Foo - Seasonal Depression

Anyone get this? Was never diagnosed but every year around now it gets a little harder, humor's a little harder to find, smaller things set me off or bring me down, the happier people are around me the more I feel isolated. I do things to fight it, (holiday rides, a few lounge/swank events, etc...) but it seems every year a bit harder to fight. I buck up and get through it/hide it (and will probably rely on riding more so than normal) but wondering if anyone gets a touch of this and how to fight it.

I'm not looking for Foo love...at least not yet - just some good tips and tricks. I'm fairly against meds for myself - I feel that I can fight anything if I have the right tools. My tools are a bit worn though and need to shop for a few new ones or find a good sharpener ;)

Best suggestion I'd have would be to install "Daylight Balance" lighting.

http://www.full-spectrum-lighting.com/durotest/Full%20Spectrum%20%20Lighting%20a%20Critical%20Balance%20of%20Color.htm

Best suggestion I'd have would be to install "Daylight Balance" lighting.

http://www.full-spectrum-lighting.com/durotest/Full%20Spectrum%20%20Lighting%20a%20Critical%20Balance%20of%20Color.htm

A psych prof and i were just discussing this the other day. Needless to say, she was suspect.

A psych prof and i were just discussing this the other day. Needless to say, she was suspect.
Well, from the pragmatic view, I've worked above the Arctic Circle, and in Siberia and daylight balance, or full spectrum lighting sure seemed to help people that had difficulties with SAD. Whether it's a placebo effect or a physiological response , I tend to think it's a physiological response though, due to the response in 85% of the patients treated with light box therapy.

http://www.sada.org.uk/treat.htm

Abnormality of Melatonin level seems to be the culprit, per the Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/MH00023

SSRI's and other psychoactive drugs are actually contraindicated for treatment of SAD.

It should also be noted that Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in combination with Light box therapy increases the rate of easing of symptoms through teaching better coping skills.

A ten-year epidemiological study conducted at Johns Hopkins University Medical School in Baltimore, Maryland, showed that exposure to full spectrum light (including the ultraviolet frequency) is positively) related to the prevention of breast, colon, and rectal cancers.

I have this image of someone bent over with a stuck flashlight, trying to explain to the ER staff what they were trying to accomplish. "But...I wanted to take in the full spectrum!"

Yes mah dear, mine is basically this time of year and mid-Summer holidays when the families all get together for picnics, etc - and the being single factor is just blah. I mean I get used to it, but it's those couple kinda events sigh. Haven't seem to have found anyone around me, but then I'm not that really out and about as I stop by my couple of familiar haunts where the locals have asked and asked and I've said thanks (nice people but I don't that life anymore) so I just keep on going. Have delved into a couple of internet dating orgs, freaked out on one when I ran into a few of my old bar customers so I quit, am on another and really haven't run into someone who likes the outdoors as much as me, etc. But then I'm kinda flighty on there anywhere. :(

Chin up. I get over a lot of my lonliness factor by doing my favorite rides at night - hit some of the totally holiday lit up houses in the city, then ride down some of the festive eclectric streets I like, maybe stop off for something to eat/drink/shop. It's kind of a feel good thing. :)

What works for me:

1. Heavy drinking

2. Pretend you're surviving a post-apocalyptic winter. I carry an invisible Browning automatic rifle with me wherever I go. I use it to take out any members of The Family that I might catch wandering around. It helps if you have theme music. Currently, Trans Am's "Surrender to the Night" is keeps me stealthy in the shadows and ready to take on any raiding parties.

3. Find someone to sex up real good all winter long.


I've found that item 2 has a negative correlation to item 3 being met. More research is needed.

Forgot to mention:

You can substitute a "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" scenario on item 2. It actually might work better with all the fools running around like well-programmed shopping drones. Just remember, they're watching. They're always watching. (theme music still applies)

Air,

My wife has had this problem in the past. Her cure was fish oil. Surprisingly enough fish oil has the same results as far as this as the drugs according to the studies. Works great for her.

Of course now we live in the tropics which pretty much deals with the issue as well. :rolleyes: A bit of an extreme move, but worth it, eh?

Vitamin D defficiency is the usual cause. Take some cod liver oil.

Regards, Anthony

I self limit with drinking - when I 'need' a drink I won't. Feel that's where the line of dependency is crossed and it's one that I don't want to mess with. Having a few at a party is OK as long as I don't feel like I NEED it. Though, yeah - it does help.

