I'm Sick With S.A.D.

“"Shorter days seem to trigger symptoms."
'Talk therapy' may help chase away winter blues, study finds”

“Cognitive/behavior therapy is the most effective therapy for depression. So spill yer guts - we're here for you!”

“I do, toejam, but they just get chewed-up and spit back at me.”

“Now, now, nowslimmer, is it really as bad as all that? This is a loving, caring group that actually backpacks together. It's not like anybody thinks you are a troll. Let's not over-react.”

“I feel like a voice in the wilderness. Whenever I cry out on TT, people seem to disappear.

---

And now with shorter days, there are more hours for TT. Where's all the togetherness?

---

BTW, I do troll, but I seem to fail at it.
last edited: 11/26/05 8:15:32 AM”

“Don't worry, be happy. Most of the regulars are still seeping off last night's indulgences and a couple of days of feasting.”

“Things just improved! My coffee cup is full. Hmmm.”

“When your coffee cup is empty again, things will be even better.”

“My aunt has this, too. So she has a Jesus light. She calls it that because when it's on, the room seems to glow. ;)”

“Great, when the coffee is finished, that's when I'll check my e-mail. At least I know some of the TT girls love me.

SAD used to be worse in Minnesota, waiting for the Spring that never came. Then, finally, one day it would be summer and the world looked great.
last edited: 11/26/05 8:36:09 AM”

“I suffered from S.A.D. for decades. From about Oct 19th through November, I had all the symptoms, ie: cravings for sweets and starches, fatigue, irritability, social withdrawal and depression, in spades. I suffered through this even in India, where days were in the 80's, cloudless and sunny while nights were in the low 70's/high 60's; I can say with some certitude that it had nothing to do with temperature but everything to do with length of day light.

Since receiving Chemo and radiation treatments for my tongue cancer I've not had one symptom of S.A.D. and I don't miss it one bit! I've also not caught a cold or had the flu. It's been 4 years now...weird, huh?”

“That's cute, Ruby.

I'm happy you're OK, mataharihiker.

I would enjoy hearing about your experiences in India. Do you have any threads about it?
last edited: 11/26/05 8:42:49 AM”

“Ooo, that is weird, Matahari. I didn't know you had tongue cancer. But I'm happy that four years later you are better than before!”

“I'm hardly better than before, Ruby...treatment killed off the saliva glands that begin food digestion so eating is a challenge now and not a pleasure. I am permently 60 pounds lighter which is not a bad thing and my hair went from straight to curly. I also lost so much muscle that my stamina went down the tubes. Still, I'm able to get out although I have become a world champion slack-backpacker...LOL...I don't miss S.A.D. at all!

Nowslimmer, I lived there, on and off, from 1970-1982..don't know if I have any threads about it...
last edited: 11/26/05 8:53:07 AM”

“I'm sure you have a lot of great stories. Sure hope our trails meet some day.”

“you have not lived till ya share a campfire and tales with mata, she is the best”

“If I'm "the best" it's because I'm a reflection of all the people I call friends....:x”

“SAD in FL? Wow. That is a tough one NS. My wife had it pretty bad in Fairbanks. Full spectrum light box helped some. They needed antidepressants in the water up there. I get moody in the winter only if I don't get out.”

“gosh mata ya got me blushing”

“I never experienced any problem in Adak, Alaska. It was probably because they were always well stocked with beer. Memories of my drinking days.
last edited: 11/26/05 9:40:50 AM”

“Pathman, better living through chemistry is our family motto...LOL...depressed people shouldn't take depressants...alcohol is a depressant...sad, isn't it? more LOL...
last edited: 11/26/05 9:42:20 AM”

“Wow you have memories fromyour drinking days,I sure don't”

“LOL.”

“alcohol was the preferred self RX for SAD in Fairbanks. Not very effective. XC skiing under the Northern Lights was my cure.”

