Seasonal Affective Disorder - SAD

Scooby_Saver_2

Hi,

Year in year out I suffer and normally I book a 3 week break in one of the Canary Islands in January to get me through the winter months.

This year is not possible and needs some advice.

My doctor was not much help so I have been looking round the internet and could do with drawing on some people advice on:

1) Light Clock Alarms
2) RIO Sad Lamp – Other light box,s
3) Oxyvita Full Spectrum Eleronic daylight bulb

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

mini

have been wondering about the light clock alarms myself, on boots.com they are reduced & with triple points too I am very tempted, would love to hear if they have helped anybody.

Sorry that's not very helpful but you are not alone, there is another thread about light boxes
http://forum.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Families;action=display;num=1098346206

mini

Bennifred

Hello, and much sympathy from a fellow sufferer! I have been using one of these sunrise simulator clocks for the last couple of years, and really like it. I use it all year round. Definitely helps not to be jolted awake, especially in the winter. In addition, I use a light visor (like a light box, but worn on the head - scares the paperboy if he catches sight of me!) every morning during the winter for half an hour. No longer need antidepressants during the winter! Yay!

Scooby_Saver_2

Many thanks for the peeps that replied and keep your hints and tips coming ;D

superhoop

Hi all:

Following an earlier thread I started on 'cheaper light therapy' for SAD I have now received my £45 light box from Tchibo and have been using it for five days now.

Guess it could be partly psychosomatic but I am delighted with the results. I have been using it for 30-45 minutes first thing each morning. It's on my desk next to my computer so i sit very close to it but do not look directly at it.

My mood has definitely improved - I can concentrate more, don't feel so tired and have a little more spring in my step. I can hardly believe the light box has made such a difference, but it seems to have done just that!

I would certainly recommend the Tchibo light box to others with SAD.

Hope this helps someone out there.

Steve

jellyhead

i saw one for 75.00 in boots but it did come with extra points from the advantage machine. yours looks cheaper though.

i don't get SAD but i do get very sleepy and want to hibernate, i get very lazy and have no energy. i find it difficult to get up in the morning. does anyone know anywhere to get those light alarm clocks from?

Freebie_Hunter_2

The alarm clocks used to be available from Argos. My Dad works nights and I was looking at buying him one last Xmas, but not sure if they are still available.
Worth a look though!

Scooby_Saver_2

Boots ( with extra points ) and bupa website sell the clocks as well......I think the jury is still out out on the clocks

ashmit

If you mean those clocks with a light that fades in very gradually to wake you up, my friend has one. She doesn't suffer from SAD (as far as I know) but she said it wakes you up really gently and is a lovely way to wake up. They're expensive though.

Mrs_Thrift

Mr Thrift and I also find it really hard to wake up on the dark mornings and were recently thinking of buying ourselves a Lumie clock as a Christmas present.

The basic one is £59.99 on boots.com, which is the same price as on the Lumie website, but you also get 500 extra Boots points.

Also, the NHS Direct website has this info on SAD:

Symptoms
SAD can be a disabling illness. Without treatment, people with SAD can find it difficult to live a normal life. Sub-syndromal SAD or 'winter blues' is a milder condition, but it can still have a major effect on how people feel and act.
Symptoms of SAD include:
- Sleep problems such as disturbed sleep at night, sleeping for longer, and feeling sleeping during the day;
- Feeling tired and lacking in energy;
- Increased appetite, particularly craving carbohydrates and sweet foods, and weight gain;
- Feeling generally low and having mood swings;
- Not feeling sociable or wanting to go out with your friends;
- Decreased sex drive;
- Difficulty concentrating; and
- Loss of interest in work and hobbies that you previously found enjoyable.

People with severe symptoms of SAD may also have:
- Feelings of depression, hopelessness, or despair; and
- Stress and anxiety.

A small number of people also experience a short period of hyperactivity in the spring.

Self-help measures for SAD include:
- During the day, spend as much time as possible outdoors. Even a quick lunchtime walk can be beneficial.
- Take regular exercise, particularly outdoors in daylight if possible.
- Plan ahead so that you don’t have lots of things to do during the winter. Leave any major projects until spring or summer.
- Try decorating your home in light colours and spend plenty of time near windows, to make the most of natural light.
- Going on holidays to somewhere sunny during the winter months can help, but you may feel worse when you come home and it is still cold and dark.
- Talk to your friends and relatives, so that they understand why you feel down and irritable during the winter, and this will help them to support you.

Ted_Hutchinson

I thought at one time I had SAD, and at one time had a bi-polar depression diagnosis. I also found using a lightbox helpful.

Life is never simple and treating depression is a complex business and it's never 100% certain which of the changes one makes is the critical one when you discover that you are not as depressed as you were previously.

If you are suffering from a lack of energy, wake up feeling unrefreshed and find you get tired very easily and possibly also lack sexual desires then I would first suggest you try using L'Carnitine. You can buy it from ZIPVIT for 7.95 for 90 tablets. You will need to work up to taking possibly six tablets a day by increasing the dose from two in the morning to four with a couple more at lunchtime if you anticipate needing more energy later. If you start getting diarrhea then reduce by one tablet until it stops. It supplements the carnitine you should be getting from lamb/beef avocados so is a "Natural" product although it is made synthetically. I found I noticed the beneficial effects almost immediately and you should reach a peak improvement after two months daily use. It's been shown to be particularly useful for those with fatigue from ME/CFS/FMS as well as MS but it works on improving brain function as well as muscle function so it's definitely worth a try. Apart from overdosing causing diarrhea that will go if you reduce the dose I have been unable to find any serious adverse side effects. It doesn't however have any effect on the pain those with ME/FMS/PPS/MS feel. I could offer a suggestion for that but perhaps saying it's illegal will give you the clue you need.

Another natural supplement which research shows is good for mood stabilisation is Omega 3 oils. What is needed for mood stabilisation is the EPA element and you will find high levels of this in the Zipvit Omega Juice that I take daily. This is a long term use item and I didn't find it's effects as instantaneous as the L'Carnitine however there are loads of reports showing that oily fish is something we need in our diets anyway so it won't do any harm.

Hypericum St Johns Wort is another well-documented herb that is useful for treating mild depression. It has been shown to be as effective as lightbox therapy for treating SAD however those on Warfarin should take advice before proceeding with it.

Don't get too hung up on Full Spectrum lighting as it is simply the intensity of the brightness of the light which is important, so any cheap low energy bulb within 12-18 inches of your eye will be as effective providing it is flicker free. Some children go ADHD under fluorescent lighting so it could wind adults up as well. Getting outside during the brightest part of the day will do you a lot of good. But the important thing is to have you bright light as early in the day as possible. Don't wear tinted lenses except in the brightest summer light. If you take you bright light in the evening it will reset you body clock to make you even worse in the morning. Having you bright light early in the day will bring the body clock forward.

Exercise and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy have been demonstrated to have a beneficial effect on the way the brain operates. So if waking up to a bright light, going out for a vigorous walk every morning and taking the supplements above doesn't produce any improvement, do ask your doctor if CBT is available locally. Don't put up with it. Life is worth living and even if you are in the depths of despair you can eventually get out of if you persist.