Hmmm - two posts at the same time with fish oil. I will give it a go!

Tom - also looking around for lighting...not a bad idea at all.

Pup - you're da bomb! :D

Vitamin D defficiency is the usual cause. Take some cod liver oil.

Regards, Anthony

I actually just started taking vit d. Incredible difference. I am not feeling the affects of a very long gloomy summer/fall winter.

Hmmm - two posts at the same time with fish oil. I will give it a go!

Tom - also looking around for lighting...not a bad idea at all.

Pup - you're da bomb! :D



WELL! A big freaking HMMMMPH! to you! So much for my googily eyed rides under the seasonal lights and la-de-da - OK, perhaps I should have said have some HOT CHOCOLATE dam it! ;) AND PUT SOME BOOZE IN IT!! :) I mean I would ...

Doh - I had a big long paragraph in there for you too!

The rides I do enjoy - I'm actually thinking right now about skipping rehearsal and trying out these used wheels I picked up as a bridge until I get a pair built. Actually one of my favorite times was walking around neighborhoods and making fun of all the lights that look like brothel storefronts. Oh wait that's year long.

Hmmm - two posts at the same time with fish oil. I will give it a go!

Tom - also looking around for lighting...not a bad idea at all.

Pup - you're da bomb! :D

Theres 2 kinds of fish oils. Fish liver oils (cod liver oil, halibut liver oil) which are high in vit A and vit D and oils made from the flesh, which are generaly just called 'fish oil' which are good for omega 3 fatty acids. Both are benificial but its the liver oils you want to fight seasonal depression.

Regards, Anthony

Doh - I had a big long paragraph in there for you too!

The rides I do enjoy - I'm actually thinking right now about skipping rehearsal and trying out these used wheels I picked up as a bridge until I get a pair built. Actually one of my favorite times was walking around neighborhoods and making fun of all the lights that look like brothel storefronts. Oh wait that's year long.

hehe, I can't wait for Thanksgiving --- I have a new camera with an awesome night/light/neon flash and Im taking pics of the most gawdiest house in the local city, but I don''t care - it works. :)

Bah. Humbug. No sympathy here Air. :p :D

I believe the ultimate solution lies in having a residence in Australia, and another one in Canada. Live only Springs and Summers. I'm working on it - right after I become fabulously wealthy.

Hehe - I have a good bunch of people that would love me to be in Australia and Canada :D

AnthonyG - can you cook with the liver oil or do you have to take it straight up?

Hehe - I have a good bunch of people that would love me to be in Australia and Canada :D

AnthonyG - can you cook with the liver oil or do you have to take it straight up?

You can buy a flavored cod liver oil thing or take it in capsules. I mix CLO within a blender with other stuff. Pretty good.

I self limit with drinking - when I 'need' a drink I won't.
When you "need" a drink, I say drink two! Beer is heavy with calories and with the apocalypse being the way it is, you never know when you're going to run across life-sustaining nutrients again. Plus, it helps combat the mind-control rays.

The fish oil my wife takes is Salmon - Omega 3. I tried but I burb (and I am not depressed usually) - have you ever burbed fish oil at 6:00 in the morning? :eek:

All I know is since she started doing it, more than 6 years ago, no more problems. She started not for depression by the way, but for diet so there is no placebo effect here - she just noticed it was working, and then the reports came out.

my emotional downers come when i encounter no foreseeable change...seasons, moving, going places, starting/quitting jobs all break any mental lull for me. my advice is to try sky-diving.

The fish oil my wife takes is Salmon - Omega 3. I tried but I burb (and I am not depressed usually) - have you ever burned fish oil at 6:00 in the morning? :eek:
...

My wife is from the Philippines. All fish burning occurs outdoors, or with special candles and the exhaust hood fan turned to "I'm sorry I can't hear you". It is definitely not something you want to do indoors unless you can recruit Tude to help you cast special anti-pheeeeuuwy spells.

Found checking for you Air

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=363680 (http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20021018/fish-oil-eases-depression)

Fish Oil Eases Depression

WebMD Medical News

Oct. 18, 2002 -- It may sound fishy, but researchers say taking a daily fish-oil supplement may boost the effectiveness -- or even replace -- antidepressants for treating depression in some people.

