Seasonal Depression

[MrME]

This time of the year, near the end of Winter, I start to feel a little down on myself. Does anybody else experience this, and if so, what do you to combat it? I have all kinds of full-spectrum lightbulbs at home, but they're not helping any more.

I tend to get overly critical of myself and others. Unfortunately, this manifests itself online as well as off, so if I say something asshole-ish, please point it out. I don't mean to be this way.

This behavior leads to "worry loops." I'll say something mean-spirited or just plain thoughtless and get a negative reaction. Then I'll obsessively guilt myself over it until I become mentally incapacitated.

*sigh* Hate this.

 

[Lady_X]

aww...i know what you mean a lil bit. for me it's the staying in too much and i don't really realize it until i find i'm just being grumpy...bring on the spring please!

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

This time of the year, near the end of Winter, I start to feel a little down on myself. Does anybody else experience this, and if so, what do you to combat it? I have all kinds of full-spectrum lightbulbs at home, but they're not helping any more.

I tend to get overly critical of myself and others. Unfortunately, this manifests itself online as well as off, so if I say something asshole-ish, please point it out. I don't mean to be this way.

This behavior leads to "worry loops." I'll say something mean-spirited or just plain thoughtless and get a negative reaction. Then I'll obsessively guilt myself over it until I become mentally incapacitated.

*sigh* Hate this.

I would combat it by 1) taking responsibility for your actions and refusing to lash out at people or push their buttons even though it soothes your depression and
2) taking the asshole-ish persona and using it AGAINST the critical voices, telling them to STFU and demanding respect in a very firm and serious voice.

 

[MrME]

aww...i know what you mean a lil bit. for me it's the staying in too much and i don't really realize it until i find i'm just being grumpy...bring on the spring please!

Thanks for the hug, erin.

I never got hit with seasonal depression until I moved back to Minnesota from California. The Winters here can really wear on you once you've been someplace with good weather year-round, even a homebody like myself.

My ESTP roommate gets hit with it REALLY hard, so I can't help but wonder if I'm also absorbing her depression a bit.

Seriously, though, the warm sun can't arrive soon enough.

 

[BlackCat]

I'm actually the opposite. I thrive in the winter time, I actually want to get out of my house. I get depressed when it gets too hot to do anything. I'm usually forced to stay in the house or otherwise socialize.

 

[MrME]

I would combat it by 1) taking responsibility for your actions and refusing to lash out at people or push their buttons even though it soothes your depression

Okay, maybe I needed to be clearer. I don't intentionally lash out to make myself feel better. I don't intentionally lash out at all, ever. I always try to be mindful of what I'm saying and how I say it ... this failsafe is just much, much weaker when I'm under a lot of stress.

When I do catch myself before I've said something critical, I will censor myself. But, I don't always catch it until it's already said and done. When I do catch it after-the-fact, I will guilt myself out for doing it ... which deepens the depression and makes me even worse.

"Lash out" might be a bit extreme for this discussion, but we'll use it for the sake of brevity.

 

[MrME]

I'm actually the opposite. I thrive in the winter time, I actually want to get out of my house. I get depressed when it gets too hot to do anything. I'm usually forced to stay in the house or otherwise socialize.

Aw, man, that sucks. I never realized that summer could affect somebody this way.

California pampers you. Oakland and San Francisco were almost always between 40 and 80 degrees, although there was an occasional 100+ summer day -- but they weren't so bad because, yup, it was a dry heat.

Of course, there are earthquakes on occasion.

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

Okay, maybe I needed to be clearer. I don't intentionally lash out to make myself feel better. I don't intentionally lash out at all, ever. I always try to be mindful of what I'm saying and how I say it ... this failsafe is just much, much weaker when I'm under a lot of stress.

When I do catch myself before I've said something critical, I will censor myself. But, I don't always catch it until it's already said and done. When I do catch it after-the-fact, I will guilt myself out for doing it ... which deepens the depression and makes me even worse.

"Lash out" might be a bit extreme for this discussion, but we'll use it for the sake of brevity.

Hm. I think this happens subconsciously in most people, where they strike at people because they get off on seeing them suffer. I'm making it sound like a horrible thing, but I do it myself. I'm just being blunt about it.

 

[BlackCat]

Aw, man, that sucks. I never realized that summer could affect somebody this way.