“After looking at Siberia day after day, some alcohol was needed to relieve the tensions. However, during my last couple of years of it, I did switch to hiking(before the drinking).

---

Well, it's time for the pool hall and some games of one-pocket. See you all later.
last edited: 11/26/05 10:03:20 AM”

“"depressed people shouldn't take depressants...alcohol is a depressant...sad, isn't it?"

I took several antidepressants until the side effects got worse than the depression. I find alcohol to be a really good temprorary antidepressant (in moderation). Coffee is actually bad for my depression because it makes me anxious.”

“Hey Mata looking at a recipe for pasta and proscutta[sic] in a shroom sauce. thinking the kettle moraine trip”

“Considering that vaccines are usually the disease in one form or the other it's no surprise that alcohol works...eh eh eh...

Oh yeah, spalpeen..sounds yummy!
last edited: 11/26/05 10:12:02 AM”

“My mom suffers from S.A.D., which is a big reason why we moved to Florida. It never affected me; I was generally happier in the short days, long nights, and bleah weather of Michigan. I enjoyed it. Maybe I have reverse SAD.

I hope you feel better Paul. Turn on the lights and listen to some upbeat music. That helps, too.”

“reverse SAD. That is me treebait. summer heat and constant sunshine are not my favorites, I long for fall and winter.”

“I think the news has WA listed as raining for last week and the upcoming week, but it's scattered rain, so it's hit and miss and you can "sometimes" drive to a drier part of the state.

Hey it's sunny, no, it's raining, hey, it's sunny, no it's raining. Just wear something with a hood and you're good to go here, maybe a rain jacket might help, but not always necessary. We usually get just a drizzle, so you don't get soaked.”

“toe, using alcohol as a form of easing depression sometimes can become a slippery slope. One day it's a drink, next day maybe two and before you know it, you're drinking every day and the amount you drink every day increases. This applies to non depressed people too.

I know someone who also found the side effects to be worse than the depression, but that's where you make your decision. If the depression is severe, unfortunately, taking a medication with some bad side effects is better than wanting to kill yourself. That's why Tom Cruise was such an @hole for telling everyone that Brooke Shields was wrong for taking meds when she had post partem blues.”

“Yesterday I was down, really down. It showed on the pool table. Today at the table I actually felt better, except for my knees. So I shot better and won more than I lost. Not as good as usually, but better.”

“The days in Florida get shorter, too short. I liked it better in the Rep. of Panama, where sun-up and sun-down were each always between 6 and 6:30. The seasons were "wet" and "dry," just that. It was always summer, unless one went way up in the mountains, like to:
Volcan Baru, near Costa Rica. It did receive snow at times from about 4,000 to 5,000 feet and up. Elevation (feet): 11,411
Elevation (meters): 3,478

Boy, I have so many good memories, I better write the book. The trouble is I might get sued, since most of the memories are of beautiful women. If you think my thread, Disclosures By Nowslimmer, was interesting, you'll want to read my life's story.”

“From the time he was 16 till he died at 83. He was great at playing the newbie and taking everybody. Grandma did it with bridge, :-D

my biggest problem is that my family "hibernates" with much lower activity levels, when I still want to GO!”

“Pathman - I'm not a good player. In fact all the sharks are now playing in the "Last Saturday of the Month Tournament." Some of these people make a living playing pool. No way can I compete.
last edited: 11/26/05 1:25:05 PM”

“I'm not sure if people who live on hillsides in WA state get SAD. The views are spectacular rain or shine of the olympic mountains covered in snow, the Puget Sound and out lying peninsulas or Mt. Rainier or a combo of all three.”

“lipstick hiker - A house is just a house. It's the people inside of it that make it a home. Without love, a house is just a protective shell. The best views are when love is present.

