Seasonal affectiveness

[Kainan]

I didn't get any sleep last night and today I feel weak and cannot concentrate. Last year the same thing happened and derealization set in real fast and knocked me out entirely. I'm real glad that is not the case now, but I cannot ignore this recurrent pattern that seems to occur every time seasons change.

[LoriMS61]

Hi,

I've just been having a read through all of your previous posts to gain an understanding of who you are and what you've been through.

I just wanted to say that you've done so well. You've come so far, getting a job, dealing with your social anxiety, taking mistakes on the chin. Good for you.

I looked into that brain fitness thing you talked about, I have a relatively healthy brain!?! I use my sunrise/sunset lamp every day. My husband bought it for me in March and I've consistently used it every morning and night. I fall asleep to the "sunset" and chill out music, and am gently woken by the "sunrise" and an alarm of bird song.

I'm going to try and use the "big lights" when it starts getting darker of an evening to help immitate my summer habits. I found myself falling asleep on the sofa at 8pm last night, quite simply because it was dark. I think I need to remind myself to stay as active as I am during day light hours.

This is the first year I am consciously focusing on dealing with SAD so if you've any tips to share, I'd be grateful.

Lori

[Kainan in reply to LoriMS61]

Hi Lori, Thanks for replying and taking the time to read some of my older stuff. Did you take the intro assessment on Brainfitlife? It's not very comprehensive, but it is a good measuring tool for just checking in with yourself. It's a lot of self-reporting, so if it tells you that you have a healthy brain, you probably do because what you reported reflects that.

I bought myself a light box last year in preparation for this year and I've been using it every morning since the end of August. It was recommended by my doctor, but I can't say for sure how effective it is. That's very good that you can fall asleep when it gets dark; your biological clock is functioning as it should .

You brought up staying active, and I think that it's more important than ever especially in these coming months. Keeping your stress levels low is another thing that's important, and exercise will help with that immensely. Do something you love doing and do it every day. Be kind to yourself and reflect on all that you've managed to get done. I keep them in a journal so that I can see what I've accomplished. And just take it easy and breathe.