soon. In the meantime, take care of yourself and please afford yourself the same understanding you’d show a friend.

- Neens –

Why do we suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD?

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Neens

Hi folks Finally, here is instalment number two of my ‘who, why, what, where, when and how’ of Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD - and Winter Blues. I’ll warn you – it’s a long one!

In this post I’ll be covering a couple of the accepted theories of why people get SAD and Winter Blues / Winter Depression. This is my own understanding, based on what I’ve read over the years and a little background reading I’ve done for this post. It’s taken me quite a while to write, as I keep changing my mind what to put in! I don’t want to overwhelm you with too much info, but wanted to give you enough too. As always, do let me know what you think?

Anyhoo… the first thing to say is that nobody seems to really know what causes SAD and Winter Blues! There’s a lot of theories, but it’s very likely that there’s a complex interplay of factors that will determine whether a particular individual develops SAD or not.

The most commonly held theory is that a lack of exposure to daylight in the late autumn to early spring months affects the brain’s production of the hormone melatonin and the neurotransmitter serotonin.

The body has an internal body clock, known as the circadian rhythm. It regulates sleep/wake cycles, appetite, digestion, mood and many other functions.

Before we learned to artificially light our homes, people went to bed when it became dark and woke when the sun rose. They also spent a lot more time outdoors and had more physical jobs.

The brain responds to decreased light by increasing production of the hormone melatonin, which signals to the body that it’s time to sleep. In the morning, when light reaches the eyes, melatonin levels begin to decrease and the hormone cortisol is released. This gives us the get-up-and-go that we need to start the day. In the depths of winter, when many of us need to get up while it’s still dark, the body hasn’t received the correct signals to wake up. This is why it can be a real wrench to get up and why you may feel shocked out of sleep by a traditional alarm clock – your body simply isn’t ready to be awake!

But the problem isn’t only to do with waking… with very dull days, your levels of melatonin can stay high throughout the day, leading to those feelings of lethargy and sleepiness that you might recognise all-too-well. Before I was diagnosed with SAD, I would return from college and want to go straight to bed – I couldn’t keep my eyes open!

The neurotransmitter, serotonin, is also thought to have a key role to play in SAD, as it appears to in other types of depression. Researchers have found that levels of serotonin can vary from day-to-day and across the year, with levels markedly lower in winter. People with lower levels of serotonin appear to be more likely to experience symptoms of depression, SAD, Winter Blues / Winter Depression and even PMS in women.

Reading about how to increase serotonin in the human brain without drugs (Dr. Simon N. Young, 2007), this theory makes sense to me. If you’re anything like me, in winter you’ll be less likely to go outside at lunchtime, or whenever (funnily enough, I don’t enjoy sitting in the freezing wind and rain as much as I enjoy reading a book in the sunshine in the summer! ). Often eating at my desk means I move my bones less, get less natural light and I’m probably eating stodge, too. I mean - who really fancies a salad in the middle of winter? Certainly not me!

Haha – yes, yes, I’m aware that I don’t always follow my own advice!

So, if light, exercise and a healthy diet are major natural ways of increasing serotonin production, then it would seem to follow that not doing/having these things may cause you to feel rubbish. At least, that’s how I’m understanding it!

As always, if you haven’t already, I’d recommend you have a look at the following excellent articles about SAD, which explain a bit more of the why in more medical terms than I have done:
NHS
Mind

If you’re interested in doing a bit more digging around into theory, here’s a few other theories that caught my eye:

People who suffer from SAD may have retinal sensitivity anomalies -
Evidence of a Biological Effect of Light Therapy on the Retina of Patients with Seasonal Affective Disorder - Marie-Pier Lavoie,Raymond W. Lam,Guylain Bouchard,Alexandre Sasseville,Marie-Claude Charron,Anne-Marie Gagné,Philippe Tremblay,Marie-Josée Filteau,Marc Hébert (2009), Biological Psychiatry, Elsevier

People who suffer from SAD have lower levels of cortisol production in winter -
Seasonal differences in the diurnal pattern of cortisol secretion in healthy participants and those with self-assessed seasonal affective disorder - Thorn, Lisa and Evans, Philip D. and Cannon, Anne and Hucklebridge, Frank and Clow, Angela (2011), Psychoneuroendocrinology

I’ve said to my mum and friends several times in the past that I bet there’s a correlation between babies born in spring and summer and high incidence of SAD… I should have put money on that, as it appears to be true! I can’t find the published article, but this is what was reported in the Daily Mail.

There’s a lot of debate still ongoing, though, as many of the theories don’t give absolute or satisfactory answers. So for example, suppressing melatonin doesn’t ‘cure’ SAD; anti-depressants don’t work for everybody; not everyone born in spring/summer suffers with SAD. It really does seem that individual differences can play a big part. So you may be more at risk of developing SAD if you or your family have a history of depression, if you’ve been under chronic stress, or sudden stress, such as bereavement. If you suffer from depression that isn’t seasonal, it can feel worse in the winter.

Having said that, there does seem to be strong evidence to support the theories surrounding melatonin and serotonin having a key role to play. Correspondingly, there’s also strong evidence to support light therapy. If you want to do some more reading still, have a look at Lumie’s page of research abstracts.

I hope that this will have been a helpful post for you. Do you think there’s anything I need to add? What other theories have you read?

Speak soon

- Neens -

Image credit
Alarm clock: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=1146532

March Mania – Hypomania and Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Neens

Yippee, Happy March! In the official Neens’ book, 1 March is the start of spring and a real milestone – it’s still light when I leave work around 5.30pm. I hope that the increase in daylight hours is starting to ease your Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD – and Winter Blues symptoms, too.

I met for a catch up with one of my friends the other night and he commented that I was especially chipper. Translation: I was being a motor-mouth! Anyone who has ever met me will know that I’m a real chatterbox generally; honestly, I am that person who’s chatting away to a complete stranger at a bus stop, on the train, in the gym…

But this week, we’ve had some fab sunny weather and I have been bouncing-off-the-walls, hyper! You’d think I’d had several cups of strong coffee on some of the days.

I think most people would say they feel a sense of wellbeing when the sun shines. But if you’re suddenly feeling a marked surge of energy, and you know that you suffer from SAD, then you might be experiencing what’s known as Hypomania. I’m sure I get this; I’m like a little kid at Christmas listening for Santa, except that I’m running to the window to see how sunny it is and longing to be out in it!

At this time of year I’m easily excitable, full of plans and ready to take on the world. That is, when the sun’s shining.

This morning, I woke up to really misty, murky weather and I felt flat. It brightened up in the afternoon, and having used my light lamp, I was back to being Tigger! I appreciate that to a non-sufferer, this might seem completely bizarre. It’s a weird time of the year when you suffer from SAD.

I was reminded of something else, talking to my friend the other night. Now is not the time to make big decisions. Yep, you might feel like you can take on the world, but if you’re experiencing these swings that I’ve described, it’s worth waiting until they’ve settled down a bit before taking action.

I’m speaking from experience. I’ve made big decisions in the past around this time of year that I wish I’d not made, or given a bit more thought to. That burst of energy can bring about a bit of the no-nonsense, ‘let’s get on with it’, ‘I’m taking no prisoners’ kinda attitude. Sound familiar?

Making plans is great – it’s an ideal time for that, if you’re feeling fired up and motivated. Why not grab your pen and paper and jot down some thoughts on what you want to do for the rest of the year? I’ve always thought January is a rubbish time of year to make resolutions and plans, anyway – so much better to do it once you’re feeling energised and ready to put them into action.

But if your thoughts are on life-changing decisions, such as quitting your job, ending a relationship, moving, etc., then maybe just hold fire on making a final decision until you’re feeling less gung-ho.

Does anything I’ve said ring true for you? Or do you disagree? Do you think that you experience Hypomania?

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

- Neens –

Image credits:
Chatter Teeth: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/424094
To-Do: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1151807

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD – and Winter Blues?

