overcome my Seasonal Affective Disorder

1. My wonderful little light box has an awesome warranty so even though I lost the power cord they are sending me a new one free. By the end of this week I’ll be on light therapy again, probably twice a day.

2. I’m drinking a cup of coffee as we speak.

3. I’m going to try St. John’s Wort too. Just to give it a whirl and see if it makes any big difference. But maybe I will give the light therapy a two-week head start and see how I am feeling with just that.

I had started to get really worried that I was just a depressive person and that was that. But then I noticed a pattern that it hit me at the same time every year. September comes and I gradually become a shivering, poorly, empty wreak, only to be bouncing off the walls as soon as it starts getting light. I knew ‘winter blues’ were pretty common but I was really shocked to discover that it could affect you by depleting your seretonin levels and weakening your immune system. (and pleased to know that i’m not that much of a freek) I’ve heard about the lights you can get, is there anything else that helps?

My SAD came later this year, since I moved south, but come it did. I started taking 5-HTP 10 days ago and it’s making me feel totally normal again. I started feeling better only 2 days after starting it and the only side effect for me is vivid dreams.

I’ve suffered with winter depression for as long as I can remember. I keep moving farther south, but it hasn’t completely gone away yet. I’ve got my light box and my book about seasonal depression and I’m going to try this year to nip it in the bud instead of waiting until I feel bad.

My energy level is definitely on the upswing. I have improved my exercise, and eating habits, while using the lamp, and it’s working! I’m so excited. Another week of this, and I will mark this off as complete….

I just got the lamp and started using it. It’s also been sunny for the last few days…..which is great! I finally have gotten back onto a workout schedule. And if anyone has anymore recommendations, that would be fantastic. I am determined to pull out of this horrible slump I’m in.

I started taking St. Johns Wort and it’s doing wonders! I also have reached my goal of waking up with my alarm clock in the morning instead of letting my body hybernate through the day and what little sunshine we have. I also encourage myself to go outside, even if it’s just a tiny trip taking out the garbage or checking my new bird feeder.

I finally bought a lamp for this winter. Not the large one (which almost $200), but a smaller version of it to start out with.

As with buying snow tires so I don’t feel stressed/trapped by the snow this winter, I think I’d like to buy a light box and try to have a season where I’m not in the hole from SAD. We’ll see – I’ve always felt sluggish/down in cooler weather. I even remember learning about hibernation in the 1st grade and thinking “Damn, why can’t I do that until it’s Spring?”

Looks like 3 halogen lamps and a bunch of timers has worked wonderfully for me. :) Now, I’m worried about the electricity bill. I hope I’m prepared enough for winter. I’m glad I picked an upstairs attic room that faces the setting sun with no trees and lots of sunshine, when there is sunshine.

I’ve also cheered myself up with finding that tights are warm enough for me to still be able to wear my skirts through the cold weather. Yeah!