---

In other words, don't be fooled or misled by appearances. One never knows what is behind attractive walls.
last edited: 11/26/05 1:48:56 PM”

“nowslimmer, you seem to be sending a hidden message more to do with a person's personality and not really what I was talking about, "views" you see all alone, by yourself, looking out towards "whatever". Of course a person who has good things can still feed sad if they don't appreciate them or if there is something else missing in their lives or perhaps they don't give a rat's @ss about beauty, but bought their view home as an investment.

I was referring to a person's view from their home, not the view that they may share with the others inside the home. Sure, you can have great views, but if others in your home suck, they can lessen your enjoyment of what's around you if you let them (if you let them).”

“well said”

“lipstick hiker - You're right about a lot. With regard to the homes, I was considering it from the viewpoint of casual passbyer, like someone driving past in a car. I drive a lot and see a lot. And from various experiences I know that money is not the most important ingredient. Being alone with a beautiful view is not what I seek for the rest of my life. I do find some contentment in my current life, but a deserving spouse for me to love is missing. And there you have it.

Rereading, you summed it up better than I can. Thanks.”

“lh, you cause me to remember living in the Great Northwest (two years east of the Cascades, almost 3 west). It's God's country.

There is no doubt that SAD affects many people up there. I attribute the anomalous preponderance of fat women so quickly identified by all the sailors who visit the area to SAD (juxtaposed to a higher than average population of really pretty women).

Alcohol as a way of life will cause your world to come crashing down around you. One of the medications I was on had me craving it every day. That and high blood pressure were probably the scariest side effects I had.

The cognitive/behavior therapy focuses on understanding the triggers and roots of feeling bad - that's the talk/cognitive part. The other part is behavior modification that includes lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, setting goals and working towards them, wearing a rubber band around your wrist and snapping it when you have a negative thought, etc.

Depression is caused by a lot of different things, but there is usually an element of negative thinking and self-pity that can be dealt with in practical ways to make yourself feel better. This requires some one caring to support you. I've trained my wife so I don't have to pay a therapist to care. I hope you all have somebody who cares about you to talk to. :)”

“I think I have S.A.D., too. I always want a lot of light.. can't have enough lights on. And I dread the winter months with the really short days.”

“There's some evidence that the use of full spectrum lights - or specialized light boxes - can help with SADS.”

“if you had SAD you would know it, you wouldn't "think" it.”

“Ya think??”

“i know!”

“perhaps you should look in the 'new albums' section of the pics.”

“nowslimmer, of course nice things don't mean a thing if they are not coupled with things that are more important like sharing a life with someone, but then there are those people that are more money orientated where a personal connection may not be as important as it is to some of us.

I mention views, not because it takes money to get them and few are privileged in WA with them. WA has many hills and there are many, many blue collar workers with regular homes that happen to have fantastic views, so I didn't mean to point out the money aspect. You can still buy a reasonably priced home with fantastic views. I hope you find your certain somebody. Yes, I do have a support system. It helps to have someone who understands you.

toe, I'm not sure if self pity is involved in depression. I think one of the symptoms is guilt which may seem like self pity to some people. Depression can be learned and be hereditary. When I say learned, if a person is brought up to be introverted and maybe stay to themselves and develop a lonely life, it can be depressing, but this is just a simplified example. It's good to be around positive people, but that starts early in life not that it doesn't help later on.

Depression also happens to a person after they suffer a loss and there are a lot of other reasons.

I think there is a store here in WA that deals with SAD people using light therapy. For you SAD people, put brighter bulbs in, at least ones that your fixture will allow and create a brighter enviornment.

I have my tv on and they are promoting a research study for people with depression. If the drugs that are out are pretty bad with side effects, I'd be pretty darn scared to try something that is unproven, but I guess it depends on how bad off you are.”

“Seems to me that the short days keep people from getting outside and exercising hard enough to wear themselves out and get that glow that comes from exertion. A lot of us backpackers can go all day long in the summer, which means we may not get a full workout on a winter. I don't know if it would help, NS, but planning all-day hikes might offset the SAD a bit.”