Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Ohh I just thought of one more weird question. I take the Depo Provera shot and my Psychologist said the light thearpy will make the Depo shot LESS affective which really surprised me since I never heard that. Does anyone know how much less affective it will become, like by how much less percent and if it really makes a huge difference? Thank you
The weather all this week in Holland has been sunny and great! So I've been feeling so alive and happy! It was weird talking about winter depression when I felt so good!
I was just thinking about this topic this afternoon which I completely spend sitting outside in my underwear. The weather really has been great the last couple of days, warm and sunny.
I was just thinking about this topic this afternoon which I completely spend sitting outside in my underwear. The weather really has been great the last couple of days, warm and sunny.
yeah how ironic talking about winter depression when it was great weather all this week :P Today was the best! Nice, warm, and not much wind!! I was soo happy. Unfortunately next week is back to cold, rain, wind, and gloomy.
That is what I was saying--great benefits that makes people living in America envy! Wish I lived in a place with those benefits... If you don't like the place, let's exchange
When you start learning more about those "benefits" you realized nothing is "free" or as easy as it looks...believe me I lived in The Netherlands for 6 years, fully employed tax paying legal resident.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tigerbolt
Hey guys!
Sorry for the super late response. I was waiting to write until I had a update I made a appointment a week ago and today was my appointment to see the Psychologist! At first I was a nervous wreck. The idea of talking to someone that can read my look a book and know so much about me by my body language, the way I talk, what I do, ect, freaked me out a lot and made me nervous. But when I meet him, he was super nice and I felt relaxed. He asked me a series of questions which took 30 minutes. I answered honestly and described everything I felt. At the end, he diagnoses me with SADS and said I followed the pattern exactly. It is unfortunate to hear I have a form of depression, but at least now I know I have it for sure and I can get help. He told me a lot of people from warmer climates suffer from SADS when they move to a cold, gloomy, rainy country. This Monday I start light therapy! I need to go back 5 days a week, for 30 minutes each day. Then at the end of the week (Friday), were going to evaluate my progress and see how I feel. I'm not sure what happens if everything is good. Maybe I continue with the therapy for another week, or do I then buy a light therapy lamp? The weather all this week in Holland has been sunny and great! So I've been feeling so alive and happy! It was weird talking about winter depression when I felt so good! Next week is suppose to be back to being gloomy and rainy unfortunately. So I'm really happy to be starting the therapy. But I wonder if now is the right time to start it since it's only the beginning of October. Wouldn't it be better to start it later? But maybe it's better to start the therapy before it actually happens. I'm not sure, but I trust my psychologist since he's experienced in this. Wish me luck everyone! I am nervous
I moved from central Spain to the Netherlands many years ago and I had the same issue, not due to the cold but the lack of sun. My original region can get really cold in winter but we have many sunny days in between few rainy/snowy ones (think about Colorado), so when I moved to Utrecht and I got three months of straight rain/cloudy days...it was not good for my overall mood. In addition the sunset is quite early in winter...so you get in and out of the office in the dark, depressing to say the least. I bought a therapy lamp and got used to hibernate during the winter and to stay up until midnight in summer.
I just want to add that thousands and thousands of Dutch people also suffer from winter depression, so you are not alone at all. It always starts this time of year and light therapy is the right thing to do. For me, I always get a short period of sickness/malfunctioning in November when it is always 10 C and raining...Not a depression but certainly related to weather. This usually ends in January when the temperature is lower, and chances for a clear winter sky increase. I really hope this year we will have a classic winter and not an extended rainy autumn. In such a winter the Dutch go out to skate on natural ice with clear blue skies although it is much colder than on those terrible rainy days. Many foreigners complain about Dutch people being so much at home, but there's a reason for that when it's dark and raining outside. (Although in some countries in Europe it is even darker and raining more). On the other hand, I think our spring days are the best in Europe, with nice temps and very long and light evenings.
Ohh I just thought of one more weird question. I take the Depo Provera shot and my Psychologist said the light thearpy will make the Depo shot LESS affective which really surprised me since I never heard that. Does anyone know how much less affective it will become, like by how much less percent and if it really makes a huge difference? Thank you
So how are you holding up now? Do you find better ways to cope with it? Is that light therapy helpful in any way?
It isn't easy moving to a completely new place and climate is one of the problems which comes with it. The Netherlands are one of the least sunny countries in Europe, if you want to stay are, I advice you to move to the French Mediterranean. You will have similar benefits although I think welfare isn't as advanced as in the Netherlands in a few fields but has a similar climate to Southern California with similar amounts of sun. It isn't as warm however
Couldn't it be just a bit of nostalgia kicking in maybe though?
Ohh I just thought of one more weird question. I take the Depo Provera shot and my Psychologist said the light thearpy will make the Depo shot LESS affective which really surprised me since I never heard that. Does anyone know how much less affective it will become, like by how much less percent and if it really makes a huge difference? Thank you
If that's the case, ask your psych what s/he thinks about using an ionizer for SAD. I've read that it's been tried in the US with good results. You can look up ionizers on the internet. They send a steady stream of negative ions into your room/home/environment that act to pick up your mood. You know how you feel when you go outside after rainshower, or near a waterfall, or at a beach that has crashing surf? Falling water ionizes the air in a way that feels energizing and uplifting. They now have machines that can do that. There are even small ones you can wear around your neck.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That is what I was saying--great benefits that makes people living in America envy! Wish I lived in a place with those benefits... If you don't like the place, let's exchange 