In a new study, people who added a daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids to their regular antidepressant treatment had significant improvement in symptoms, including anxiety, sleeping problems, sadness, decreased sexual desire, and suicidal tendencies.

Although there are many effective treatments for depression, most only work in a limited number of patients or have significant side effects that prompt users to stop taking them. That's inspired researchers to look for new ways to treat the mental illness or increase the effectiveness of existing treatments.

Previous studies have suggested that depressed people have lower-than-normal levels of a fatty acid known as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), which plays an important role in maintaining normal brain function.

In this study, the researchers examined the effectiveness of adding various dosages of EPA supplement to normal drug therapy in 70 people with persistent depression that was not responding to standard antidepressants. The results appear in the October issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Researcher Malcolm Peet, MD, of Swallownest Court Hospital in Sheffield, England, and colleagues found that patients who took the lowest, 1-gram daily, fish-oil dose showed significant improvements on all major measures of depression compared with those who took a placebo. In particular, 69% of the patients who took the 1-gram dose had a 50% reduction in their symptoms, compared with only 25% of those who took a placebo.

A 2-gram dose showed little effect, but those taking the highest, 4-gram, dose showed a trend toward improvement in symptoms. The researchers say larger studies are needed to confirm these effects.

The omega-3 fatty acid may work to ease depression by improving the effectiveness and absorption of existing medications, the researchers say. But they note that a limited number of their patients who are not on antidepressant therapy have seen improvements similar to those seen in this study through treatment with fish-oil supplements alone.

In addition, they say treatment with omega-3 fatty acid may be especially beneficial for depressed patients who are at risk for heart disease, in light of recent research about fish oil's heart-healthy effects.

So Air, you now know that your problem is that you are not sufficiently lubricated. Explody Pup has his method of lubrication but there are more traditional methods as well.

Air, i'm glad you started this thread. can it just be spring time already??? :(. i really dislike this time of year.

Air, i'm glad you started this thread. can it just be spring time already??? :(. i really dislike this time of year.

bohoo...try a year of it...:p

What be these terms you use? Spring, Winter, Fall? Do you mean you have seasons up there? :D

AnthonyG - can you cook with the liver oil or do you have to take it straight up?

No, liver oil/fish oil is too fragile for cooking. It would be too expensive anyway. Currently I take Halibut liver oil in capsule form so its not like you taste it anyway. Preferably look for a natural liver oil that hasn't been fortified. Ask a knowledgeable shop staff but the funny thing here is that the strongest ones are most likely to be natural! See they are considered too strong so many have the real vitA and vit D removed and synthetic vitamins added to whats considered the correct level. Don't get worried about the excess vit A scaremongery as long as your vit A is from natural sources.

Regards, Anthony

What be these terms you use? Spring, Winter, Fall? Do you mean you have seasons up there? :D

nope...this year I have had all fall...oh and do you watch wrestling?


"SUCK IT"...:p

Well, from the pragmatic view, I've worked above the Arctic Circle, and in Siberia and daylight balance, or full spectrum lighting sure seemed to help people that had difficulties with SAD. Whether it's a placebo effect or a physiological response , I tend to think it's a physiological response though, due to the response in 85% of the patients treated with light box therapy.

http://www.sada.org.uk/treat.htm

Abnormality of Melatonin level seems to be the culprit, per the Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/MH00023

SSRI's and other psychoactive drugs are actually contraindicated for treatment of SAD.

It should also be noted that Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in combination with Light box therapy increases the rate of easing of symptoms through teaching better coping skills.

According to my wife who is a Internal Medicine physician, that is not correct. SSRI drugs can be very helpful in combating SAD.

bohoo...try a year of it...:p

gawd. a year of it?? omg. i'd have to find a solution.


What be these terms you use? Spring, Winter, Fall? Do you mean you have seasons up there?

seasons??? yea, we have about 2 of those here in my part of NC. i dont know if i'd want warm weather all year round or not. i do like snow:D tho.

Snow, no snow except in drinks please. I grew up in Western NY - nuff said.

I go out and check out the gawwwdy lights and displays and if it's snowing I tromp around in it with the dog....that usually slaps away any depression....

I go out and check out the gawwwdy lights and displays and if it's snowing I tromp around in it with the dog....that usually slaps away any depression....

