Dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder
The end of July is when I can feel it starting. The cramps in the arms. A sluggishness which slowly grows as the days become shorter and the sun fades to a handful of hours a day. The aches and the pains. The need to sleep and the inability to sleep for more than a few hours at a time. For me, those are the signs that the days are dying and that winter is on its way.
I really noticed the Seasonal Affective Disorder in 2015. I was finally free of psychiatric medication and was learning to live in a world that wasn't hazed by side effects. That year's winter hit me like a freight train. The winter of 2016 was even harder. So I researched, and read, and spoke to people and managed to find ways to help ease the symptoms without having to resort to medication again. It's come close to me crying at the doctor's door but, so far, I've managed to hold off of having to take any prescribed meds.
As with everything, please check with your doctor that these suggestions are suitable for you. Everything works in different ways for different people and you want to make sure that they're going to work with any other medications that you're on.
Vitamin D. I start taking high doses of vitamin D at the beginning of August once the aches have started to set in. I take them through to the middle of March when the days have lengthened enough for the sun to do its job.
Foods which are high in Vitamin D include eggs, oily fish (salmon, sardines, herring, and mackerel), red meat, mushrooms, fortified soy milk, and other fortified foods.
Daylight bulbs. There are several of these dotted through my apartment. They give off a bright white light although can also be bought in warm light. They're a cheaper alternative to light therapy boxes and do take the edge off of some of the symptoms.
Bodyclock/Sunrise alarm clock. This is a funky little gadget. 30 minutes before your alarm is due to go off, the light begins to come on. Much like the sun coming up, it slowly gets brighter. It helps your body to wake naturally rather than being jerked from your sleep in a pitch black room.
Light Therapy Boxes. I haven't tried these yet but there are so many people who absolutely love them. They give off a very bright light at around the 10,000 lux range and many can be programmed to do a variety of different strengths including bright white (colder) light and warm light.
Sunshine. Get outside, preferably for a minimum of fifteen minutes. If you can take a walk, even better.
Exercise. I know that this can be a dirty word but even just dancing to your favourite song can help to shake some of those feelings of exhaustion.
Move house. I know that this is drastic but hear me out. My apartment is east facing. This is great in the summer as it gets several hours of sunlight and I never have to put the lights on. Come winter, my side of the building gets a maximum of two hours of sunlight and spends from October to April feeling like a hovel because there's so much artificial light. I'm now looking for somewhere that faces a little more south.
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Rachael is the author of You Are Not Broken: Tips and Tricks for Looking After Your Mental Health. All of her books are available from www.roswellpublishing.co.uk