MDAO Forum

Support for People with Mood Disorders => General Discussion => Topic started by: LuckyLou on November 03, 2014, 05:04:56 am

Title: winter blues
Post by: LuckyLou on November 03, 2014, 05:04:56 am
Feeling the weather and time change already. Feeling sad and blue for no reason. THis should be an exciting time for me with moving and all but no all i feel is sadness. I should be packing but have no motivation to do anything all i want to do is sleep! I hate this time of year and cant wait for spring! Feels like i hold my breath til March now. every year its the same thing. Getting tired of it. Anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: Dragonfly on November 03, 2014, 06:35:22 pm
Hi LuckyLou,

This time change really throws you off. It is time they got with the times and stopped this practice. They don't do it in Europe anymore.

Yes, this is not the best time of year for me either. I miss just being able to sit outside and do things outside. I think it is time to hibernate like the bears. I am not trying to make light of these sad feelings. They are very real.

Are you excited at all about setting up your new place? Could you think about that? Packing must be an overwhelming chore. Maybe you will feel better once it is done.

I bought another rv this year. My two daughters and I are planning a trip to Florida in May of next year. I know this is a long ways away. The planning may help me through the winter somewhat.  Is there something you really like to do? I am studying what I can put in my garden next year. I get very involved in that and do research in books and the internet. That may help me somewhat over the winter too. I think the older I get the less I like winter.

Hope you start to feel better LuckyLou!  :) 
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: Rich on November 03, 2014, 08:36:46 pm
Hi LuckyLou!  Hi Dragonfly!  Yep, count me in on this one.  I hate winter, because yes, even on a truckload of meds, I get depressed, tired, and find it hard to get thru the daily grind (but I do).  Like Dragonfly said, the best I can do is to look forward to spring.

Having said that...here's what I do to deal with the here-and-now:

- treat myself to more chocolate and desserts (as long as you are not diabetic and can show restraint)
- go on an over-night trip (me 'n' Soozan are doing that in the next couple of weeks)
- read...it will help the time go by and take your mind off of this crappy time of year
- mall walk (I walk around a big mall everyday at lunch, while talking to Soozan)
- take weekend naps

Hope this helps!

Rich
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: paulm on November 04, 2014, 02:51:49 am
Hello Everyone. Count me in too. This fall has started me early due to the exceptional # of cloudy and rainy days. I know that if I got out and exercised more I would feel better, but I've been doing the couch potato act and that's not good for me.

 However this forum is a reminder that I may have to force myself to bundle up and walk and/or get out skating etc. Take Care. paul m
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: LuckyLou on November 04, 2014, 05:24:11 am
HI All! Thanks for the suggestions! I want to be excited for the move but so far all i can think about is the work that needs to be done. We are downsizing so lots to get rid of! I hope that focusing on packing will take my mind off of my sad feelings. I am scared that it will snow the day we move! I need to take things one day at a time but this is so hard to do. Its so hard to get motivated to do anything. I wish i could hibernate Dragonfly! I am going to see if we can get some help from my family! Its too much! Anyway i am falling down right now. And my partner is not helping he thinks i am just lazy and does not understand this depression i am in causes me to lose all motivation! Hopefully we can get through this winter together!
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: NeitherHereNorThere on November 04, 2014, 05:25:40 pm
Hi all.  Count me in too.  I'm seeing a new doctor on Thursday and hoping this one will "listen".  Every year gets worse and this time of year was never good.  I'm exhausted!  I think if I had to move, I'd consider burning everything...lol.  Okay, I would never actually do it but I would think about it and smile.

I wish I could help you LuckyLou.  I am more motivated when I'm helping others.  I've moved so many times that I'm a self proclaimed pro.

I'm also very cranky these days.  I know that life has it's annoyances but I'm really only stressing myself out.  I usually have a lot of patience but during these dark months, I get so fed up with people trying to change me and not listening.  Do people really think that we want to stay in bed for the rest of our lives?  ...so frustrating...  I don't feel like smiling and thanking them for their concern when I really want to say "you do not understand; please be quiet and go very, very far away!!"  Ah, it felt good to say that.

I joined a mood disorder group but it's every 2 weeks.  I love it and wish it was every week.  I know how hard it is to leave the house but it's been such a positive addition to my life, I thought that maybe it's something people here could look forward to as well.  Other than the group support, I am at a loss for answers to finding the light at the end of the tunnel.