My sinuses are weird, when it gets too hot or too dry I get nosebleeds. When it's a combination I really just want to stay in my house. I have long hair, and the feeling of hair sticking to your neck due to sweat is just a no no, I hate it. That reason alone makes me not want to do anything in the summer time. I also hate the summer because it seems like no matter how hard I try to cool off I always end up still being hot. In the winter time, all I have to do is put on a coat and I feel fine. Nothing like a crisp mountain winter around here. Oftentimes in the winter I'll go on my favorite hikes and walks, but in the summer I peek outside, my face gets fried and I withdraw back into my house.

I know I'm weird for this, but I really like the whole dead trees look. There's nothing like an extra cloudy (but not rainy) day and seeing all those dead trees, everything looks delightfully dreary. Also when it's winter my pollen allergy doesn't kill me. Just thinking about it makes me want to go outside.

 

[MrME]

Hm. I think this happens subconsciously in most people, where they strike at people because they get off on seeing them suffer. I'm making it sound like a horrible thing, but I do it myself. I'm just being blunt about it.

That's no worry. I don't think I function this way. Lashing out is extremely disconcerting to me, it means there is something seriously wrong with me. I thrive on harmony and good relations, even with people I'm not particularly fond of.

Although, yeah, I will occasionally feel some schadenfreude if I witness or read about some form of poetic justice against a particularly corrupt individual. (*cough cough* BLAGOJEVICH *cough cough*)

 

[Tiny Army]

I become completely miserable when it snows or is really cold.

Rain cheers me up, though.

 

[AOA]

Don't know if it's fever (of allergy), but feeling a little 'bored' myself - for a couple of days now.

... can't say I like this part of the year, too.

 

[EcK]

winter tunes me down. I hate it to hell.

 

[Lady_X]

[youtube=JhZb4BB4J1U]<she's only happy in the sun> [/youtube]

 

[Nonsensical]

I was just thinking about it today, and I do get seasonally depressed. This time of the year is the worst, but the spring/early summer are when I'm most happy.

To combat this depressive morose feeling, I usually just look to do things I haven't done in a long time, go certain places I haven't been in a while, listen to new music, watch movies, or just anything out of the ordinary to change the setting of air.

 

[AOA]

Don't know if it's fever (of allergy), but feeling a little 'bored' myself - for a couple of days now.

... can't say I like this part of the year, too.

Alright, looks like it's fever - feeling exhausted, and not thinking straight.

... seriously off to bed at any moment.

 

[527468]

I'm actually the opposite. I thrive in the winter time, I actually want to get out of my house. I get depressed when it gets too hot to do anything. I'm usually forced to stay in the house or otherwise socialize.

That sounds like the typical INFP. And I've heard the rain and cold weather spawns my creative side, makes me happier, etc.

 

[cascadeco]

I never got hit with seasonal depression until I moved back to Minnesota from California. The Winters here can really wear on you once you've been someplace with good weather year-round, even a homebody like myself.

I know what you mean about MN winters. I've been through the past 9 of them (erm...I shouldn't count this winter, as I've been away for much of it!), and I'm getting the hell out in another couple of months!

I think a lot of it is simply cabin fever, to be honest. Feeling stuck and trapped indoors, because with good reason you don't feel like leaving the house once you get home. I think forcing yourself out, even though you don't feel like it, would help a lot. Getting a gym membership, maybe - or any other avenue/outlet that would get you out at least a couple of times a week. It can be incredibly hard to force yourself out in the winter, but...mentally/emotionally it can work wonders.

It may be a seasonal depression thing for you; I wouldn't know. I realized 3-4 years ago that for myself, it's not the case. And given the fact that the vast majority of Minnesotans are downright irritable and on edge beginning the end of Feb and extending all throughout March, I think a lot of it is just 'normal' --- just a human thing. Who DOES like being stuck inside for months on end? It's not natural. ;-) (I put a smiley face there, but I'm also quite serious.)

 

[alicia91]

I have the same issue. In my case it just manifests itself as lack of motivation and general irritability. I did a little research on light-boxes and decided to buy this model. It really helps. Though last year the winter was sunny enough that I didn't need it as long as I walked my dogs daily. This winter I thought I was going to be OK also, but I think I'm going to get started.

Light therapy seasonal affective disorder SAD lightbox

I bought a new one on Ebay.

 

[sculpting]

I moved up north at the age of 25 and lived there for five years. Right around October of every year I would become irritable and quite depressed. My elementary school kid also would act very irritable-even when he was still in year round preschool. By December the worst was past and I noticed around Feburaray I would be almost manic in my energy levels. I was running 20-30 miles a week and still could not sleep much.



Back home in TX where the extremes are not so severe I see none of this.

Online for about 150 bucks you can buy a little lamp that you sit in front of and read for half an hour a day. It helps regulate this a little better.