Anyone have SAD?

[animaldoc]

(Seasonal Affective Disorder)

I do, and MARCH is the WORST month! I didn't even know I had it until I spent my first winter in Michigan (last year). My husband says I have a "low tolerance for March." My job sucks, and so that would make anyone unhappy, but I started realizing that I am high risk for SAD (apparently there's a link between ADHD/SAD and women that move to the north from the south). Anyway, that's really the problem-my little East Tennessee brain thinks that in March, it should start to be like spring (trees budding, flowers starting to come out, weather starting to get nice). Here that doesn't happen until MAY.

At least I'm going home at Easter! I'll get to have some Spring then....

Anyway, I also started taking Celexa in October (since my job sucks) to help me get through the last few months of my residency (since I almost quit several times), and I thought that would help with the SAD too, but this weekend I lost it again. My poor husband! He even brought flowers home Saturday morning and I still cried Saturday night! (He's SO sweet!) Guess I'll have to try lights...... My doctor was going to stop the Celexa this month, but I had talked him out of it months ago since I wanted to see how March went. I do think that that had an effect in slowing my weight loss this time on this WOE since I've seen much better results in the past w/o antidepressants (but I'm not going to stop taking them right now!).

Anyone else have any remedies that work?

-animaldoc (three more months, three more months, three more months)

[razzle]

have you tried St. John's Wort? -- I do believe that a person is not supposed to take it with SSRIs, tho. And light therapy helps SAD folks a lot too.

Also, since you're a CAD person, it might be useful for you to try a couple weeks off each major category of carbs--no grains for two or three weeks, no sugar for two or three weeks, no potatoes for two or three weeks...and see if that makes any difference. If when you read that, any one of that list made you panic to read and think about giving up--that's the one.

I used to have a touch of SAD as well as being exhausted every night of my life (which someone could have interpreted as depression, tho I knew it was not)...and a Protein Power/Atkins approach has cured me. For me, I do think the grains are poisonous to my system, even moreso than pure sugar. (Can't ever remember bingeing on the sugar jar or hard candy, either, come to think of it.) It's a food sensitivity issue as much as a carb issue.

HTH! Hang in there--April isn't far away at all.

[scg]

hi, I'm glad I came across this thread. I am really starting to think I have SAD too. here's my question, how do you know if you have SAD, or just a preference for warmer sunnier weather? I live in NY and I wish so much that I lived in California, because I love that type of weather. I feel so much happier when it is toasty out. But, doesn't everyone kinda prefer warm weather to cold?
How did you figure out that you had SAD?

Hope the warmer weather comes soon :)
scg

[doreen T]

We have a forum here devoted to S.A.D., Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and related problems. Click on the little home icon at the top right to get to the main index page. Scroll down to the Low Carb Health & Technical Forums .. you'll see it listed there.

There are several threads of SAD discussion, and links to websites with more information. You're not alone :)

Hope you feel better soon .. the days are getting longer :yay:

Doreen (fellow SAD-sufferer)

[fiona]

A person needs four essential forms of nutrition in the right balance:

Light,
Air,
Heat and
Food.

Too much or too little of all or any one of these can be fatal. With today's technology it is possible to generate and take responsibility for making the right amounts of each available for one's needs.

As Doreen has pointed out there is a lot of information on SAD in our own SAD Forum as well as on the wider www.

Keep Smiling, Go for that walk in the park or out in the daylight even when it is raining, and dream of that holiday in the sun!
Take care.

[animaldoc]

Thanks for the kind words....

Razzle- I heard (on pub med) that St. John's Wort can increase activation of p450 enzymes and make birth control pills less effective? (That would make me sad at this point in my life!) I haven't asked my dr yet....

Doreen- Thanks for pointing me to the SAD forum. How did I miss it before?

-animaldoc :wave:

[Lessara]

I still get moody due to the seasons but I found a light bulb for gardens works great and its even better to read by! Found it at Walmart. :p

[razzle]

animal doc, lol ~ your comment on ineffective BC pills making you sad! That could well be--I'm no expert on depression treatments, just repeating the very little info I know (most of it, come to think of it, from reading student research papers on SAD.)

[Jo-AnneH]

I don't have SAD, but I do have bouts of severe depression. I have tried a spectacular assortment of antidepressants and had every possible side effect, even some that weren't documented! My pschyciatrist eventually suggested 15 drops of hypericum liquid form in 1/2 glass water (tablets have sugar) on an empty stomach 1st thing in the morning, and again last thing at night. It worked instantly, and no side effects or rollercoaster if you forget a dose or two. It's homeopathic, and maybe with a try! Good Luck :spin:

[Jo-Ann 2]

A chemical is a chemical no matter what the source. Arsenic is a good example of this. Natural products are still chemicals, some products sold in a store do not have the quality control we are use to finding in things that are bottled. One must be very careful when switching medications, some stay in your blood system for a couple weeks and can be extremely dangerous to mix. St. Johns Wort has had good results but only for mild cases of depression, and last but not least, please inform your doctor of what you are taking ( her/his approval is up to you) but, if you have an adverse reation, atleast she/he will know what you have injested and what to do to help you. Just my two cents worth, hope it's worth more than that thought.
Yours Truely Jo-Ann
:wave: