Anyone else been depressed all winter?

[astral]

How do you snap out of it? Do you "fake it til you make it?" Do you forgive yourself and just wallow, figuring it'll be over when it's over? Do you take stuff for it? (Not askin' for medical advice, not gonna take medicine.)

I keep thinking today will be different, when I get home from work, or tomorrow, I'll even Get Up Earlier Tomorrow to get going ... next weekend, no guess I was wrong, how about NEXT weekend . . .

get outside. take vitamins. pray. talk to people -- or not.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

1. Vitamins help some...

when I can remember to take them. My kid helps...For his sake, I can't afford to allow myself to be completely consumed by depression.
I hope things are better for you soon. :hug::hug::hug:

[astral]

2. Thanks.

Hearing other people deal with it too helps. Seemed like the only thing to do tonite was ask.

And yes, being more regular with vitamins is something i haven't tried yet ~~~~~~~~~~~

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. One thing you might want to try...

is adding grapefruit to your diet. I find it really gives my metabolism a boost. If you decide to try this, you'll want to cut back on your daily vitamin dosage, as citrus tends to amplify medications. Ask your doctor...

Actually, it might be a good idea to discuss your depression with your doctor anyway. Sometimes depression is a symptom of another medical problem.

[BikeWriter]

4. All winter? Try the last decade, maybe two.

Lots of booze and staying online twenty or so hours a day help.

[leftofthedial]

5. If you call this decade so far a "winter"...

[Witchy_Dem]

6. Nightly I take Vitamin E, Flaxseed Oil, and Valerian Root. Family notices when I stop

taking for a day or two.

I take about 4-6 capsules of Valerian. Highly recommended with a huge dose of SUNSHINE.

[Midlodemocrat]

7. Get some sun. You might have SAD.

I have several friends who suffer from it. It can be very debilitating.

[Strong Atheist]

19. Beat me to this post. I have this... nt.

[LynzM]

8. Sunshine or full-spectrum lamp for a couple hours a day.

Multivitamin helps, and exercise. But adding the FS lamp seems to be what made the biggest improvement for me... sitting under it to read or surf for a couple hours a day...

:hug:

[Lil Missy]

9. Happens to me every year.

I think a lot of it is post holiday blues, and partially cause I hate winter and I'm not as active. Lack of sunlight can contribute too. There are some sad annivarsaries during that time for me too.

I just wait it out and it always gets better. Couple more weeks to go here so I'm looking on the bright side.

Hang in there. :hug:

[rurallib]

10. Yes but it is due to the economy.

I think if the government sent me a bailout check for about 2 million you would see an amazing transformation.

[seemunkee]

11. Yes, usually I like winter

But this one just wayed heavy on me. It may be because I spent so much time last spring/summer/fall bike riding, working on the yard, swimming that when it all ended I felt empty. I did three century rides at the end of the season and then didn't get on the bike for nearly 2 months.
With more sunshine and milder weather I've been getting outside and feel better for it.

[Roland99]

12. Losing a job doesn't help. But maybe moving to FL will.

I need some sunshine. I'm sick of 5 months of gray and cold

[Juche]

13. Get a circadian rhythm blue spectrum light and start taking vitamin D

http://www.lighttherapy.com/

vitamin D will also help you deal with the lack of sunshine.



http://biopsychiatry.com/dvit.htm

[Raffi Ella]

14. "get outside. take vitamins."

...drink lots of water, take a walk with my dog, take extra long hot showers and exfoliate/moisturize and then polish my nails a bright happy color - do nice things for myself and yes "fake it till you make it".

I know I can't just snap out of it but wallowing in it does not help me. I make myself do things that I use to find pleasurable even if it's just going through the motions of it all. It takes my mind off it, for awhile anyway.

And I tell myself "life isn't a dress rehearsal", I try to look at the "Big Picture"- so what if you feel bad? go play with the dog! clean up the house so you have a nice place to live in! work out because it's good for your heart and health!

On the days that it's really bad if I've just "gone through the motions" and done those things it makes it less "bad" that I'm not "fat", that the house is clean and I'm taking good care of my dog etc. you know?

I'm sorry it's bad for you now. I hope something happy happens for you soon. :hug:

[RedCloud]

15. Grow some sprouts.

The green will remind you of better days. And then when they least suspect it, grab a handful of them and put them on your sandwich!

[JitterbugPerfume]

16. vitamin D

the sunshine vitamin had helped me tremendously this year.

[tigereye]

17. actually therapy can be very useful, just someone to talk to -

Think of it as a mental health "tune-up."

[Jamastiene]

18. Get a couple plants and most importantly

a couple plant lights. Sit in that room at least an hour or two a day.

[StrongBad]

20. I had SAD when I lived in the Northeast during the winter

3 years ago I moved to Los Angeles and given the 90+% days of pure sunshine here I have not really experienced any depressive symptoms since.

Obviously moving across the country is not an option for everybody, but some form of simple light therapy for SAD may do you a lot of good.

Hope things get better.

[StrongBad]

21. I had SAD when I lived in the Northeast during the winter

3 years ago I moved to Los Angeles and given the 90+% days of pure sunshine here I have not really experienced any depressive symptoms since.

Obviously moving across the country is not an option for everybody, but some form of simple light therapy for SAD may do you a lot of good.

Hope things get better.

[Lucian]

22. Yes.

But I'm usually depressed all year 'round. I don't have any medical insurance to take meds. Otherwise, I would. :(

[Kool Kitty]

23. Yes. I keep thinking that

the best years of my life are over, and they weren't even that great.