At Ask Me Help Desk you can ask questions in any topic and have them
answered for free by our experts. To ask questions or participate in
answering them you must register for a free account. By registering you
will be able to:
Get free answers from experts in any of our 300+
topics.
I finally reached the turning point this winter(past few days) where sleep is a constant friend,darkness, a closed door and blinds down.
My phone is always on silent so I don't hear the ringer and feel obligated to answer.
I know the whats,hows,wheres,whens,,,,now to put something in motion,like me,is almost impossible.PATHETIC
I shake with suppressed emotions,then contain them till I am tired.This is a 25+ year thing for me,It sucks.
My question isn't the whats,hows,and why...etc or for advice like"go look for rainbows" when there is only dreary days ahead.I am asking for the people like me, HOW do you deal with seasonal depression(methods,and tried/true experiences which helped you further yourself while not trying to be in so much isolation.)
My battle with depression has not been as long as yours. I know how hard it is. No one seems to understand, which makes it feel much worse. Many people say "Just snap out of it" or "Just keep your head up"...etc. It is very hard and remarks like that only make things worse. I have been going through depression for several years now and have been unable to deal with it due to lack of money/medical insurance. It cost me my job because I got so stressed out and just up and quit. I understand how it feels to be really down and low...it's very hard for me to get out of bed and try to accomplish anything...like look for a job or even to just feed myself sometimes. Even though I am at one of the lowest points I have ever been, I know that I still have to try. Sometimes that is all it takes for me to feel just a tiny bit better. Not accomplishing anything only makes me feel worse. If I have something I have been meaning to do for a while, I finally just kick myself and do it...and I feel much better. The key, I think, is just trying to do one thing at a time. Find something productive or satisfying that you can bring yourself to do. If you can accomplish one thing, then that is one less hurdle in front of you, which seems to be somewhat relieving. The more you accomplish, no matter how small, the better you feel. That is what I try to do. Have you been able to make it to see someone regarding your depression?
I have suffered from severe depression for 58 years, taking medication for about the last twenty years or so.
There is only one thing that helped me get out of a downward spiral, and that was getting plenty of exercise. Exercise is the most important thing a person with depression can do to help his/her mood. I recently read an article that stated what I learned over my life....exercise is more effective than any other kind of treatment(medication, talk therapy, light therapy, etc)to improve the life of a depressive.
There are so many ways to get exercise...by yourself(speed walking is excellent), while helping others(snow shoveling, for example), working hard on a project(cleaning an entire garage, or whatever).......the body produces natural chemicals(endorphins(sp?)) that cause pain relief and mood elevation and whatever during hard exercise which lasts over time. After completing a job well done, one feels a great sense of accomplishment.
Hopefully, you are not too out of shape so you can start first thing in the morning. You can start building up your stamina to walk five miles in an hour. So, do say three miles first thing in the morning, and then let me know how it went.
Results guaranteed. The old cliche is true, one just has to take the first step and all the others follow.
Hi,
I’m glad I’m not the only one. Situationally everything’s great. But I’m as much as a mess as you seem to be. About 17 years ago, I tried an SSRI. It was like a miracle, I was “normal.” It has stopped working the past few years even though the dose has been tripled. I also suffer from MS which can also cause depression. Exercise only makes me more tired and depressed these days. To get into an exercise routine, I’d probably need someone to route me out of bed and monitor my activity so I don’t over-do it. Over-doing it is something I’ve had to unlearn as the MS has progressed.
I was lying there in the dark, in the middle of the day, with the shades pulled, my body unwashed and unfed and the phone unplugged when I realized that I was in serious trouble once again. So, I went on-line and started searching for something, anything, that would help. The answer I found, that has been helping is Salvia Divinorum (legal in most countries). It’s an herb found growing wild in Mexico. A form of sage, it is made into tea or smoked by shamans in that region. It is touted to help with MS depression as well as other forms of depression. It may help yours too. I use a tincture (moderate-high dose) once or twice a month. (Daniel Siebert, on-line)
The lack of light which is currently torturing us will begin to dissipate in only 5 days, on the Solstice. After that I know that we will begin to feel better.
