Hi all, I’m in a particularly low mood at the moment, something I get in these dark winter days. I was wondering if anyone has any solutions to this. I’m taking supplements; vit D ;k2;vit c;iron;b12 & b complex. Is there something else I could add to lift me out of this.
L
It may be beneficial to have your Free T4 and Free T3 tested. You can read about why in the following and keep in mind that it is only T3 which is required in our T3 receptor cells. T4 is inactive and has to convert to T3.
If your thyroid, vitamins and minerals are pretty well balanced, diet, daylight and exercise/movement are all good have you tried amino acids to improve your mood? I used tryptophan with great effect as described below. We seem to be GABA or tryptophan people according to Trudy Scott who writes about this a lot. Her blog is full of information on relatively simple amino acid trials for anxiety and mood. The article mentions anxiety but read on down for the 3 types of issues that include ruminative thoughts and low mood.
everywomanover29.com/blog/a...
BTW I heard about this approach in a web talk in which she referred to some of us as responding to a pixie dust portion, not the larger amounts described in a whole capsule. I turned out to need just a sprinkle that helped with mood and sleep. Pretty economical!
reading through this I became convinced it could help. But on further investigation it looks like the Gaba may be quite a controversial thing to take. So now I’m a little confused as to whether it’s safe ?
These are naturally occurring amino acids I understand so I felt safer doing this trial than considering prescription items. When I started this major health challenge I was so ill I believed someone would diagnose me and offer me the correct treatment with sound evidence that the medical world achieved consensus on. And then I got an ME and thyroid diagnosis after years of being ignored by medics. I am now in charge of my own health, managing my own medication. So I did a trial and found what worked for me.
The only caution I can find if you fit the criteria for a trial, is in taking 3000mg plus doses. I trust Dr Amen completely and found his recommendations for trial dosage.
Have you tried using a SAD light?
Hi thanks for the info. How much do you take & when do you take it?
I simply follow the instructions on the bottle. I used to take it in the morning to get myself going. Don't need it now though.
I’ll give it a go and see what happens. Thx
Along with exercise, I'd also recommend mindfulness exercises. This is sitting or lying quietly and doing something similar to meditation, usually focusing on breathing or noticing your body. Part of it is also bring aware of your emotions, and practicing not getting caught up in them. When I first started the first benefit I got was a bit more distance from my negative emotions.
Two good starts are: the book Mindfulness:a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world by Mark Williams and Danny Penman. This comes with a CD of guided meditations, and the book is very good in explaining how things like anxiety work.
The mobile phone app Headspace, this is a paid app, but has a ten day free programme that is a good introduction, it's guided recordings, and this one leads you through it very gently, keeping you busy focusing on different things.
Hi thanks for the advice. I had been doing yoga for a while, but my back pain is so bad now I’ve had to take a break. I do breathing / meditation when I can too. The app sounds interesting though, I’ll have to look at that 
