Seasonal affective disorder
Discussion
maddog-uk said:
Are there any doctors on PH that can explain more about this? I have researched it on the net a little.
Does anyone from ph suffer from this? How would you play it if your company without consultation moved you into a basement to work with zero natural light!
Very common disorder, I don't know whether these work or if they are gimmicks or not...
www.electronichealing.co.uk/products/sadlightbox.htm
Yup - I have this. See Crazyleg's thread here....www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?p=2&f=141&t=151944&h=0&hw=lightbox
My post is on page two. I've invested in a light box fairly recently and can't describe how much better I feel and how much more able to participate in life I am.
From the research I've done I think that if you're prone to this, you won't get enough light in a normal office with windows anyway so from a light point of view a room without any daylight is probably not much worse, it's actually difficult to get enough "good" light if you're outside all day at this time of year. Having said that it probably feels much worse so perhaps that's an issue? I sit facing a large'ish window and it didn't seem to help me much. The lightbox however has made a huge difference.
Check out outsidein.com - they do a free trail - suck it and see how you feel.
My post is on page two. I've invested in a light box fairly recently and can't describe how much better I feel and how much more able to participate in life I am.
From the research I've done I think that if you're prone to this, you won't get enough light in a normal office with windows anyway so from a light point of view a room without any daylight is probably not much worse, it's actually difficult to get enough "good" light if you're outside all day at this time of year. Having said that it probably feels much worse so perhaps that's an issue? I sit facing a large'ish window and it didn't seem to help me much. The lightbox however has made a huge difference.
Check out outsidein.com - they do a free trail - suck it and see how you feel.
I've got the Tasklight that you'll find on here.
www.outsidein.co.uk/sadrange.htm
I use it on my desk at work and it looks a little larger and quite a bit brighter than a normal desk light. I haven't hidden it from my colleagues in any way but most of them I imagine just think it's a really effective lamp!!!
I think the Solux lights (and I haven't checked) are "full spectrum" light whereas what is suggested for SAD is "broad spectrum" light.
The things that surprised me about SAD (I don't really like the description TBH) is that it commonly occurs from September to April (not just December/January as I had always thought) and that being constantly fatigued and feeling under pressure that you just can't deal with (when you would do normally) are very good indicators of SAD - I had never considered myself "depressed" I just struggled to function and believed that hibernating through the winter was an entirely reasonable approach to life. Put it this way - I've been up since 7am this morning - pre the light box I wouldn't have surfaced until noon at least and then I would still have felt exhausted. I used to take at least an hour to come round in the morning and my one overriding thought would have been when I could next sleep!!
www.outsidein.co.uk/sadrange.htm
I use it on my desk at work and it looks a little larger and quite a bit brighter than a normal desk light. I haven't hidden it from my colleagues in any way but most of them I imagine just think it's a really effective lamp!!!
I think the Solux lights (and I haven't checked) are "full spectrum" light whereas what is suggested for SAD is "broad spectrum" light.
The things that surprised me about SAD (I don't really like the description TBH) is that it commonly occurs from September to April (not just December/January as I had always thought) and that being constantly fatigued and feeling under pressure that you just can't deal with (when you would do normally) are very good indicators of SAD - I had never considered myself "depressed" I just struggled to function and believed that hibernating through the winter was an entirely reasonable approach to life. Put it this way - I've been up since 7am this morning - pre the light box I wouldn't have surfaced until noon at least and then I would still have felt exhausted. I used to take at least an hour to come round in the morning and my one overriding thought would have been when I could next sleep!!
I suppose it's merely a cyclic depression of 365 days! It seems fashionable for a lot of people are attatching themselves/kids to a label associated with mental health. "My son's got Aspergers, don't you know?", A quick read of the ICD-10 will have you running to the nearest psychiatrist. Of course everyone has characteristics of a lot of the disorders, but where a diagnosis can be made, the symptoms will significantly interfere with the persons daily life.
I personally think SAD is not really worthy of classification in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really merit its own status.
I personally think SAD is not really worthy of classification in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really merit its own status.
love machine said:
I suppose it's merely a cyclic depression of 365 days! It seems fashionable for a lot of people are attatching themselves/kids to a label associated with mental health. "My son's got Aspergers, don't you know?", A quick read of the ICD-10 will have you running to the nearest psychiatrist. Of course everyone has characteristics of a lot of the disorders, but where a diagnosis can be made, the symptoms will significantly interfere with the persons daily life.
I personally think SAD is not really worthy of classification in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really merit its own status.
You're entitled to your own opinion. I don't agree with it and I know how much better I feel this year over any other year. I don't in any way suffer from depression but I do feel very different this time of year and using the light helps me feel like I feel the rest of the year.
My grandmother didn't believe my nephew was intolerant to dairy products until the kid had severe breathing problems immediately after she fed him clotted cream 'cos she thought my sister was being quirky and jumping on the bandwagon......
Well sometimes I suffer from ICBB syndrom (I Can't Be Bothered), but I get on with it despite my suffering.Other days I might get a slight FUWC fever (Fed Up With Chavs) and I am trying hard to overcome it without taking time off work.
