Apologies, as it seems that I have forgotton to come back to this thread since I last posted in it...
Thank-you for your posts!(FishFarmer, Rafterman, Gemini(I'm glad this was of some help for you!),Cajun Bulldog and Miss Hepburn) And for sharing your experiences, suggestions and general input...It genuinely has made feel a little more positive about it all...
Miss Heapburn - yeah I guess it kinda helps; sharing my experiences of this(certainly for me at least, just by writting stuff down helps..and maybe the thread might be of help for a few others too). Lol, I'm also kinda glad it's not just me that found using that light-box a completely useless and total waste of my time and energy!
Though I guess for some people, they really do work wonders for them which is great, so I would suggest they are definetley worth trying if you get SAD, or a "low mood" during these darker, winter months. But for some of us at least, I guess it's simply because were all very different and everyone responds differently to certain treatments...
I think your all spot on about taking more excercise...And even though sometimes(most times, if I'm honest!), I really have to push myself into starting it...once I get going I find it is probably one of the best remedys for SAD.
For me personally cycling seems to do it for me - with the added benefit of getting me outside of the house; while at the same time doesn't raise my social anxiety too much when I'm out on the bike; as I can ride where I like (in the quieter areas), and I don't feel like I'll end up in one of those "awkward conversation moments" - I guess I like having the ability of not having to stop if I don't feel like socialising that day! Though I still hate those moments; as it makes me feel like I'm being rude and that maybe people think I am just being ignorant, even though it's really not the case - but I just keep running lol!
Also the extra increase of vitamins are really important to take as well, especially from what I have read and have also been told by my GP.
However, even though I do get why it would help with SAD, what with being under a bright UV light and all, but I just don't see myself going into a tanning saloon and/or booth anytime soon! ;P
Also Audrey, I really can't imagine how it feels to have SAD, and suffer with Insominia at the same time. Especially at the levels I understand your insomnia to get to at times(and, I do "kind of understand" a little bit anyhow, about insomnia at those levels, as one of my younger brothers has it much like you do - at a similar kind of level to that of your own. (Though I guess it's like anything of that nature(Like my own BPD), you have to live with it or to have a first hand experiance to really understand what it is truely like to live with). My brother has been under psychologists and sleep therapists for year after year now, all trying to figure out how to "control" his insomnia as best as possiable, and even though he has tried all the medications they can think to throw at it, and also tried out the "technological" types of treatments(Even some experimental ones!), nothing has really helped him have any decent level of improvment with his sleeping, they've made little/no difference tbh...and "true" insomnia really is an awful thing to live with - it can really mess with even the the most basic things and especially daily routines in a persons life, things most of us wouldn't even think of, or naturally take for granted.
With me, Sleeping and SAD affect me in completely the opposite way to that, maybe it's because depresion also has that same affect on a lot of people to, making them feel tired or low in mental energy. Somedays, it makes me feel serverly tired for most of the day, and I just want to go to sleep...I mean, desperetely so! Somedays, it comes over me just a couple of hours after getting up in the morning, even after feeling well rested having a decent nights sleep, then it starts to really mess up my sleep routine during the night when I have to "nap" during the day (I say "nap", but honestly it can be 3-4 hours or more) on some days, and in quite a deep state of sleep too, especially so in the afternoons! Though in all honesty, some days I don't know how I would get through them if I did not get like that, or was not able to sleep through some of the "more darker or depressing states" as it kinda helps - it's just a way of escaping it all, I guess...
But, I honestly cannot imagine not being able to mentally shut down, or not having the option or ability to sleep through some of that kind of depression, especially so on the really bad days, it must be so overwhelming at times.
Even though I know we all have our own issues to bear, it's the ones that are compounded on top of other issues that are our most difficult in life - and that one, it must be a real tough one I would imagine... My heart really goes out to you, Miss Hepburn...
Anyhoo, thanks all for your help and advice, or just for listening...
Be well, and Bless you all!
