Seasonal Affective Disorder and Birth Parents

Sorry if I seemed a little insensitive. I know it's serious, especially up north. Think bright thoughts, get plenty of fresh air, and remember spring is a short six months away. :flowergift: :grouphug:

I've noticed that I get correspondingly gloomier as the nights set in and the light disappears. I've successfully come through it by taking 5-HTP - an amino acid that you can get from most nutritional outlets or google for it and get it on-line. I take it (100mg capsule) 20 minutes before breakfast on an empty stomach and I also take the advice that Patrick Holford gives on the subject patrickholford.com and I've kissed goodbye to the blues. I don't take it alone though I take a multivitamin/mineral, vitamin C (1gram /day) and others, but Patrick will guide you through what you need. The vitamins/supplements I use are excellent in their field (Biocare, Solgar, Higher Nature for example) I know someone who had really bad depression (well mine wasn't great, I was borderline manic depressive or bipolar as its known today, but I followed P Holfords' advice - Optimum Nutrition Bible and adjusted my eating/ drinking habits which includes coffee, tea and other legal stimulants) and he was eventually put on tryptophan by his GP. The moronic thing about this in the UK is that you have to be depressed for 2 years (!) before they will use this amino acid even though GP's were using it decades ago and it outdid Valium etc. It was banned some years back as I understand it because of one bad batch and a knee jerk reaction to ban it with also the pharmaceutical industry waiting in the wings. Anyway, time to get off soap box. So, just a few thoughts for anyone that would like to research it.

Jannyroo; my Mom sweeeeeeears by aminos, too. I really should look into them. I just get very overwhelmed in places like GNC, etc, because there's SO MUCH sitting on the shelves and I don't know where to begin!!

Two good sources, GIANTS in the field of nutrition, that have made a BIG difference to me, and I swear by them too! is Julia Ross (USA) & Patrick Holford (UK). Julia Ross's book - The Mood Cure (costs about $24.00?) comment on the back of her book - [quote] "works better than any anti-depressant' - Patrick Holford, founder of the Institute of Optimum Nutrition (UK). Most mood problems are caused by simple biochemical imbalances and don't need Prozac or other drugs to cure them. Such drugs are often liberally prescribed despite the risk of side effects. Julia Ross has been working with natural nutritional solutions at her clinic in California for over 15 years - and with dramatic results. She has developed an extremely successful nutritional plan using specific foods and supplements that can lift dark moods and emotions in less than 24 hours. It works by restoring the body's natural chemical balance, thereby relieving mood-related symptoms, such as depression, PMS, stress, low self esteem, irritability and SAD. Now, with the mood cure you can blast the blues forever.[LIST][*]assess your mood profile with a four part questionnaire.[*]identify and understand your underlying chemical imbalance.[*]Devise a targeted plan of supplements, good mood foods and menus according to what your body needs.[*]Address hormone imbalances, food intolerances, insomnia and addiction.[*]Lift the dark clouds of depression and anxiety in as little as 24 hours.[/LIST]Julia Ross is a pyschotherapist and director of Recovery Systems, a clinic in California that treats mood, eating and addiction problems with nutrient therapy and biochemical imbalancing. She lectures at conferences and workshops around the world to share her work. Her first book The Diet Cure, was an international bestseller. [End of quote] I think you may be able to contact her on moodcure.com Patrick Holford (I'm seeing his lecture this October) is also huge and gets results. He has a brain bio clinic in London that helps with autism, schizophrenia, addictions, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, ADHD, and much more and his website is patrickholford.com I am totally convinced that these two together are powerful stuff to get over SAD and depression and a host of other things. I can only speak from my experience and my friends can see the BIG difference in me. Any questions anyone, feel free to ask.

There are too seasons in Southern Arizona! They are as follows: Hot (spring), SUPER hot (summer), Hot (autumn), and tolerably warm (winter). ;) I know just what you mean, though. The difference in hours of daylight between summer and winter is only a couple of hours, which makes a huge difference to people's moods. My mom moved to AZ from WI precisely to escape winter, and we were just talking last night about how much winter stinks because it goes on forever and is so bleak and dreary. All the other seasons are sort of "interactive," as in there are things growing or budding or turning colors or just looking beautiful and you can go out and enjoy it; winter is a time of death ticking over, and I personally don't see what there is to "enjoy" in snow. It looks pretty for a couple of hours and then it turns either mushy or hard. Can you tell I was born and raised in a desert? Give me sunshine and warmth!