Cyber hugs....
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: LuckyLou on November 05, 2014, 06:20:52 am
Thanks Neither here nor there! IF you lived closer i would take you up on that offer! Burning things sounds like it might be a good option! lol! I just gotta get to it and get er done! I hope your new doc offers you some relief!
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: JennyRN70 on November 07, 2014, 08:34:57 pm
I'm with you LuckyLou - I need to dig out my SADD light and get it plugged in for me and the birds - *sigh* wish I had on elf those lives that involved being in the south for the winter ....
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: CanadianEm on November 24, 2014, 02:41:52 pm
I am with you all on this. Winter time is the hardest on me. This is usually when I have dropped out of school or gotten fired from jobs because I just don't have the energy or want to get up and do anything. This year I am not working or in school because I just haven't wanted to for almost a year, so I am on social assistance and am living with my father, not always the easiest. The worst part I am dealing with is that i fractured my ankle back in august and it still hasn't healed, so I am even more stuck because I cant even get out really to get fresh air because I am stuck in a cast. Any thoughts and ideas on how i can cope through this winter.
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: LuckyLou on November 25, 2014, 07:05:30 am
Hi CanadianEm! I would normally suggest walking but in this case things that help me are reading, music, hot baths and this group! I m feeling the winter already and know that it could go on for awhile which depresses me.  But i have found outlets of support both in real life and on the internet. Facebook has lots of bipolar support groups you can join but this is by far the best forum i have been on. Everyone is nonjudgemental and nice! So if you need to vent or get support you have found the right place!
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: Dragonfly on November 25, 2014, 11:52:16 am
Hi CanadianEm!

I am getting more in a routine since my husband passed away three years ago.  I read with every meal. Do crafts in the evening. See my 3 kids, daughter-in-law and 2 grandchildren and go out with them. That is what I live for. Get support from this forum. Play games on the internet. Research on the internet. Watch a movie if it is good. Make plans for the spring.

I am always afraid when the winter comes that I will go into a deep depression. That is why I am trying to put things in place that I can do.

Dragonfly
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: paulm on November 25, 2014, 10:21:20 pm
Hello CanadianEm. If you can afford it a S.A.D. lamp (seasonal affective disorder Lamp) can be really beneficial to some. They, unfortunately, run between 2-300 bucks and are not covered by OHIP. Used ones can be bought cheaper, but you have to be careful as only a true S.A.D. lamp in good condition will bring you any benefits and  there are a lot of fakes out there.

 Writing on here can be theraputic and if you can get out all attending peer support groups can help as well. It seems like it's been a loooong fall already and I can get around. I wish you luck and a speedy recovery for your ankle. Take Care. paul m
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: JennyRN70 on November 26, 2014, 03:47:59 pm
Yup I am in the same boat too - I have SADD lamp that helps a little - my birds need it too - but I don't like this grey sky oppressive feeling at all - I miss colour - I feel like they should make sensory rooms you can visit - the butterfly conservatory in Niagara Falls is good for that as is the bird sanctuary there.  I keep hoping I can get away somewhere but it is unlikely this year because I have been off for the last 6 months :(  Hoping you all feel better soon.
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: CanadianEm on November 30, 2014, 08:46:18 am
I do have the SADD lamp. When I moved back into my dad's apartment it got packed and is somewhere in the shed. I think that is going to be my goal for today, go to the shed and find it, so I can start using it. I am definitely finding writing on here is helping me so much, because at least you guys arent judge mental and understand.

Jenny your idea of a sensory room sounds amazing. I think we should look at making a business of it. Rooms filled with bright colours. Spring sounds, there could be private rooms if you want to be alone or like a coffee shop type room, if you want to sit and talk with others.

I hope everyone feels better too.
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: paulm on December 01, 2014, 10:47:43 pm
Hello CanadianEm.  Good luck trying to find that SAD Lamp. I always seem to think I put something one place and eventually find it somewhere else.

 Or else I catch the dreaded tomorrow disease. "I'll look for that tomorrow" which is usually followed by the "I never got round to it", which is then followed by the by " what is wrong with me" guilt trip. LOL.

 Just kidding, but I found that often as I worked on my recovery I was my own worse enemy. I shouldn't have been, as I now know that depression makes me put off doing things and the the longer I put off doing something the more guilty I feel, and the more guilty I feel the more depressed I got. Being a little older these days I know enough about myself to know that some days(weeks) I have to just roll with the punches. Take Care. paul m
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: CanadianEm on December 02, 2014, 05:02:24 pm
You are so right paul. Its a big circle of doing that where you put it off, feel guilty, then you dont want to because you feel worse and it just keeps on going. I managed to get up and go do it, I found it (very happy) and have it sitting out, so I know everyday to use it. I remembered having the issue when I first got it, once I finished i would put it back in the box and then the effort to pull it out, just became overwhelming.

I think one of my issues is that i assume that you will automatically see changes, but i know that doesnt happen everything takes time. LOL
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: paulm on December 02, 2014, 11:03:02 pm
Hello CanadianEm. Th only quick changes that ever happened to me were bad ones LOL.