There is also WTWCT syndrom (What's The World Coming To?), but we're not gonna get into that now as it has some nasty effect on morale and can ruin your Christmas.
There is also WTWCT syndrom (What's The World Coming To?), but we're not gonna get into that now as it has some nasty effect on morale and can ruin your Christmas.
allnighter said:
......
(I'd love to say but I'm too polite.....)
>> Edited by Piglet on Sunday 18th December 11:08
Actually I've decided I'm not too polite to say.....
What a complete
wit you are. I'm not entirely sure what deep set prejudices you have that allow you to jump to the conclusions and make the comments that you have in your post. I'm not going to lower myself to tell you quite where your narrow mind has missed the point and by how far other than to say that your comments say significantly more about you than they do about me!! >> Edited by Piglet on Sunday 18th December 11:22
I'm sorry to have stood on any toes, I didn't mean to, having suffered depression and worked with people with "problems", I'm relatively in the know of the severity and nature of the beasts. It strikes me that there is a whole host of bandwagon jumping on and new classifications springing up left, right and centre. Out of all the texts on Psychiatry I have kicking around (postgrad stuff) one mentions SAD as an ajunct to cyclothymia, it referred to it as a joint cause, not an individual cause.
As with any science, there are a whole bunch of people eager to get their names in the history books/journals and quite a lot of them lack the talent to actually add anything of significance, rehashing things and filling in shades of grey between areas is not real progress.
So, if you have a cyclic depression (one thing) and it's severity seems to have a seasonal fluctuation (as it could also fluctuate when a blue car parks outside your house), it might be an idea to experiment with your environment. However, seasonal changes influence the morale of all of us and to label that as an actual psychological disorder is just labeling a trivial, typical aspect of human behaviour for the most of us.
If you ask me (and this is my opinion) I think that a lot of people quite like the idea of being different and having a label, if you move the parameters of normal variation toward the centre, then certain aspects of your own behaviour become abnormal, hence special, hence an ego stroke for you! I stand by the fact that everyone has huge variation in their temperment and when factors influence everyday functioning, that is when it becomes classifiable.
Most people who say "I'm depressed" aren't, it's a misconception for something mild. Rather like confusing Smart and Super as applied to a car
I will also add that I think SAD is one of these things which attracts these sort of whingers.
Anyway, no offence meant, but I am right
Instead of sitting on your ass, it's not raining, go and have a walk/root the missus or something.....
I agree though, depression is an absolutely hideous thing to have if you REALLY do have it.
>> Edited by love machine on Sunday 18th December 12:06
As with any science, there are a whole bunch of people eager to get their names in the history books/journals and quite a lot of them lack the talent to actually add anything of significance, rehashing things and filling in shades of grey between areas is not real progress.
So, if you have a cyclic depression (one thing) and it's severity seems to have a seasonal fluctuation (as it could also fluctuate when a blue car parks outside your house), it might be an idea to experiment with your environment. However, seasonal changes influence the morale of all of us and to label that as an actual psychological disorder is just labeling a trivial, typical aspect of human behaviour for the most of us.
If you ask me (and this is my opinion) I think that a lot of people quite like the idea of being different and having a label, if you move the parameters of normal variation toward the centre, then certain aspects of your own behaviour become abnormal, hence special, hence an ego stroke for you! I stand by the fact that everyone has huge variation in their temperment and when factors influence everyday functioning, that is when it becomes classifiable.
Most people who say "I'm depressed" aren't, it's a misconception for something mild. Rather like confusing Smart and Super as applied to a car
I will also add that I think SAD is one of these things which attracts these sort of whingers. Anyway, no offence meant, but I am right
Instead of sitting on your ass, it's not raining, go and have a walk/root the missus or something.....
I agree though, depression is an absolutely hideous thing to have if you REALLY do have it.
>> Edited by love machine on Sunday 18th December 12:06
allnighter said:
Well sometimes I suffer from ICBB syndrom (I Can't Be Bothered), but I get on with it despite my suffering.Other days I might get a slight FUWC fever (Fed Up With Chavs) and I am trying hard to overcome it without taking time off work.
There is also WTWCT syndrom (What's The World Coming To?), but we're not gonna get into that now as it has some nasty effect on morale and can ruin your Christmas.
Oh I think you suffer from a syndrome of the worst kind IDGITIDE. (I Don't Get It Therefore It Doesn't Exist).
Why be so disparaging of someone who recognised there is something wrong and has done something to help themselves sort it out? Of course your life has gone completely to plan, everything that has been thrown at you, you have been able to cope with perfectly on your own and will contine to do so. Well good for you.
Ace-T
i used to get it all the time, the feeling of impending winter as soon as September rolled around until late April, I always felt like hibernating in winter, no energy that was until i moved to Australia, I have never had any lethargy as debilitating since!
The longer winter days here plus the fact that they aren't as miserable or as bitterly cold also help.
So theres something in it at least.
The longer winter days here plus the fact that they aren't as miserable or as bitterly cold also help.
So theres something in it at least.
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