Seasonal Affective Disorder affects millions of people around the world. Does anyone else feel that they are impacted by this?

The what? The only thing I suffer from is the Notenoughgunitis Disorder.

No, but I will confess to an occasional bout of hesperian depression. (I have often thought they changed the name just to get the acronym. That's sad).

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Not in jail.

It's a feeling of everything is dying around you, plants, etc during the fall. It's going to rejuvenate in the springtime but it's sadness in the fall. It's not as pretty in the wintertime to them.

I like all the seasons even in the winter the stick season as it's called when the leaves fall to reveal nature's views.

Yes, for sure.

When we lived in the Northeast, I dreaded winter and found it hard to stay cheerful.

Most winters, after blowing the snow from our 200 foot gravel driveway, I joked about trading the cold January or February months for a second July or August.

We live in Arizona now. I got my wish.

Life is good.

Probably. I don't know, what is it?

This pretty much covers it for me. I absolutely despise everything about winter. In a couple years I'll be in AZ also.

I can't wait.

In Vermont on the radio they play holiday music really early. Maybe that makes the season more cheerful.

Oh, heck. That's not so bad. It means hunting season! Every season has its rewards.

With under four hours of sun and many cloudy days several of my coworkers have various degrees of symptoms. All have had levels of success using the daylight lamps with special bulbs for a time period early in the day. Bright full spectrum light has many benefits when used right.

My psychiatrist maintains that such is a misnomer, that people suffer from underlying depression or other issues and the symptoms are simply more severe at certain times. He might have a point.

Light Therapy has been effective in many people. Good luck.

Does wanting to punch the ones that say "Happy Holidays" instead of Merry Christmas count?

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Why duck?? It's a 9mm!

I would have real trouble living somewhere gloomy with infrequent (or near-nonexistent) sunny days.

The Dreaded it gets dark at 4:00 p.m. syndrome?

Couped up alone with your nagging wife, for way too long syndrome?

Nothing on TV but reruns that you've already watched (twice) syndrome?

You look forward to going to the mailbox, just to get out of the house, even just for a few minutes syndrome?

You make excuses to go out into the garage and just stand there, knowing good and well you don't have anything to do out there syndrome? (See syndrome #2 above!)

Tired of smelling your dog passing gas syndrome?

Tired of the phone ringing, because it's just your sister-in-law with the latest gossip for your wife and talking about people you don't know or ever want to know syndrome?

Look forward to your next Doctors Appointment just get out othe house syndrome? See number 2 again.

Naah, I don't know what your talking about.

I used to get it. Not so much now that I'm retired. I get out more during the daylight.

I prefer to look at it as Reloading Season....

Fresh air,sunlight and exercise help

[QUOTE=Captain O;138826041]Seasonal Affective Disorder affects millions of people around the world. [/QUOT]

My wife says that I suffer from "yearly defective disorder " Does that count?

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Not so Free in the Free State

I've lived in AZ since birth. I don't like short winter days and the low angle of the sun. As long as it's sunny I'm sort of alright, but several short dark days of winter rain will put me in a foul mood that nothing helps. So maybe.
It gets cold here. Our mornings lately are running about 15 degrees. What I love about winter is the absence of flies and mosquitoes. Hate 'em.

The Fall harvest is in and the last of the hay is cut and bailed. The firewood is cut and stacked. Spring planting won’t begin for a couple more months. Winter is the time of year I slow down a bit and enjoy hobbies that I can’t seem to get enough time for during the other seasons.

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A gun has no brain.. use yours

Absolutely

Until I moved South

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Compact 9mm Just my $0.02

I'll drink to that!

You mean these things are not normal.

It hit me hard last year on Nov. 11. Why Nov. 11 I have no idea. Lasted till Jan. 26. Why I don't know. Just did. Dr. said hell I don't know! This year I'm fine. Might even buy a wreath are something. Probably not maybe make some crosses from floor nails. Welding is fun.

Idk but going to work in the dark and driving home in it suck.

So does time changes. Summer here in N. TX, it's light till almost 9:00 right now dark at 5:30.

I'd love an arid, sunny climate like AZ. The hottest, driest part of the summer is the only time I get any relief from my allergies.

Pardon me if I make some people mad, but I consider this to be along the lines of Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Restless Leg Syndrome, Gluten Sensitivity (it's not an allergy because you don't go in to anaphylactic shock, you just fart and get a headache), and Social Anxiety Disorder.

Made up afflictions to fit somebody's changing moods or inability to push through a little discomfort, social or physical. Exacerbated by the fact that if you put on enough about it, the government will declare you disabled and send you a check.

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

More people that live above the 45 paralla suffer from SAD then other place. Some way to best it is with a lite box the comes on early in the morning it starts out with a very low level light and gets brighter over a few hours to appoint the it appears to be sun light at 6:00am. Keep your currents open during the day. use brighter bulbs in your lamps. Lights placed at a level just above eye level. all this help the eyes produce a chemical the goes to the brain and helps regulate dopeamin (sp).

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Carpriver.

Nope, I love winter in the Ozarks, my favorite time of year next to fall.

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- Change it back -

I bet those are expensive. Two questions:

Can you get a prescription for one?

Will Medicare/Medicaid pay for it?