I too have suffered from depression on and off all my life the result of an abusive childhood. And I find it is particularly bad in the winter. I was on medication when I was younger but I refuse it now because my life just seemed to be slipping away in a haze. I wanted to spend what time I had left enjoying my children and my grandchildren. I agree with the others above, exercise is good but I'm more into relaxation and meditation these days. Planning and eating healthy, high protein meals helps as does cutting right down on stimulating drinks like coffee and soda drinks. I have read many books on this and have picked up some tips. There are light bulbs you can buy that simulate daylight but I simply change all my light bulbs in the winter for 100 watt light bulbs, hang the electric bill. I used to close the curtains and lock the door and will everyone to just stay away. But I discovered that doing the very opposite to everything I felt like doing worked much better. The curtains are thrown wide, the door has a nice Christmas wreath on it and I plan my day so that I can have some company or get out for an hour or two without becoming overwhelmed. I seriously found taking charge of my day instead of letting it take charge of me helped a great deal.
My battle with depression has not been as long as yours. I know how hard it is. No one seems to understand, which makes it feel much worse. Many people say "Just snap out of it" or "Just keep your head up"...etc. It is very hard and remarks like that only make things worse. I have been going through depression for several years now and have been unable to deal with it due to lack of money/medical insurance. It cost me my job because I got so stressed out and just up and quit. I understand how it feels to be really down and low...it's very hard for me to get out of bed and try to accomplish anything...like look for a job or even to just feed myself sometimes. Even though I am at one of the lowest points I have ever been, I know that I still have to try. Sometimes that is all it takes for me to feel just a tiny bit better. Not accomplishing anything only makes me feel worse. If I have something I have been meaning to do for a while, I finally just kick myself and do it...and I feel much better. The key, I think, is just trying to do one thing at a time. Find something productive or satisfying that you can bring yourself to do. If you can accomplish one thing, then that is one less hurdle in front of you, which seems to be somewhat relieving. The more you accomplish, no matter how small, the better you feel. That is what I try to do. Have you been able to make it to see someone regarding your depression?
Oh yes, I have been under treatments and medications for many years now,with the same results,seasonal depression
This thread is for those of us who would like to get beyond the winter doldrums and move forward,I am one of those who would rather move than stand(or sleep) still.
I'm going to join the crowd here since I have suffered from depression for a long time. Been on and off meds for a number of years. Got better to the point that I could be off the meds. Now, I think that it's time to get back on some kind of med.
Right now and for the past two weeks, I have been in the midst of the Seasonal Affective Disorder. It's been really bad! Just within the last 24 hours, I slept for about 18. I still feel tired. I feel like I could sleep forever! I don't want to get out of bed. It is an incredible struggle for me!
What's helping with this a little bit, is that I do have a very strong support group of friends. But, I do think that I need to get some medication again. Another thing that doesn't help, is the cloudy weather. And, if you know what it's like in the upper Midwest U.S. you know what I mean with that!
I will be back here to absorb what has been written and to help to support each other.
"It turns out that human beings are also influenced by the light. Light determines our sleep/wake cycle. In most animals and humans, the desire to sleep is brought on by secretion of a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin is produced in a tiny gland known as the pineal gland. In the evening the pineal gland reacts to the diminishing levels of daylight and starts to produce melatonin, which is then released into the blood and flows through the body making us drowsy. Its secretion peaks in the middle of the night during our heaviest hours of sleep. In the morning, bright light shining through the eye reaches the pineal gland which reacts by switching off the production of melatonin, thus removing the desire to sleep."
It's very interesting to hear others' stories and ways of coping with depression. I am not fond of anti-depressants because I don't think any form of mental illness should be simply treated with drugs. I have tried many anti-depressants and every single one of them made me feel jittery and nervous and very very nauseated! It seems to be that the best thing that you can do for yourself is force yourself not to just slide down into the pit. I like the comment of throwing the curtains wide open....sometimes the smallest of things really seem to be helpful. It's funny that it's well known that excercise is good for the body, but who would have ever heard it's good for the mind too! In my attempt to offer some advice, I have myself found some helpful advice from others. Thanks you all for the great tips!
Last year I only left the house when I HAD to which amounted to 3 trips a month to the grocery store.
What I do is listen to music from morning to evening. Christmas music in December
Drink Hershey's hot cocoa --recipe on the back of the box. (not instant)
Make some homemade soup or chili
burn candles
Work on projects, like going through boxes of accumulated junk and make art & craft things, that I put off during working summer months
Soak in a hot bath
So far this winter I haven't had my usual S.A.D. because I have been taking vitamin D3,
B complex, amino acid complex, alpha lipoic acid and omega fatty acid.
Oh and also I dream of how SOME winter I am going to move to a warm climate, but every fall something happens to prevent it.
Linear Mode