 One of my pet peeves when I do get a chance to argue with the medical profession is that nobody ever deals us that some things may take a long time and the longer you have been ill, the longer it takes to get better.

 I know that both statements are generalities, but generally speaking LOL.

 Good for you getting it out. I hope that it helps you a lot. Take Care. paul m
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: JennyRN70 on December 03, 2014, 09:49:31 am
CanadianEm - making a business out of it might not be a bad idea - since tanning salons are not healthy we could have a "sensory salon" with video ocean and nice and warm - flowers and other tropical plants...hmmmmm
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: Dragonfly on December 03, 2014, 11:13:02 am

JennyRN70 & CanadianEM, I am not trying to be negative. I used a SAD lamp for a number of years. I got tired of using it so I quit. For me I don't really think it made a difference as to wheter I used it or not.

Jenny I agree with CanadianEm that the sensory rooms sound like a terrific idea. Even going to places outdoors to see nature especially animals. Mountsberg Conservation Area with its rapture birds. If you live near there of course. There are lots of other places I am sure that you might live close to that can be visited. If you like that sort of thing. My husband and I used to like visiting a park where we could see lots of swans, ducks, canadian geese. Have Tim Horton's coffee. Sometimes walk the small trail there. I told my kids I would like them to take me as a birthday present. My birthday is coming up soon.

Dragonfly
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: CanadianEm on December 03, 2014, 04:32:47 pm
Dragonfly you are not being negative at all certain things work for some people, while for others it doesn't, everyone learns there own personal things that work and dont work. I haven't used the SAD long enough to see any difference, Ive only been using it for like 4 days.

I don't know if any of you have ever been in this situation, but I had a drivers license, but one time when I had a episode (i guess thats what you would call it because my anxiety took over and i freaked out, my dad called the cops on me) so of course i was taken to the hospital and released the next day. About a week later I received a letter from the ministry of transportation, saying that this doctor that i saw at the hospital on that day, wrote and deemed me unfit to drive, so the ministry revoked my license. They said the only way i could get it back is if i went to court. I have looked into it and found out that there are so many fees involved with this. First you just have to pay $500, to even have this matter taken before the courts.

So, I am literally royally screwed over, im only 24 and basically for the rest of my life i cant drive, unless i go to court, pay these outrageous fees and then the judge could say no. So, I can't go anywhere unless I have my father drive me, which is like pulling teeth, LOL; or find a way to get there by bus. But where I live there is nothing close by for me to go to. 
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: paulm on December 05, 2014, 12:47:59 am
Hello Dragonfly. SAD lamps don't work for me either. For a lot of people with bipolar(not all) it seems that the success rate of SAD lamps is less. Take Care. paul m

Hello CanadianEM.  If the only reason why you DL was revoked was for medical reasons you shouldn't have to go to court as a first step. You can file an appeal with the MTO. It still costs money, but not as much as going to court. The MTO will want proof that you are safe to be driving. More info can be found at the website that I have listed below. Take Care. paul m P.S. the procedure is a major pain in the butt and takes forever.
http://www.sse.gov.on.ca/mohltc/ppao/en/Pages/InfoGuides/Complaints_A.aspx?openMenu=smenu_Comp

 Hello Everyone. I'd just like to rant abit about the MTO. It is the law that if a doctor feels that a person would be a hazard driving a car then they must report that person to the MTO and the MTO then decides whether or not to suspend the drivers lic.

 According to the way the rule is written literally anyone who has had major surgery plus a lot of other things should have their lic suspended. However it never seems to work that way. But I've seen people who were given an antipsychotic at the hospital, suddenly deprived of a D/L. I've even seen people who were suicidal deprived of their D/L after an over zealous doc decided that they might run their car into someone. In some places they have a method to temporarily suspend your D/L, rather than the all or nothing here in Ontario.

 It ticks me off to know that if I end up in the ER for a physical problem and I tic off the doc, then I could lose my lic. if the doc reports that I'm not mentally stable. (Not that any doctor would file a report like that just because you called him an a**hole.) Meanwhile the guy who has had 3 heart attacks , smokes like a chimney and is 100 lbs overweight never gets reported to the MTO . I mean it's not like that person may have a 4th one while driving or anything.  OK my rant is over. Take Care. paul m
Title: Re: winter blues
Post by: JennyRN70 on December 07, 2014, 12:26:27 pm
Sitting here wishing I had a trip somewhere warm to look forward to :(  Need to stop torturing myself with pictures of Cuba and Mexico...even a sunny day outside and I still don't want to go out because I know it is cold - arghhh I hate this time of year :(