The winter blues support thread - GET IN HERE

[rave23]

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen,

i am sitting here, staring out the window, around 4:30pm on a rainy afternoon, and it occurred to me, that i have not once seen the sun today. I mean... the sun is out there, but all in all, it's dark.

I can't be the only one that feels affected by the low hours of light, the short days, and the cold, wet, miserable, cloudy weather.

It feels as if i am consuming more and more drugs, only during this time of year, to somehow cheer myself up. During summer, i don't have that problem. Stepping outside on a nice sunny day, when you can feel the sun hug your face, is more uplifting than any drug use by yourself will ever be.

So i am wondering. How do you cope with it? How do you cope with darkness 18 hours a day? How do you cope with never ever finding enough clothes to be warm enough outside? How do you cope with constantly not being able to see shit outdoors due to your pupils being constricted in low light conditions (opiate user here)? How do you cope with spending the only 6 light hours out there working in an artificial lit convenience store? The cold blue glow of fluorescent tubes always brings back the memories of winter...

I love snow... for the reason that snow amplifies light, and with snow, it somehow seems to stay out bright, for longer.


Now it's your turn to ramble on about how the winter depresses you, and i will listen, and comment as i see the need.
Maybe, in this thread, we can cheer each other up, and help ourselves get through the long, dark days of winter.

Hope ya'll having a better day then i do

 

[effie]

Excellent idea for a thread rave23, thank you!

I too suffer from winter blues, seasonal affective disorder or general worsening of my depression in the winter.. I don't have much time to post here now unfortunately but I shall certainly be returning when I do.

I hope youe day turns out better than you think it will

 

[Dave]

I think that most people are affected at least somewhat by the reduced sunlight. I never really noticed it in myself until I finally got treatment for my overarching depression and anxiety. Since then, each winter has gotten a bit worse.

So I've started taking a bit of vitamin D. So far it seems to have lightened my mood somewhat, but it could well be placebo too. Still, I feel better, and it's not likely doing much harm.

All that aside, I do love winter. Proper nights, lots of jackets, warm, comforting food. Mmmm.

 

[Legerity]

Yeah winter sucks but it comes back every single time. I find it enjoyable coming into a warm building after freezing outside which is not much different than enjoying the relief after a headache. Aside from that I just try to accept it and it never ends up being as bad as I expected.

 

[J-ho]

Today was the first day it snowed...I feel so shitty, keep thinking about what would happen if I killed myself or how I could do it, but I'd never put the plan into action...just eases my mind knowing that I could call er quits at anytime haha, fuck it though gonna stick it out till the end...funny part is I'm not even addicted to drugs

 

[effie]

J-ho, I am very sorry you are feeling that way

I'm really glad you wouldn't put the plan into action.. I know what a heavy burden it is feeling like that but knowing you don't have that option though. I would really urge you to talk to people about how you are feeling.. friends, family, professionals and of course us. Things can seem a lot more hopeless in the winter but the feelings will pass.. if you ever want to talk about these feelings in more detail, we have a suicide support thread at the top of the forum or you are free to start your own thread. Don't suffer in silence

One tactic I use for combatting winter blues is to focus (or try to focus) on the positives - wooly jumpers, mittens, scarves and hats (ideally brightly coloured and bobbled), snuggling under blankets, fuzzy slippers, hot chestnuts, hot chocolate, hot soup, hot baked potatoes (see a pattern emerging? hehe) doesn't always work ofc, but there are a lot of things I do like about winter, despite my general mood tending to take a slide..

One thing I was meaning to ask here - does anyone have any experience with lightboxes for SAD (best acronym ever :D)? My family have mentioned getting me one, but I really don't know if they are worth it.. anyone tried it?

 

[herbavore]

My sister swears by one, Effie. She lives in the pacific northwest and uses it when it gets extreme for her in the late winter/spring.

 

[Dave]

I think that they're great; they just feel nice. Don't have one myself, but might invest in one soon.

Seriously though: vitamin D. Just a bit will do you.

I haven't seen the sun during the week since mid-October. At best, if it's clear I might see the first tendrils of sunrise as I'm stepping into work, but most days it's nothing. It'll be like this until late March/early April. Still love winter, but I miss the sun already.

 

[Thou]

Thank the good lord I'm not in upstate New York this winter.

That was a year that almost broke me, spent under unyielding duress and constant calamity. Walking to work in -19 degree weather to work 16 shifts in shady nursing homes...

I think it was a test, and it didn't break me. Now I can not only rebuild, but withstand anything you can throw at me. I am no longer afraid to die because we are all one and there is no such thing as death.

I've been working on stomping out the cynical "fear" sides and reinforicing my nurturing "love" sides of my persona to achieve happiness.

That and scarves. I FUCKING LOVE SCARVES AND GLOVES

 

[Dave]

^Fuck yea. Scarves rule all! Gloves are okay, but a good scarf, with the right coat/jacket, is essential.

 

[effie]

Yay for the scarf-love! My current fave is super-long (like ridiculously so) and red-and-black striped :D

Thanks for the advice on lightboxes guys. I think I will give it a go, and will report back

 

[Thou]

This climate is making it awfully hard to get out of bed in the morning, and I'm up to 3 quilts already and it's not even December.