Omg fauxgina, how long have you lived in England?? I just remember it raining and raining and raining and raining. *sigh* I'm lucky that I don't have SADD, especially where I live now! Great in the summer to have so much light, but could get depressing in the winter.

I have lived in England all my life and its not always rain you know! it just feels like it with these cookie weather patterns that are frankly, up the creek worldwide! Snow is beautiful. It is at its best when it doesn't get melted by inner cities, thermal warmth etc from exhausts. I've been to work and seen a hoare frost and its beautiful, a real work of art. Autumn's are fabulous with lots of colours in the trees, sky blue days with a hint of cold that makes it great to wrap up in scarves and hats and go out and take the dog for a walk and kick the autumnal leaves and enjoy the view of rolling hills, trees everywhere, each person has their own favourite bit of England. In Norway, their attitude is "there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing" and I wish we had the same choice of pastel colours and bright vivid colours at winter. In England, I admit, our choice of clothing is frankly... dull. But I try to be different and there is plenty to buy - even wellies now come in floral patterns!!! (LOL). I think the hardest time is when the nights draw in and it is pitch black by 17.00hrs. Then if its rainy and gloomy, yeh, thats the pits. But there is plenty of sunny spots in autumn right up to December/January and then one only has to get through to March before the lighter evenings come in. Yeh, some of the months suck, but there is a lot of beauty inbetween. I live in a particularly woody and pretty part of England, so even when its yuk weather, its still kinda nice. Plus there's nothing like cuddling up on the sofa and watching a good film with some heat from log fires.... (just woke up from dreaming....!!! ha ha! I've only an electric bar fire... pretend jannyroo, pretend). England isn't that bad, its now worse. We had tornadoes coming through our land yesterday and it promises to get worse.... "cheer up" someone said, it could get worse... and it did!!! perhaps its time to save up and try another country, I haven't been abroad for years......

Tornados?! Wow...didn't think that was something England got, but like you said the weather's been funny all over lately. I love a good fire - one thing I wish I had in this house was a fire place.

yeh, we had a bad one in LONDON! but nowhere on the scale that one finds in the USA, but bad enough. With the weather patterns up the creek, we seem to be having more of them.... scary!!!

Believe it or not, I love the fog and "filtered" sunlight that we get along the coast in Washington state. I love to walk in the fog when it's really thick and listen to the deep low tones from the fog horns on the ships passing by. I could probably be happy living in a cave... I do enjoy the light from full-spectrum bulbs, however, and we have been changing all the lights in our house over to full-spectrum. We're starting to look like a greenhouse now....except all our plants are made of silk (hahaha!). During this time of year, financial stressors have more of an effect on me than sunlight -- increased heating costs, the expectations of gift-giving during the tightest (money-wise) months of the year -- as well as not being able to travel as freely through the mountain passes to visit friends & relatives. I consider the sun an intrusive fireball in the sky which delights in scorching my eyeballs. Hibernation is good. Where's my cave...? Susan :darth:

hi Susan,Your post reallly tickled me and I found myself chuckling and laughing (for once! grim week!). Thanks for your humourous take on your weather in Washington. I loved the bit about your full spectrum greenhouse - except that the plants are all silk! Brilliant! Ever thought of writing a book? Put me at the top of the list, I could do with some light humour at the minute! (groan, just realised there's a pun in there!) :arrow: :thanks: ((((thankU hug))))!!!!

Your post about the fog horns made me think of lying in my bed in the early morning hours listening to the train horn. Makes me feel secure and safe.

Glad I could add some smiles and fond memories to your day...I, too, find the sounds of train and fog horns to be comforting...Susan:flowergift:

Right now I seem to be finding everything depressing! More to do with annual birthday (his & mine) I think. I do find myself wanting to sleep winters away. LOL

I'm sorry to hear that you seem to be struggling more with depression than before. However, like you said the birthdays certainly don't help those feelings. I hope those feelings start to lift. So, Kathy, how do you cope with these feelings? As a person who works in the caregiving industry I find it especially hard to take care of my own feelings, so I'm interested to hear how you manage to take care of yourself while still caretaking the needs of others.