I can feel S.A.D. creeping up...

[girlbug2]

Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is depression that hits when there is less sunlight, such as in winter time.

We just had a week of nonstop rain, a real recordbreaker for my region. After about day 4 the depression became noticeable. It was a heavy feeling in the chest and a tendency to get weepy at the slightest thing. Not like my usual self at all, and so it was a red flag that something was out of sorts in the body's chemistry.

A temporary break in the rain for the next two days will probably help if I can get out to soak up some rays, and then we are forecast for more rain next week.

What do you do to avoid SAD? I'd be interested to hear coping strategies. Has anybody tried artificial sunlight gadgets, tell us how and if they worked for you. And please, any tips at all to avoid this would be appreciated.

It is amazing that people in the UK are as chipper as they are, considering.

 

[Slipper]

I'm interesed in this topic as well. We suspect that my oldest daughter has SAD. Of course, there's nothing we can do about it according to our pediatrician. It seems to get worse each winter.

For better or worse, I'm going to try Vit D to see if it helps at all.

Girlbug, sorry you are going through this. I hope you find something that helps.

 

[Sukerkin]

Aye, it is something that affects me too, I do confess. Of course, given my rather dour and serious nature, people usually can't tell :lol:.

I can't give any personal views on the use of the Sunlight Lamps but the anecdotal evidence is that they are pretty effective for a great many people. There is an association that focusses on this ailment, visiting their site might be of help:

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

 

[Jade Tigress]

I would definitely try a sunlight lamp. I've frequently heard them recommended for SAD. Vitamin D sounds like a good idea too. In any case, it wouldn't hurt to try either one or both. I'm sorry you are suffering with this. Please let us know what you try and if you found it helpful.

Slipper - I'm surprised the pediatrician didn't suggest a sunlamp or Vit. D. There is alot of info available on SAD. It is a real condition and there are suggested treatments. If you find something that works for your daughter, please share. And good luck for her.

 

[Flea]

I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling down. I've been dealing with that up in Oregon too - ironically, I was planning a trip to SoCal to catch some rays this week. Maybe later ...

Personally, I have a many-pronged approach. I think it's important to slow down a little when depressed - one's energy level is lower, and it's not always realistic to get as many things accomplished in the day as when one is on an even keel. I'll pace myself, and forgive myself for doing so. It's kind of like having a bad cold in a way. My head is in a fog and I can't focus, I can't sleep right, I have mystery aches and twinges, and precious little energy. It's just the way it is, and it's okay. It will blow over in time.

That said, it's important to maintain some kind of routine. Our hormones are regulated in part by our sleep/wake cycle, so it's important to be consistent with sleep hours (I think the jargon is 'sleep hygiene.') Exercise is critical, even if I just circle the block at a crawl. I stay in contact with my social network, if at a slower pace. (It's important to note that this is not the time for me to hang around with people who don't understand depression. They may be great otherwise, but 'stop feeling sorry for yourself and pull yourself up by your bootstraps' is really toxic when I'm feeling vulnerable.) Setting some goals every day is also a great technique because it gives me something to strive for and a sense of accomplishment. And I try to practice my personal brand of spirituality.

Again, I think the most important thing is to give yourself permission to wallow just a little bit. Depression really does suck. You're sick, and you shouldn't force yourself through your daily regimen any more than you would with a broken leg or a bad case of the flu. Nurture yourself as only you know best, and remember above all that it's temporary. Even if it lasts through the rest of the winter the days will lengthen and the sun will come back out of the clouds. If you like you're welcome to PM me any time for an ear and a pep talk. I'm good at that.

:angel:

 

[Slipper]

Any idea on how long it takes to feel better after starting Vitamin D? I shouldn't have waited so long to start my daughter on it. Her behavior/mood swings are bad and she cannot sleep. But during the day she won't leave her room or bed except to eat (and not much of that).

I'm not sure how to make her feel better. I'm hoping the Vit D helps.

 

[crushing]

Can it still be S.A.D. when it hits on what is otherwise a beautiful sunny summer day? If it happens on those type of days, could it be a more serious mental health problem?

 

[Carol]

Any idea on how long it takes to feel better after starting Vitamin D? I shouldn't have waited so long to start my daughter on it. Her behavior/mood swings are bad and she cannot sleep. But during the day she won't leave her room or bed except to eat (and not much of that).

I'm not sure how to make her feel better. I'm hoping the Vit D helps.

I have a clinical/chronic Vit. D deficiency, it can cause a lot of problems (e.g. back issues) often attributed to other sources. It takes a long time to titrate the levels -- 8-12 weeks. If her mood swings are so bad that they are literally affecting her ability to function as you describe, I would strongly urge you to be working with a medical professional. If Vit. D deficiency is her issue, she can be tested and treated properly. If not, you can discuss other options with experts in that field.

Personally I think you have more than a "hope it helps" situation on your hand. If your daughter came home from a friend's house with the black bruising and pain typical of a broken bone, you likely wouldn't hesitate to have her seen by an orthopedist or ER doc. Have the same respect for her brain. She'll be healthier for it.

 

[Slipper]

I have a clinical/chronic Vit. D deficiency, it can cause a lot of problems (e.g. back issues) often attributed to other sources. It takes a long time to titrate the levels -- 8-12 weeks. If her mood swings are so bad that they are literally affecting her ability to function as you describe, I would strongly urge you to be working with a medical professional. If Vit. D deficiency is her issue, she can be tested and treated properly. If not, you can discuss other options with experts in that field.

Personally I think you have more than a "hope it helps" situation on your hand. If your daughter came home from a friend's house with the black bruising and pain typical of a broken bone, you likely wouldn't hesitate to have her seen by an orthopedist or ER doc. Have the same respect for her brain. She'll be healthier for it.