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Neens

Well, I promised you in ‘Where to start…‘ some longer, more detailed posts on the what, who, where, why, when and how of SAD and Winter Blues… and here’s the first of these posts. I hope you’ll find it helpful – do let me know, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I already told you my Tigger and Eeyore analogy, but I have a couple more for you that I use when trying to explain to friends and colleagues what SAD is. Before I go into them, I’d like you to know that these are just my ways of thinking about SAD and my experience. I’d also encourage you to look at the SAD Association (SADA) page, or NHS page for a more medical explanation, if you haven’t already – I’m not trying to replace or replicate their information.

I find it helpful to think of SAD and Winter Blues as a scale, or continuum, and everyone has their place on it. On one side, you have people who experience no change to how they feel in winter compared with how they feel in summer. Then further along are those who feel a bit down and notice a change in their moods when winter comes round (Winter Blues). On the furthest point of the scale are people who suffer from SAD and will be significantly affected by the lack of daylight in the autumn and winter months. Don’t laugh at my amateur attempt with Paint, but this is what I mean!:

SAD is a type of depression, but it is different to other types of depression in that it has a definite seasonal pattern. Symptoms will appear in the autumn months and usually last until spring. But sometimes, if our lovely British climate gives us a long spell of rainy weather in summer, people can experience SAD symptoms in the summer months. Left un-managed, SAD can become debilitating to the same extent as any other type of depression.

822176 55586868 baby hedgehog 274x300 What is Seasonal Affective Disorder SAD and Winter Blues?

image credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/822176

In terms of how SAD makes you feel, my favourite way to describe this is that ’I would quite like to hibernate, thank you very much!’ Like this little guy:

Like a hedgehog, before I learned to successfully manage my SAD symptoms, I really, really wanted to hibernate for the winter. I would’ve been quite happy to just sleep and for the world to leave me alone!

Like many people who suffer with SAD, I started noticing that I felt awful in winter around 17/18 years old. Typically onset of symptoms appears between 18-30 years old and is about twice as common in females as males. I was diagnosed with SAD at 21 after visiting my doctor in 2003.

I had all the classic symptoms: finding it hard to get up, get moving, concentrate. I would feel weepy and down and/or irritable for no reason. And I just wanted to sleep and eat – stodgy carbohydrates in particular! I remember my first year university flatmate laughing when she saw my food basket - filled with several different breads and potatoes and a token bit of chicken!

Looking back at those few winters I spent feeling like that, I can barely believe I felt so bad. I’m not really sure how I functioned to be honest, but I know I wasn’t a pleasant person to be around on some days!

I’m being really honest and open because I want you to know that you’re not alone in feeling this way. Or if you’re hoping to provide support to a family member or friend, then believe me, this is a serious condition and it’s not ‘all in the mind’. I want to help people understand the realities of suffering from SAD and Winter Blues and know that although there is no ‘cure’, you can manage the symptoms.

According to SADA 85% of people can successfully manage their symptoms using light therapy, which is how I manage mine. If light therapy doesn’t work for you, your doctor might recommend using anti-depressants and/or having some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) sessions. If you think you have SAD or Winter Blues, I really do recommend you see your GP. I’m going to do a separate post on treatments, but if you want some info in the meantime, have a look at Lumie’s website. They’re specialists in light therapy.

I hope this post has given you some useful information about what SAD and Winter Blues are – but feel free to use the comments box below to ask any questions you might have.

- Neens -

SAD and Winter Blues – Where to start?

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Neens

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and its milder form, Winter Blues (also known sometimes as Winter Depression, or medically as Sub-syndromal SAD) affects nearly a quarter of the UK population. Does that surprise you? It did me, when I read this on the SAD Association’s website! So even if you don’t suffer from one of these conditions yourself, it’s likely that someone close to you does.

I almost don’t know where to start! In writing anything, I tend to find it helpful to answer the 5 Ws and 1 H – What, Who, Why, Where, When, How? The thing is, this could turn into a very looong post, so I’m going to share some basics here, then I’ll go into more detail in separate posts to come.

One of my favourite ways to describe SAD is through these little fellas; Tigger and Eeyore. I tried out this analogy on a friend today and he loved it!

During the late autumn and winter months, the shorter days and lack of sunlight can make you feel miserable, irritable and very lethargic – a bit like Eeyore. But in the summer and even in the depths of winter, a sunny day can bring out the Tigger in you! Some people even experience mania-type symptoms once spring comes round, known as Hypomania. That’s probably where everyone’s energy comes from for the big spring-clean! For a bit of fun, I found this quiz to identify which Winnie the Pooh character you’re most like - I turned out to be Kanga! Which one are you?

SAD is a type of depression. I know some people aren’t comfortable with this description, but medically, they do sit on the same scale. What differentiates SAD from other types of depression is that it has a very definite seasonal pattern; the symptoms recur each winter. You normally will have experienced symptoms in the winter that disappear in summer for three consecutive years before you would be diagnosed with SAD.

And what are the symptoms of SAD? Well, I mentioned three of the main ones already, but a few of the most common others include:

Disturbed sleep patterns (sleeping more or less and/or waking frequently)
Loss of interest in things you normally enjoy
Craving carbohydrates and sweet foods (comfort food!)

My food shopping basket in winter would make you laugh! Image credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1100035

There isn’t a ‘cure’ for SAD or Winter Blues. But most people can successfully manage their symptoms using light therapy. The SAD Association estimates that this will work for around 85% of sufferers.

You’d normally use light therapy daily from the onset of your symptoms, often around Oct/Nov until Mar/Apr when the daylight hours lengthen. The treatment involves exposure to a bright SAD light that simulates the level of light you would get on a bright spring day. How long you need to use the light for depends on the severity of your symptoms and the strength of the light.

I whole-heartedly recommend SAD light therapy – I have managed my symptoms for eight years using a SAD light lamp and a dawn simulator, which wakes me gently with light in the morning. I recommend dawn simulators to everyone, regardless of whether they suffer from SAD - they’re such a lovely way to wake up!

I will write some more in-depth posts, but if you want more information on SAD and Winter Blues before then, please have a look at this NHS page. *Update: I’ve done a couple of these posts now - you should find links at the bottom of this page!

What Winnie the Pooh character do you identify with? Is there something in particular that you’d like me to cover in a future post?

See you soon!

Why write or read a blog about Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD?

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Neens

I have been thinking of setting up a blog about Seasonal Affective Disorder -SAD – and Winter Blues for quite a while now. What held me back? Well, a few things, actually. I was worried about broadcasting that I suffer from SAD, as an old colleague once cautioned me about the affect this could have on my future career. I also thought: who am I to write a blog about this subject? And I wondered whether there was a need for it.

This year, I set myself a goal to provide support to other people who suffer from SAD and Winter Blues. I have been successfully managing my symptoms since I was diagnosed in 2003 and I wanted to help others to do the same.

I’ve been chatting with some lovely folk on the Lumie forum. It’s a really great place to go on the web; a community of people who are going through the same thing. But the why of this blog came to me while I was on the forum. Some users complained that new threads were being posted and nobody was responding, even though they were reading the posts.

One of the main problems with suffering from SAD or Winter Blues, when the symptoms are not being successfully managed, is feeling lethargic. It’s much easier to read a post than it is to compose a supportive response, giving advice. I also suspect that because many of the new threads are from newly diagnosed members of the Lumie forum, asking for advice about SAD, other members become a little reluctant to repeat advice that they might have given several times in the past on older threads.

So, my hope is that this blog might serve as an additional resource, where people can drop by to get a more personal take on SAD and Winter Blues than they get on other information pages. I will try to categorise the posts in a useful way so you can find what you’re after quickly. Do let me know what you think? What is your experience of SAD or Winter Blues? Or do you know someone who suffers from it?

- Neens -

P.S. Maybe I’m a woman of extremes, because I’ve now gone from worrying about broadcasting that I have SAD, to hoping to become something of an ambassador for managing it!

The Light Room

Information, advice and a personal perspective on managing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Winter Blues

Category Archives: SAD Symptoms

In praise of a good cry… and other ways to deal with the SAD blahs!

SAD see-saw – the ups and downs of managing SAD

Summer SAD

Happy Sun-day!

SAD – coping when the weather’s gloomy

Where’s the sun gone?

Why do we suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD?

March Mania – Hypomania and Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD – and Winter Blues?

SAD and Winter Blues – Where to start?

Why write or read a blog about Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD?

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