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There exists phototherapy, which stimulates the pineal gland and elevates the mood. This counters SAD and is an effective remedy.
This website will describe with some detail what is going on and how to address it. You can find information therein on etiology and different responses to counter depression.
I'd say yes, but cold and cloudy weather doesn't spoil my mood at all, I even like this type of weather. I can't stand hot weather and it can easily spoil my mood.
Yeah it does, having lived in several countries, including the norht with long dark winters I cn tell this does have an impact on people's mood, on some more than on others.
I've watched barometric pressure for years because of being around horses.
Changes in air pressure, even an incoming high pressure system, absolutely affect us in all kinds of ways, including hyperactivity.
It's not just on the negative side; too much energy expended can have you handling chainsaws or running equipment in a weird way. Count your fingers.
Yep it affects me in both good and bad ways, cold gloomy days i'm not as happy and the first really cold day of fall I was always depressed when I lived in wv. Now that i've moved south and it's much warmer I notice a change in me, i'm happier now that it's much warmer, plus we have more sunny days and NO SNOW!
My SAD kicked I'm this week. It normally creeps up slowly but for some reason this year it came on overnight. I've always wondered if it will really improve when I am able to move south. Thanks for sharing, it helps to know there's hope!
In Jersey, where it is often gray and rainy, I dealt with minor depressive episodes on a regular basis. Combine the gray weather with other stress factors, and I could get VERY down. It was definitely SAD at work.
Then I moved to Colorado, where we have 300 days of sun a year, or something ridiculous like that, and the weather is quite varied in general. I may have a bad day here and there, especially if there are added stressors, but generally I am MUCH happier. There are other factors contributing to that, but the good weather and reliable sunshine are a huge part of it.
I have had SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) for most of my life, but I've noticed a few things over the years that make it less of an issue during the winter months:
I take a good quality fish oil more during the winter months which helps.
I input very bright lights (some fluorescent) in the rooms of my house where I am the most active at night.
I open the blinds in the sunniest parts of my house during the day.
Caffeine seems to help me too -- I don't overdo it, but a nice hot cup of coffee, green or black tea (depends on what I'm in the mood for) seems to boost my mood and I don't crash from it later in the day.
If I'm not being too lazy, I incorporate and prepare healthier whole foods and meals during the winter months to counter affect my SAD and it works.
Nothing has cured it, but at least I know what to do by trial and error to manage it better. (I grew up in Massachusetts but now live in Virginia... more sunshine in VA has helped a bit too, but winters here can still be dark, cold and tough -- just not for as long).
Last edited by chrissy_rox2; 01-12-2014 at 11:35 AM..
Reason: Spelling
My SAD kicked I'm this week. It normally creeps up slowly but for some reason this year it came on overnight. I've always wondered if it will really improve when I am able to move south. Thanks for sharing, it helps to know there's hope!
I used to live where there was a very long grey and gloomy winter season. By the end of January each year I would be fixated on buying a condo somewhere warm and just leaving until summer. Then we moved to the South where not only is it warmer and sunnier, but we have more hours of daylight. This was a life changer for me.
I was diagnosed with SAD about 18 years ago. "Cold" is just as hard on me because my body can't handle it. So winters are pretty brutal for me. I definitely live in the wrong place for this problem.
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