Anyone here suffer from S.A.D

RedDragon

Or Seasonal Affective Disorder
I know I'm not the only one but it used to feel like I was.
Anyone suffer from it.

Reply 1

HeadShock

1 in 3 suffer., its common

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

Yeh I seem to get affected around winter-time, this year is the first for about 6 that I've not been affected. I usually either comfort eat so my weight goes up or starve myself so my weight goes down (this is from one year to the next, my weight stabilises in the summer then goes one way or the other in the winter). I also noticed that when I was self-harming it got a lot worse in winter.

Reply 3

Little Girl Red

I definitely get it, compounded by the fact that I have the worst immune system in the history of the world, so am almost constantly unwell throughout the winter. Makes summer such a happy time!!

Reply 4

ChanandlerBong

Yes, I have it. I'm thinking of buying one of those lights. Btw, anybody have one? Are they effective?

Reply 5

icedout

Definitely this year I felt it. It didn't ruin my life but I could tell when my mood lifted on random sunny days that winter was getting me down. I don't know how bad it gets for some people though, I could function as normal but felt a little more depressed.

Reply 6

RetiredAccount89

HeadShock

1 in 3 suffer., its common

No they don't.
1 in 3 suffer from a touch of the winter blues.
It denigrates SAD as a disease to say 1 in 3 suffer from it. I would doubt more than 2 or 3 people on this site could possibly suffer from it, whereas dozens no doubt claim to.

You saying you have SAD is like someone a bit unhappy saying they suffer depression.

Reply 7

mrteacher

RedDragon

Or Seasonal Affective Disorder
I know I'm not the only one but it used to feel like I was.
Anyone suffer from it.

wow they give names to everything. my psychological report included stuff like: X suffers from PC103X and LP35W or something along those lines and u r like what? :cool:

as mr chavez said, I don't think that people can be labbled as S.A.D. when they just get a bit moody with the seasons. i am sure almost everyone gets that, it is only natural. i am not saying here that you are not S.A.D.

Reply 8

-Kav-

Of course, it's easy to scoff at any individual you come across who claims to have SAD but until there's some manner of definitive, preferably chemical, test for it you may as well scoff at everyone who claims to have it. It is utterly impossible as a layman to distinguish between a whinger who gets a bit moody and someone who is badly affected but puts a brave face on it. One would suspect that both sets of people would be met with equal cynicism.

Reply 9

RetiredAccount89

Pineappolis

I scoff at anyone that claims to have a disease of this type who has never visited a psychiatrist about it.
For the love of cheese, the people suffering this actually try to commit suicide, harm themselves etc during winter. their lives fall apart.

Psychiatry is not something people can self diagnose. like with many other peopel you see on this site, they have a handful of vague minor symptoms and they convince themselves it is something horrific.

But with psych disease that bugs me, because sufferers have those problems cronically, and are oftn misunderstood.
it is because of those whiney buggers who have a little bit of low mood and call it depression that those people who seriously suffer despression - an extrememly debilitating often chronic disease are so poorly treated by society.

That's my 2 cents anyway. no doubt those who seriously suffer will applaud me, and those who deep down know they are actually fine will attack me.

Reply 10

RedDragon

Its a real thing SAD there's depression then there's SAD which can in some more serious cases cause people to self harm or commit suicide.

Reply 11

-Kav-

If you met someone who was diagnosed with SAD and they used it as an excuse for something, would your first reaction be to sit them down and ask about the nature of their problems and their diagnosis, or would you just assume that they're just a bit 'down in the dumps' because that's the case most of the time?

I suspect that it would be a very easy mistake.

Reply 12

RedDragon

when you start wishing you could just curl up and die I don't think thats normal down in the dumps.The problem with SAD is that there are no physical signs you have it so people think your making it up to get attention.Which isn't true.

Reply 13

RetiredAccount89

Pineappolis

if they were diagnosed by a psychiatrist then in would entirely believe them.
but half the people on here going on about SAD have not been diagnosed whatsoever. At best some of them have been told by the GP they MIGHT have SAD.

And RedDragon you should realise depression - whether seasonal or just affective in nature is more than just low mood. its not a scale of just how awfully low a mood you are in. there are multiple physical symptoms.

I hope someone on this site who genuinely has had severe depression would talk to you guys and make you understand this.

Reply 14

-Kav-

I do genuinely see where you're coming from and, yes, you are almost certainly right. I'm just say that it is much easier for someone who doesn't have the condition to hold such views in principle than it is for them to put them into practice. If you would be prepared to sit down and talk to everyone who said they suffered from depression in order to establish whether or not there was a medical basis for it, no matter how long a day you'd had or similar, then I have absolutely no problem with what you're saying.

Reply 15

high priestess fnord

im a happy person. but i have to admit after a long time indoors during the winter u finally get out into the sunshine, it really does lift your mood. im sure the majority of ppl feel this but im a little sceptical about labeling it as a phycological problem.