I suffer from this seasonal depression. Light therapy has been shown to successfully treat the symptoms associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder. I wouldn’t know if it works or not though because I haven’t figured out where to put my lamp. Man I sure am full of excuses when it comes to taking care of myself.
I only need to sit or work near a light therapy box for approximately 30 minutes or more a day to gain results. The light therapy box gives off a bright, intense, artificial light that copies natural outdoor light. This light exposure is believed to modify your circadian rhythms and suppress your body’s natural release of melatonin. It has been proven to be quite effective in easing the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. I picked one up at Costco, but like I said, I have yet to use it.
Living the in the Pacific Northwest is a very difficult transition to make from bright and sunny Texas. I’ve lived here for 8 years and I still can’t seem to get rain as the accepted norm into my system. It is cloudy quite often here. I don’t even see a point in opening the blinds it’s just gloomy outside.
I stopped taking my anti-depressant because I think it was making me a mean person. I was always yelling at my kids and now I feel calm again. I feel like I’m slanting into depression again too though. So I’m wondering where to go from here. I know that with my upcoming surgery that I pull out of relationships and go further into depression. I always do this when something big happens in my life. Believe me, if I knew that I was going to have to have surgery I would not have stopped taking my meds.
I go in and out of depression so I should never have stopped my meds, all I want to do is crawl into my bed and get some more sleep. Thank goodness though God gave me two beautiful children to enjoy. They keep me going and make me smile. They always surprise me and surround me with love.
Hang in there. You are doing great and there are a lot of us out there thinking of you! Don’t forget to take care of yourself, though, as hard as it is for moms to put themselves first…once you get in the habit of use the light therapy box, it will become more of a routine and things will get easier.
Best.
Did you taper off the anti-depressant or did you go cold turkey? Stopping cold turkey can have serious side effects and can make depression/mood swings worse. But it’s really good that you recognized how it was affecting you, because anti-depressants can actually make depression much worse for some people. I’m sure you already know all this, but I feel protective because of what I’ve seen happen in my family. I know that anti-depressants have been a blessing to many people, but they can be harmful to others and there needs to be more awareness and treatment options. I really feel for you, depression is a very debilitating and serious disease. I don’t know if you got a doctor better than the stupid one who didn’t think that your insides falling out was a big deal, but I would keep getting different opinions and see what options they suggest to help you.
And I can imagine that the Pacific NW would be quite a change from Texas – I moved here from England, so it was no change for me, lol.
((hugs to you))
I dont know anything about SAD, but I do know that those beautiful babies of yours would want you to take care of yourself if they could articulate it. And so would lots of your followers, much less your loved ones and friends. SO…. my wish for you is to take some time this week to find a lovely home for that light therapy box (preferably, very close to your computer or work area). Doesn’t matter what’s there now; *you* are more important. And then I’d gently encourage you to talk to people whom you trust and get some recommendations for a good therapist in the area. What you’re going through might be readily helped with some tools and resources, and it sounds like you’re very self-aware and can take the initiative you need in this situation. Whenever I am struggling with something, I remind myself that I’m a role model for my little ones — and I have to take steps towards self-care so that they know how to do the same as they grow. I wish you much, much peace as you go through this journey — and that you get some assistance in working through this tough time. ((more hugs))
Thank you for sharing your story. Too many women keep “D” such a shameful secret when it’s really not and we can help each other. So not to be too bossy but I’d like to just give you a little encouragement from someone who has been there!
I moved from California to North Idaho and was shocked by what it did to me. The light therapy boxes ABSOLUTELY help. You will be amazed at how it will help you and how quickly. The problem with depression is it makes it even harder to be proactive and help yourself. With an upcoming surgery it’s even more important. I don’t know what kind of procedure you’re having but if you have to take any kind of pain medication afterward it’s going to affect your depression in a big way. We also know that being depressed can actually make your recovery suffer. So I implore you to make the light box a priority, make YOU a priority. You don’t have to sit for the full 30 minutes at a time if you can’t find the chunk but think of it like brushing your teeth. Something you have to do. You will be amazed at how much better you feel and how quickly it works. You can make a game of it with your kids, set up lawn chairs and have a “beach” day. Kids can also suffer from SAD and by showing them that Mommy is ok with it, they don’t have to be scared.
I wish you the best of luck with your upcoming surgery and I hope that you “see the light”!
I useLED Grow Lights for treating SAD. Hopefully, more people will catch on.