Thar ya go!!! :)

Just stay out of as much of the hustle and bustle aka Pushy/shovey stuffs. Ride, inhale, breathe clean clear air, admire the views and enjoy a nice slow snow - not the blowing, take your breath away. Standing out in the dim light in a windless night and it's snowing what they call "lake flakes" on you (big fluffy, sometimes thick flakes of a lake inspired snow storm) - where you look up and can see these big hunks of snow coming down on you ... ahh. Quiet. Still. And one with the world :)

I think it's the sunlight thing.

I think it's a lot more complex than just a lack of sunlight. I am certain that less daylight could play a role, after all it plays a very important role in plant life, but I think there is more to it for our species. This time of year also means holidays, stress and in my opinion people with a much worse attitude than you will find the rest of the year.

This often means more people treating people badly, this snowballs and generates an even worse climate. Also there is the issue of cold which many of us have several months of to look forward to. Less light + cold = less recreation, less to look forward to etc.

Again, i think it's a combo of all of these things which tend to make the Holidays less happy for many than any other time of year.

I don't know if it has anything at all to do with this thread, but that has never stopped foosters before, I find one of the very weird thing about living in the tropics, and not having a regular job is most of the time I have no clue what time of year it is. You guys will be writting about Thanksgiving and I will pull up a calendar and say, oh right - it is that time of year.

I am not even sure what day of the week it is often. I think I am slowly but surely turning into Jimmie Buffet. :eek:

I don't know if it has anything at all to do with this thread, but that has never stopped foosters before, I find one of the very weird thing about living in the tropics, and not having a regular job is most of the time I have no clue what time of year it is. You guys will be writting about Thanksgiving and I will pull up a calendar and say, oh right - it is that time of year.

I am not even sure what day of the week it is often. I think I am slowly but surely turning into Jimmie Buffet. :eek:

And yeah, there is another reason. ^^^^^^^^^^^

Now, it isn't exactly stressful to not have calendars interfering with your life. :lol:

I am not even sure what day of the week it is often. I think I am slowly but surely turning into Jimmie Buffet. :eek:

Now THAT's pretty awesome :D

For me I don't think it's the light. I tend to be a night owl and am up much more often at night then during the day so in that sense the winter is pretty awesome for me. I have my thoughts but don't want to air them out this publicly - PM if you want to know.

Go to Lapland for a week. When you return, you'll see just how much daylight you have by comparison! :p

Seriously, I also feel more down in winter. What helps me get through is to celebrate (this year, on December 22) with a "Shortest Day of the Year" par-tay. Even though the change in increasing daylight is practically unnoticable for several weeks after, and the temps actually continue to drop, it's a psychological turning point for me, and gives me a sense of optimism. By end of January, I'm feelin' pretty good again. :)

There's a week long party in Alaska in February for the same reason. Kicks off the Iditarod.

I never used to be affected, but recently I've started to notice it for myself also.

I think it's due to biking and frisbee, because I'm finally outside enough during the good weather months that lack of sunlight in the late fall, winter, early spring, makes a difference. I just try to get outside on sunny days, and remind myself that it'll get better eventually.

Every year around this time, my sleep starts to get all whacky. Insomnia comes on strong. Docs prescribed Ambien, and I take it until about late January. Works, but I'd rather not have to take it.

Get a swing shift job. Work when it's dark, live while it's light out.

Make appointments with friends to do something (anything). Having an obligation to do something enjoyable and the anticipation that goes along with it works wonders.

Why do you think Christians co-opted winter solstice festivals into Christmas to begin with? Something to look forward to and celebrate when the dark is upon the northern climes of the world.

buy a surfboard and recreate Endless Summer? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU0x2hLgbis)

Well, from the pragmatic view, I've worked above the Arctic Circle, and in Siberia and daylight balance, or full spectrum lighting sure seemed to help people that had difficulties with SAD...

SSRI's and other psychoactive drugs are actually contraindicated for treatment of SAD.

Full spectrum lighting is a good place to start if your depression is mild enough. Check out Ott Lite bulbs in particular; they're very good. I use Ott bulbs for my plants, and a friend of mine uses an Ott full spectrum desk lamp.

SSRI's are actually less common with the advent of the SNRI medications in the treatment of SAD because of their single modality. SNRIs more closely mimic the older tricyclic antidepressant class of drugs by regulating norepinephrine as well as seratonin.

This is helping (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GUAJ4n_rug)

This too (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNO8jvHBFwc) :)

And the breakfast scotch. :p

And another (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYyBZE0kBtE)