A must read Seasonal Affective Disorder

[Brakna]

It may be considered dysthymia instead of SAD. Look it up on Wikipedia and see how it's different.

[TheADDwhisperer]

Besides supplement vitamins, such as iron, B-12, B-6, and zinc as said in a post above this I use lights by Verilux that help. These lights give you almost as much as real sunlight can. THe trick to using them is to put them on light timers like the ones used when your on Vacation to make people think someone is at home.

[Lunacie]

Ah, another OLD thread gets bumped. So I'll update my own situation. I found a place with Vitamin D3 that I can afford and started out taking 800 IU each morning. No help. After a little over a month I bumped it up to 1200 IU (3 soft gels) and have been feeling better and more positive and less depressed. Recommended dose on the bottle is only 400 IU - so it seems that my depression is almost certainly related to low Vitamin D levels, eh?

[crazycat1990]

I've been feeling pretty low over the past week or so, and without sounding like I'm panicking or being too negative, I'm wondering if I have this.

I am so desperate for it to be summer, it's not so much the cold weather but the fact that when I wake up it's dark, when I leave the house it's still dark, when I leave college it's dark, when I get home it's dark. I hate it
Having said about not minding the cold - I mean, you can deal with it by wrapping up warm etc, wheras you can't avoid the darkness - when I am cold I feel irritable, unsociable and totally de-motivated. And it's the same when waking up in the morning when it's dark, but more so during December/January - the months where it's still dark at 7am, the time I leave for college. When it's dark when I wake up at 5:30 but light, or getting light when I leave, it's not so bad.

But in terms of my mood over the past week, I pretty much have all the symptoms. Not too sure about over-eating - over the past week I seem to have less appetite, and seeing as I'm too thin and trying to gain weight, that is not good and I'm scared about losing weight!
And last night/evening I was really tearful.
I posted in the topic "How is everyone feeling" in Chit Chat, you can read it here:

http://www.addforums.com/forums/show...6&postcount=39

So yeah, not been feeling good To add to that, it's not just college, there are other things that don't interest me at the moment that normally would, my concentration and decision-making are worse than usual. Last night I ended up going to sleep at 5:30am! I was wide awake and 5:30 is when I get up for college so I had this crazy idea of pulling an all nighter, rather than trying to sleep and getting irritated. I felt pretty tired at about 4:50am so turned the lights out but my mind was racing so much, despite being tired. My alarm went off and I decided I wasn't going in to college, told my mum etc. Slept solid until 1pm. Intended to get up, didn't. Or should I say, couldn't. I was stuck in bed, doing things on my iPhone, wasting time, deep down I didn't want to but I just felt trapped. Eventually I got out of bed at 5pm!

I felt better after I showered, but only for a short while.

It's interferring with my life, I guess I should see a doctor...I don't want to miss more college but I just have no motivation for the travelling etc. Like I said in my post in the other topic, I'm enjoying the college work, and if there was a way of doing it at home and only going in for practical lessons and work experience then I would. If your attendance is below something like 95% then you fail! Hopefully mine won't be that bad, but I'm so worried...the principal is a really nice man, so I'd like to think they would make exceptions to the attendance thing. And seeing as I'm normally a good student and getting top marks...

Hmm I just don't know what to do

[Sunlovinlady]

I get this every Fall/Winter. I have my happy light on almost everyday at work. Got mine by Verilux at Walgreens a few years back for about $40. They have them occasionally at Costco and online at Verilux.com. They even have special lamp bulbs, etc. Tanning even helps if you are desperate. B-12, lots of vitamin D, excercise & dreaming of the beach are the only things that get me through sometimes. The holidays make it easier too. Stay positive, everyone.

[OhLookABunny]

Vitamin D level can be checked via a blood test if your doctor's willing. I was found to be low a few years ago. I'm going to start taking the supplements again because I feel I could use them. Thanks for the info on the B vitamins and zinc too.

[br3akingchains]

My experience...

I went to an endocrinologist back in december to see if there was an underlying issue they could help me find that seemed to be making my ADHD symptoms worse.

After labs came back a few things were off, including Vitamin D being low, but the doctor said she didn't think anything needed treatment. I had been mostly home for most of the year due to a back injury/surgery.

I went back to work after getting the lab results back but re-injured my back a month later. For the next two months I stayed home, wasn't going out much at all and wasn't getting any sun. I hardly ever feel sad/down/gloomy/depressed/ in despair and if I do it goes away quickly. This time that feeling was hanging out for weeks.

After a few weeks I remembered my lab results and Vitamin D being low. I figured if it was low it must've been on the floor now because I basically hadn't gone out or gotten any sun for the last two months. I don't drink milk because I'm lactose intolerant. As soon as I made the connection I started taking Vitamin D3 I'd gotten at Costco in the past.

In a days time I could feel it helping me feel better! By day two I felt good and continued taking it daily. Over a week later I now feel "normal" but I'm sure levels are still not optimal.