Thanks Carol. I'm sorry, I realized I left out the fact that she has autism (I forget to do that at times because I hate to preface things with 'this is my daughter, she has autism' - leftover habit from 'focus on the person, not the disability'). She's considered severely impaired - she is 11 yrs old, non-verbal, limited comprehension. Two years ago, in January she started having significant OCD-ish behaviors. We were in the middle of moving and her behaviors were attributed to that. Because of how significantly she's impaired, doctors are hesitant to diagnose her with other things because of how autism interferes in her life. (For example, she eats glass, dirt, sand, string, foam, insulation, etc but cannot get a pica diagnosis as this behavior is attributed to autism). I was able to get an anxiety diagnosis (and medication two years ago). Things eased up in March/April but that was attributed to the medication.

Last year, the behaviors returned late December and we suspected seizures. She had three EEG's (all normal), MRI (normal), 3 check-ups with an optometrist (normal), numerous appointments with our pediatrician, endocrinologist, neurologist and psychiatrist (they upped her meds but reduced them when it made things worse). They conducted lots of labwork. At that point, I brought up SAD because the time frame was similar to the previous year. It also went away in March/April. Our pediatrician said he wanted to see if it continued to happen for another year or two.

This year, they again tried to up her medication in October (to prepare for her winter-time blah's) and she developed serotonin syndrome and some really bad behaviors (and blood in her urine). They had to dramatically reduce her medication. Our insurance has changed and our new provider does not cover autism so none of her psych and neuro visits are covered (we pay full price). Because of the serotonin syndrome (which involved multiple doctor visits and the hospital), our pediatrician is not comfortable prescribing any medication (and I don't blame him). However, I can't afford the psych visits because to adjust her meds would require several visits(130-220 apiece).

My husband recently lost his second job but we still make too much for outside assistance. We've tried various vitamin/supplement therapies with her before with our pediatrician's full consent and knowledge. He's aware that I plan on trying Vit D with her this winter.

Not only do I not really know what else to do, neither do they. We can try various meds but it was almost fatal for her previously and I'm not sure I'm ready to do that even if we could afford it. At this point, we're going to do what we did last year, which was to keep her home (or check her out of school) when she simply couldn't function and comfort her at home as best we could.

I realize it may sound as if I'm just throwing things against the wall to see what sticks. And I realize that for someone who is diagnosed with low Vit D (such as yourself), I probably seem a bit too casual with treatment. So far, it's the best fit, although you're right in that I could go ahead and get her VitD levels checked.

Any parent or pet owner knows that their baby/pet makes different noises/cries based on situations. My daughter doesn't speak, but I know her. She has differing behaviors throughout the year, but the majority are based on OCD needs (chairs placed a certain way, re-tracing steps, etc). Significant changes in routine bring about mild self-injury, lots of sleeping after the stress (such as after school if it's a change at school) and changes in patterns of eating. This is different and it's the third year that it's happened around this time frame. We've been through every test every doctor suggested and every treatment they wanted to try (other than admission into the psych ward at Children's Hospital and that was only for restraint/behavior control - not because they thought it would help - it would have been for our benefit, not hers). I plan to try any option open to me that won't harm her.

Sorry for the book!

 

[Carol]

Wow I didn't realize you were facing that many challenges! :asian: I do wish you all the best with her.

My concern wasn't so much that you were being too casual (believe me, I don't take this stuff personally ) but that you may not be doing enough to be truly effective.

If you can afford to get her levels checked, I would recommend doing it for two reasons. One, prescription Vit. D supplementation is stronger and purer than what you can find in a vitamin store. It took me 12 weeks to get my levels back to normal, and that is with an Rx strength supplement. An OTC strength just may not be enough. I have tried myself using a high dosage of OTC vitamin D when my script ran out, and had very unpleasant side effects as a result -- it is just not made to the same standard.

Another is, if an adult truly bottoms out with a vit. D deficiency, resupplementation often has to be for life. I don't know if that is the case for children or not, or if this is something that can change with the coming years. But if she does have to be on the supps long term, you need to know about that. It will make both your lives easier

Best of luck!!

 

[Slipper]

Thanks. She goes to the hospital for specialty labwork (liver function and such) twice a year. I'll ask they include that the next time we go (Feb/March).

Crushing, sorry, I forgot to reply to your question last night (bad weather and poor internet). I believe there is a reverse SAD. These feelings come about in sunny weather around spring and leave in the fall. That's the extent of my knowledge though. Try googling Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder and see what you can find out. All the best.

 

[harlan]

My strategies:

1. Mental: knowing that the longest night of the year is around 12/21 I keep the Xmas tree up as long as possible through January. Positive attitude, 'fake it till you make it', kinda thing.

2. I've discovered that prescription strength Vit. D from the doctor has made a BIG difference. (Once a week pill...doesn't compare to the stuff off the shelves.)

3. Optimizing natural light at work and home (no shades or blinds, and light colored walls).

4. I synchronize my day to be out and about when the sun is up.

 

[Slipper]

I wanted to post back with an update. I did follow Carol's suggestion and had her Vit D levels checked (I went ahead and made an appointment with our pediatrician). She is apparently very low on Vit D (the nurse didn't give me the numbers, just said she was very low). They didn't prescribe anything, just told me to use OTC but I thought I would let you know. I doubt it helps for this year, but I'm hoping for a better next winter!

Thank you!

We're trying to keep her outside as much as the weather will allow. That seems to be helping somewhat as she loves being outdoors. Now if only the weather would dry up so she didn't come in covered with mud!