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Sometime Medicare will pay your doctor has to prescribe it. Some people made their own using full spectrum light tubes and a timer and a frosted glass panel. I am sure there are plans on line.

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Carpriver.

Thank your for buttressing my point . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Living at a latitude 33 degrees, I don't get much SAD, but a few things do bother me. I don't like the winter sun in my eyes while I'm driving. I don't like it to rain more than three days straight. I don't like continuous hot weather. I like a little stormy weather now and then but a steady wind going for days seems to make me really nervous and edgy. There's no way I could live in OK.

It's no wonder that Finland has such a heavy rate of alcoholism. Dark and freezing butt cold for most of the year. I don't think Murmansk would be such a hot place to live either.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Born and reared in wet side of Oregon my Father was from central Texas. One especially dark, wet, cold winter I asked him why in the heck he stayed here. He paused and said, "Well. at least the weather doesn't kill you here." I had no argument to offer.

Honestly I just go to the outside range more during the winter. Gets me out of the house and usually not many people there. Great stress reliever!

I honestly can't stop laughing - because I know some people are bout ready to stroke out caused by "butt hurt", after reading this.

I would suggest the movie "Stripes"

"Lighten up, Francis"

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

That's ok. You aren't the only one that feels that way.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I'll drink to that, too. That is nothing, I'll drink to nearly anything.......

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

I've read the Pacific NW and Seattle impacts folks due to many days of rain clouds fog etc gives one the feeling of gloom and doom that brings on depression type symptoms.

When younger I loved winter, hunting and tracking in the snow in leaky boots with cotton socks and cotton longhandles enjoying it.

Now I sit in my blind with a propane heater with hot coffee hot meals while wearing my gortex clothes and boots with moisture wicking wool long handles. The experience is enjoyed but differently.

Perhaps the syndrome for some is attached to ones age.

Please feel free to reference the scientific papers that say these things do not exist.

I don't suffer from SAD, mainly because I am genetically disposed to living in a bunker according to some friends. Others suggest nuclear submarines.

Back in the UK I saw folk with SAD quite often. No surprise given the recurrent thick overcast and nearly all the country being North of the 50th parallel. Some SAD sufferers got quite huffy at those of us who simply shrugged at winter.

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Release the Kraken

Pardon me for saying consider yourself lucky to have never experienced any of the above. Your opinion doesn't hurt my feelings, but I have a little experience with two of the issues you listed.

For several years after I first got sober, living here in the great Northwet, by the time late winter/early spring rolled around I'd be pretty darned depressed. With a little counseling I realized that I had always had the problem, I just drowned it in booze for a long time. After a number of years of sobriety, having met and married my wonderful wife (who makes me very happy), and learning some techniques to manage it I now know how to beat it when that time of year comes around. Been beating those cabin-fever blues every winter for 20+ years now.

And RLS is no made up or joke affliction either. I have a mild case of it that will occasionally keep me awake. The only way I can describe it is a feeling like pressure or static charge building up in the small of your back accompanied by an almost tingling sensation (like the pins-and-needles feeling when your foot falls asleep). Once it starts the only way to "relieve the pressure" or "discharge the static buildup" is to move your legs. When you do the sensation goes away for a minute or two and then comes right back - requiring you to move again to get relief. It occasionally crops up when I'm sitting, and the only cure is to walk it off. Sometimes it passes in just a few minutes, sometimes it can persist for an hour or more. Very irritating and uncomfortable.

So like I said, consider yourself lucky that you can discount other peoples ailments because YOU have never experienced them.

This is my favorite time of the year.
Don't have to mow the lawn.
No expensive electric bill/no ac.
Holidays and time off from work.
Don't sweat my butt off from physical exertion.

Some people will gripe about anything.

...or pushed by the Pharmaceutical companies to expand the market for "Happy Pills". come up with a drug and invent a disease for it.

SAD is made up. Or not:

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)-Topic Overview

Sometimes anti depressants work. The trick is to not expect an instant miracle, and to find the right one and the right dose. It is far from an exact science.

Usually the winter is my favorite time of year. No bugs, no snakes. No heat. When I lived just south of Fairbanks(cold) it never bothered me either. But I must admit...winter is long up there. I must say that As I get older I don't go outside as much but it doesn't seem to really make any difference. And I also agree many of these "diseases" that the medical people foist off on us are, while probably real, are a way to sell more drugs and get us into the office/clinic more often. In some cases a way to separate us from more of our money. I must admit that does depress me somewhat Not saying they don't exist...just saying most of us can deal with them much easier than we think. Hell, I take 'nuff medication for the heart stuff now...Don't want no mo' for anything

Yep get it every summer, hot and nasty weather.
Give me 60 or lower and everything is great.

My daughter lives on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. She's always putting the full court press on her mother and me to move down there. I've got no use for winter. The older I get, the less I like it. That said, if you live where I do, you learn to deal with it. Things are a mess after a foot or two dump. In a day or so, the streets are plowed, as are most sidewalk and driveways. In other words, somewhat back to normal. I was in Ocean Springs and Biloxi before and after Katrina. There are still areas that haven't recovered. Never thought I'd say this, but given the choice between winter and hurricanes, I'll take winter.

Hurricanes are rare at any one spot. Winter is annual. And lasts for months.