Long Nights / Dark Nights...anyone else depressed?

Now that we are rapidly heading towards winter is anyone else getting slightly depressed by the long, cold nights that we are enduring and going to have to endure for atleast the next four or five months?

I am studying in night class for A-Levels whilst working full time and personally it is depressing when you come home from work and it is cold, dark and wet.

Is anyone else affected by this time of year and if so what is the best way to get over it?

Reply 1

Perplexed

I have a pretty poor reaction to long cold nights too.

It's especially noticeable when the clocks go back and it's getting dark before 5pm.

If you're really effected by it, maybe you're a sufferer of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)... the medical definition being: "A psychological phenomenon that brings on feelings of depression, fatigue and irritability caused by a lack of sunlight".

Maybe you could consider fitting these kinds of bulbs: http://www.verilux.net/products.htm (there's probably a more local supplier, but that page seemed pretty informative).

Alternatively... I know it sounds cheesy, but watch holiday TV programmes about really warm places. Helps me. :biggrin:

Reply 2

Adhsur

No I'm not - the darker the better...it just means Christmas is approachinG! yayyyyyyyyyyy!!!

Reply 3

Perplexed

LOL - I guess that's an upside.

Reply 4

king of swords

Alec

LOL - I guess that's an upside.

Well if you have SAD, you're not the only one...I have it too.

Reply 5

Unregistered

you lot certainly are SAD lol, i couldnt describe it better lol.

Reply 6

king of swords

Unregistered

you lot certainly are SAD lol, i couldnt describe it better lol.

Now you understand why no-one wants you here.

Reply 7

Perplexed

king of swords

Well if you have SAD, you're not the only one...I have it too.

I don't think I can really classify myself as suffering from it, I can just emphasize with some of the symptoms.

Reply 8

Mark_KK

Alec

I don't think I can really classify myself as suffering from it, I can just emphasize with some of the symptoms.

I too do not feel as though I have S.A.D. although the long dark nights do drag.

Reply 9

theone

Adhsur

No I'm not - the darker the better...it just means Christmas is approachinG! yayyyyyyyyyyy!!!

But it means we can't play football at night anymore.

I really hate getting the bus in the morning in near darkness and getting the bus home in near darkness! :frown:

Reply 10

Mark_KK

theone

But it means we can't play football at night anymore.

I really hate getting the bus in the morning in near darkness and getting the bus home in near darkness! :frown:

Yup, same here. I go to work in the morning in near darkness, I come home and its near darkness.

Perhaps we could somehow look to altering the entire structure of the day during these winter months so that people have their leisure / free time when it's light.

This would involve a pretty radical change of the working day constituting 8pm to like 5am however it would be nice to come home, have some leisure time in the light and then have a sleep ready for work.

There again maybe not! Infact, no just forget I ever mentioned it!!!

Reply 11

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Mark_KK

Yup, same here. I go to work in the morning in near darkness, I come home and its near darkness.

*near* darkness - now that would be nice. Since the clocks changed I've had to start bringing a torch into work for the walk across campus to my car (I have appalling night vision and street lights make it worse through the glare) :frown:

Reply 12