Thank-you for your posts!(FishFarmer, Rafterman, Gemini(I'm glad this was of some help for you!),Cajun Bulldog and Miss Hepburn) And for sharing your experiences, suggestions and general input...It genuinely has made feel a little more positive about it all...
Miss Heapburn - yeah I guess it kinda helps; sharing my experiences of this(certainly for me at least, just by writting stuff down helps..and maybe the thread might be of help for a few others too). Lol, I'm also kinda glad it's not just me that found using that light-box a completely useless and total waste of my time and energy!
Though I guess for some people, they really do work wonders for them which is great, so I would suggest they are definetley worth trying if you get SAD, or a "low mood" during these darker, winter months. But for some of us at least, I guess it's simply because were all very different and everyone responds differently to certain treatments...
I think your all spot on about taking more excercise...And even though sometimes(most times, if I'm honest!), I really have to push myself into starting it...once I get going I find it is probably one of the best remedys for SAD.
For me personally cycling seems to do it for me - with the added benefit of getting me outside of the house; while at the same time doesn't raise my social anxiety too much when I'm out on the bike; as I can ride where I like (in the quieter areas), and I don't feel like I'll end up in one of those "awkward conversation moments" - I guess I like having the ability of not having to stop if I don't feel like socialising that day! Though I still hate those moments; as it makes me feel like I'm being rude and that maybe people think I am just being ignorant, even though it's really not the case - but I just keep running lol!
Also the extra increase of vitamins are really important to take as well, especially from what I have read and have also been told by my GP.
However, even though I do get why it would help with SAD, what with being under a bright UV light and all, but I just don't see myself going into a tanning saloon and/or booth anytime soon! ;P
Also Audrey, I really can't imagine how it feels to have SAD, and suffer with Insominia at the same time. Especially at the levels I understand your insomnia to get to at times(and, I do "kind of understand" a little bit anyhow, about insomnia at those levels, as one of my younger brothers has it much like you do - at a similar kind of level to that of your own. (Though I guess it's like anything of that nature(Like my own BPD), you have to live with it or to have a first hand experiance to really understand what it is truely like to live with). My brother has been under psychologists and sleep therapists for year after year now, all trying to figure out how to "control" his insomnia as best as possiable, and even though he has tried all the medications they can think to throw at it, and also tried out the "technological" types of treatments(Even some experimental ones!), nothing has really helped him have any decent level of improvment with his sleeping, they've made little/no difference tbh...and "true" insomnia really is an awful thing to live with - it can really mess with even the the most basic things and especially daily routines in a persons life, things most of us wouldn't even think of, or naturally take for granted.
With me, Sleeping and SAD affect me in completely the opposite way to that, maybe it's because depresion also has that same affect on a lot of people to, making them feel tired or low in mental energy. Somedays, it makes me feel serverly tired for most of the day, and I just want to go to sleep...I mean, desperetely so! Somedays, it comes over me just a couple of hours after getting up in the morning, even after feeling well rested having a decent nights sleep, then it starts to really mess up my sleep routine during the night when I have to "nap" during the day (I say "nap", but honestly it can be 3-4 hours or more) on some days, and in quite a deep state of sleep too, especially so in the afternoons! Though in all honesty, some days I don't know how I would get through them if I did not get like that, or was not able to sleep through some of the "more darker or depressing states" as it kinda helps - it's just a way of escaping it all, I guess...
But, I honestly cannot imagine not being able to mentally shut down, or not having the option or ability to sleep through some of that kind of depression, especially so on the really bad days, it must be so overwhelming at times.
Even though I know we all have our own issues to bear, it's the ones that are compounded on top of other issues that are our most difficult in life - and that one, it must be a real tough one I would imagine... My heart really goes out to you, Miss Hepburn...
Anyhoo, thanks all for your help and advice, or just for listening...
Be well, and Bless you all!
Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path...
And leave a trail... of Love, Laughter and Understanding.