Do I Have Seasonal Affective Disorder?

[Rilles]

The sun goes down at 3 PM in winter here in the middle of Sweden. Today an hour before it went down I started feeling...

•anxious
•doom and gloom
•worried
•slightly depressed and low
•a bit negative
•low appetite, I basically dont want to eat even though its almost 3 PM, Im hungry but no appetite at all. 

I have also had some trouble falling asleep the past month. I wake up every 30 minutes until 2 AM. 

Im gonna buy a light therapy lamp! 

[PurpleTree]

you can try vitamin d3

 

 

i don't think i react great to it though

 

 

i also just thought this morning that i'm more relaxed in summer

[Rilles]

4 minutes ago, PurpleTree said:

you can try vitamin d3

 

 

i don't think i react great to it though

 

 

i also just thought this morning that i'm more relaxed in summer

Thats a great idea! I will buy some today! 

[mandyjw]

Definitely take vitamin D. I haven't had much results from the lightboxes but I can get outside in the sun everyday. If you are outside when the sun is high and then again before or during sunset for a walk or a run, that's ideal to help with sleep too. If you can't get outside, move your desk or sitting space near a window and or use the lightbox. 

Also look into making your living space cozy for the darker season. I love salt lamps, electric candles, throw blankets, fake furs, switching out sheer curtains for something heavier. You can do the same thing with food, switch it up for the season, squash, root vegetables, winter recipes, warm tea. Embrace, appreciate the season rather than fighting it. Dramatic season changes are awesome but they can be jarring when we don't want to move with them and fight them instead.  

Practicing meditation helps to catch the thoughts that blame the circumstance of darkness or the season for our mood. 

[Michael569]

Yes ASD is a possibility, it is extremely common at this time of the year. Awesome advice already shared above ^

I'd add

• Step 1: call your doctor and get your vit D tested (you can share your results in here and maybe we can help you) 
• Step 2: make sure to get early day exposure to sunlight to setup the pace of your circadian rhythm. ASD is basically caused by excessive amount of melatonin being produced over serotonin (they are made from the same material). The more daylight exposure you get the less early day melatonin you get and the more vigilant and optimistic you'll remain. 

[Rilles]

5 minutes ago, Michael569 said:

Yes ASD is a possibility, it is extremely common at this time of the year. Awesome advice already shared above ^

I'd add

• Step 1: call your doctor and get your vit D tested (you can share your results in here and maybe we can help you) 
• Step 2: make sure to get early day exposure to sunlight to setup the pace of your circadian rhythm. ASD is basically caused by excessive amount of melatonin being produced over serotonin (they are made from the same material). The more daylight exposure you get the less early day melatonin you get and the more vigilant and optimistic you'll remain. 

Takes me about a month to get a doctors check-up in this small city... I would rather just eat extra vitamins haha. 

Great advice, I will try to go for more short morning walks, my room is fairly dark even in the daytime. 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Rilles

[Flowerfaeiry]

@Michael569 is vitamin D difficult for our bodies to absorb in a regular pill-type supplement?

[Rilles]

1 hour ago, mandyjw said:

Definitely take vitamin D. I haven't had much results from the lightboxes but I can get outside in the sun everyday. If you are outside when the sun is high and then again before or during sunset for a walk or a run, that's ideal to help with sleep too. If you can't get outside, move your desk or sitting space near a window and or use the lightbox. 

Also look into making your living space cozy for the darker season. I love salt lamps, electric candles, throw blankets, fake furs, switching out sheer curtains for something heavier. You can do the same thing with food, switch it up for the season, squash, root vegetables, winter recipes, warm tea. Embrace, appreciate the season rather than fighting it. Dramatic season changes are awesome but they can be jarring when we don't want to move with them and fight them instead.  

Practicing meditation helps to catch the thoughts that blame the circumstance of darkness or the season for our mood. 

??

[Michael569]

1 hour ago, Rilles said:

Takes me about a month to get a doctors check-up in this small city... I would rather just eat extra vitamins haha

Get it privately. Just google vitamin D home test kit and you can have it delivered home. All it takes is to prick your finger twice, send a sample and you're good. Costs 40-60$  from my experience. I do that once a year. 

1 hour ago, Flowerfaeiry said:

is vitamin D difficult for our bodies to absorb in a regular pill-type supplement?

I wouldn't say difficult but the the dosage:assimilation ratio may be impacted by individual genetic predisposition (for example vitamin D receptor density), liver enzyme function, kidne function etc. But statistically speaking nearly everyone benefits from taking it when their doses are low. If unsure I'd suggest getting tested as the first step. 

[Rilles]

4 minutes ago, Michael569 said:

Get it privately. Just google vitamin D home test kit and you can have it delivered home. All it takes is to prick your finger twice, send a sample and you're good. Costs 40-60$  from my experience. I do that once a year. 

Will do! Thx!

[Flowerfaeiry]

13 hours ago, Michael569 said:

I wouldn't say difficult but the the dosage:assimilation ratio may be impacted by individual genetic predisposition (for example vitamin D receptor density), liver enzyme function, kidne function etc. But statistically speaking nearly everyone benefits from taking it when their doses are low. If unsure I'd suggest getting tested as the first step. 

I get plenty of vitamin D now but I am from a cloudy area and I somewhere heard it's pointless to take a supplement so I never did but it may have helped me! In the end, I'm much happier now that I have consistent sun exposure