How many get affected by SAD?

[Ian Gentles]

This is the lows that are brought on by the winter season and lack of daylight. In may not be a severe case, but just wondered how many of us were lower in spirit during winter months?
I find by February i sure have had enough of winter, kinda worn out by it, and this is often the time many succumb to ailments such as flu, our reserves being low.

[Genevieve Boller]

I do, and my aunt has a particularly bad case of it. One of the first requirements I've had for buying all of our houses was, does it get plenty of sunlight? Although I like snow, I suspect that I could never live in the northern states of the US, because there is a lot of winter and the days are so short in the winter. Being in Texas is good for me, I think (never thought I'd say that!). :basic07

[Gina Stevenson]

Being in Texas is good for me, I think (never thought I'd say that!). :basic07

Don't blame you ... understand that, b/c AZ [& a bit of TX, quite a bit of CA] was much better for me than MI is. :(

[LoraineStanton]

Yup! This time of year I find I really struggle if I don't have the right meds. Now if I could just get the sun from Texas and the cooler climate of the north. . . .

[Paula Karr]

I feel it very much -- so it's good that we live in Arizona. When it rains, I'm tolerant of it on the first day. If it rains, two days in a row, I'm done with it. By the third day, I'm checking the weather in other places to see if it's time for a road trip.

Dennis often jokes that I run on solar batteries. If the sun isn't shining, neither am I.

[Joanne Vergin]

I have reverse SAD. I cannot tolerate hot.

[Bill Evans]

When I pastored in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, SAD was a force to be considered in ministry. Since we were north of the 45th parallel, it was not unusual to have it dark by 4:30 pm with daylight at nearly 8:00 am. Not as bad as Alaska's 23 hours of darkness in the winter, but still a challenge. Interestingly, altar-goers increased in frequency with non-specific reasons given for their perceived need to pray.

[Ian Gentles]

It would seem folks in northern climates suffer most. I find if winter days are bright its ok, but long dull wet spells are rather frustrating.

[Gina Stevenson]

When I pastored in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, SAD was a force to be considered in ministry. Since we were north of the 45th parallel, it was not unusual to have it dark by 4:30 pm with daylight at nearly 8:00 am. Not as bad as Alaska's 23 hours of darkness in the winter, but still a challenge. Interestingly, altar-goers increased in frequency with non-specific reasons given for their perceived need to pray.

Yes, very interesting, considering that some folks used to [maybe many still do?] figure that if one was feeling "depressed, yucky, poorly, whatever," must be because there's something spiritually wrong, b/c "you wouldn't feel like that if everything were fine with your soul." :rolleyes:

[Barbara Moulton]

I certainly feel I do...I have all the symptoms, the big ones being changes in sleep patterns and irritiability (talk to my husband about these last few weeks LOL)...and of course...feeling blue. Last Monday it took every ounce of will power I had to go in to work.

But, having acknowledged this, I try to simply take care of myself and not spend a lot of my time thinking about it.

Sort of like, if I used to have a down day in the winter I would say, "Uh well, I am having a down day."

Now if I am having a down day I might say, "Uh well, its winter. Must be SAD. Do you have SAD? Let's talk about SAD. I guess I will be like this until the end of winter. What a bummer. I feel even worse now."

I notice this tendancy in myself so, one of my coping mechanisms has been to acknowledge without obsessing...does that make sense? For those of us like me who are only mildly affected, I think we have to be careful not to "think" our way into a worse condition. Also, some are very seriously affected by this (as evidenced by the contributions in this thread) and I never want to trivialize what can be incredible suffering by equating what they go through with what, in my case, is more of a winter inconvenience.

But I do long for spring.

[Paula Karr]

I try to simply take care of myself and not spend a lot of my time thinking about it. . . I notice this tendancy in myself so, one of my coping mechanisms has been to acknowledge without obsessing...does that make sense? For those of us like me who are only mildly affected, I think we have to be careful not to "think" our way into a worse condition. Also, some are very seriously affected by this (as evidenced by the contributions in this thread) and I never want to trivialize what can be incredible suffering by equating what they go through with what, in my case, is more of a winter inconvenience.

Wise words, Barbara: "acknowledge without obsessing." There can be a tendency to "think" ourselves into a worse condition - with SAD or with other depressive tendencies. I've learned to distract myself. It's liberating to acknowledge, "This isn't the best day I've had recently, but things will improve. What can I do to make that happen?"

Like you, I don't want to trivialize what depression can do, but I know from first-hand experience that we have more control than we sometimes recognize. IMHO, that's one aspect of being healed from severe depression.

:PTL)

[Genevieve Boller]

Wise words, Barbara: "acknowledge without obsessing." There can be a tendency to "think" ourselves into a worse condition - with SAD or with other depressive tendencies. I've learned to distract myself. It's liberating to acknowledge, "This isn't the best day I've had recently, but things will improve. What can I do to make that happen?"

Like you, I don't want to trivialize what depression can do, but I know from first-hand experience that we have more control than we sometimes recognize. IMHO, that's one aspect of being healed from severe depression.

:PTL)

Amen - this is perfectly worded (IMO). When depressed it is so hard to pull yourself out of it enough to pull yourself out (clear as mud?). Anyway, I like the way you and Barbara have explained it. :)