S.A.D?

[KeynvorLogosenn]

Hey Everyone
I, unfortunatly, suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder and now winter is approuching, it's taking hold.

Is any else effected by S.A.D? Well I guess now the butterflies are vanishing, everyone is feeling a little under the weather.

Has anyone any advise to get through the winter months?

Cheers
Em

[Susie]

Long walks, even when the weather is grotty, can really help. I believe that natural sunlight on the back of the eye is supposed to be good for you. There is generally something of interest to be seen as well, at least if you are interested in all aspects of natural history as I am.

I love cooking too and you can't beat soups, stews, casseroles, pies, puddings and cakes on a chilly day to warm you up.

I assume you use or have used light box treatment?

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Mouse,
I'm a quite severe sufferer and started using natural light therapy a couple of years back. These natural light boxes really do help. My whole body clock changes just before Christmas each year, but the first time I used a light box the most noticeable impact was the almost immediate readjustment back to my personal 'summer time'. You have to remember to keep it up though, and it's best to start BEFORE the 'winter blues' kick in. I'll be starting early this year!
Neil

[KeynvorLogosenn]

Cheers for your advise!
However I have looked into light boxes, but as I have bad light sensitivity problems, I think I will have to give it a miss for now. I have heard that they work wonders!!

A long walk sounds like a great idea, I feel the cold bad, so I would need to wrap up loads! But I am definatly up for that!

I should try cooking too, especially if the weather is real bad, be a nice (i hope) suprise for my family.

I would normally try and sit it out, this is the first year of it, so I am not sure, I had full depression last year (and the years before). Now its just SAD, so I can't be that bad comparing I guess. But I have no idea.

Thanks
Mouse

[Susie]

I feel the cold too but once bundled up to keep the initial chill off and walking briskly I soon warm up.

It is a good idea to join a walking group (there may be one for young people in your area if you are lucky) and that way you have to go out on the days when you might otherwise lack the motivation. By joining a walking group you go to places that you might not have otherwise visited and you can discover some real gems which you can then go back and explore at your leisure. You might also make new friends too. I don't know how much your eye sight affects your mobility but most groups will be able to tell you which walks would be suitable for you.

WARNING: people in walking groups are not always interested in natural history and won't want to stop just because you have found a rare/usual/just plain interesting bird/fungus/plant/butterfly/or whatever!

Walking is good for general depression as well as SAD.

[Padfield]

Hi Emily. I'm sorry this time of year gets you down. I've never suffered from SAD so I shouldn't give advice. But there are lots of little things in winter that really excite me and give my heart a lift - mostly smells and feels - and you could do worse than maximise exposure to whatever turns you on at this time of year. My list includes:

The smell of toast.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee. (No morning can feel bad with these)
The smell of coal fires.
The smell of wood fires.
The smell of my pipe tobacco on cold, crisp air. (OK, Emily, I don't suggest you take up smoking a pipe)
Claggy, freezing mists.
The sight of people's house lights still on as I leave for school in the morning.
Orion.
The winter full moon (which is much much higher in the sky than the summer full moon)
Christmas carols (especially 'Hark! The herald' with the Wilcox descant - that makes me squirm with joy)
The feel of a hot bath when you're hands are numb with cold.
Conkers.

I could go on but it gets boring. Winter is exciting and strange and beautiful, and while that might not cure SAD it must make it more bearable.

Guy

[KeynvorLogosenn]

Hi
Susie, I have tried look at walking groups in my local area but going on my towns website. They have all the activities there, but the walking group is for 50 and overs. Some how I don't think that includes me!
I am still highly mobile anyway, I just can't drive, well I can't anyway... but still!
My Dad likes walking, I could just go with him!

Guy, I love it when it snows! I remember a couple of years ago going sleding and ending up in the river at the bottom. Never forget that!! Thats what I like about winter. But right now its grey, raining, and very windy and cold. I think its something to do with it all being grey and clouded over. On clear days I am fine! I like the clear, bright, crisp days.

I guess the main thing is to stay as happy and positive as possible

Em

[Gruditch]

Obviously it's impossible for me to understand a think like S.A.D, but you have my sympathies Mouse and Kipper.

As for me, Lisa thinks I'm a little crazy, as I love the bad weather, there was high winds and vertical rain today, so I shot down the New Forest for a 3 hour walk on the moors, never saw a soul, it was bliss.

Gruditch

[Dave McCormick]

I kind of understand. I have felt a little low when it comes to this time of year, but now I just when I can take a long walk and bring my camera to see what I can find on good days. I search usually for moths and caterpillars/eggs and see if there is any good landscape or abstract shots I can take like dew drops on a spider web, mist in the distance etc...

Its the feel of the air I like at this time of year, something about it, even though its colder, its not a bad feeling, even though I don't like cold air much, its nice.

Going out for a walk to see what is about and coming back to a warm house, feels good to me. I try and stay as happy as much as I can. People do say "if you live in Ireland and think rain as bad weather, you'd be permantly depressed "

[KeynvorLogosenn]

Thanks again for everyones support
walking looks like the winning thing here Certainly worth going out there to see what I can find, I don't like waking up and it being dark and cold, but in the afternoon its brightened up! Iceland in 24 hour daylight was fantastic as you woke up and it was like 12 noon outside!

Sussex Kipper are you going to give it a go as well?

Em

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Emily,
Everyone's advice about getting outside is good. Over the last few years I've made more and more effort to get outdoors, doing physical habitat improvement work for butterflies in the winter. This has been just as beneficial as the light treatment and the SAD effects are now minimised. But every cloud has a silver lining, and I wouldn't want to miss the sudden surge of natural energy and feeling of euphoria that kicks in when the clocks change in the spring. The important thing is to find ways of working with and around these things - life is too short to waste any time at all! And just in case I go 'quiet' on this site for a while - it's only because I'm in the middle of a house move and will be without access to UKB for a period - rather than 'hibernating'!
Neil

[Susie]

I hope the house move goes smoothly for you, Neil.

Apart from walking and cooking, the best medicine is laughing. If there is a particular programme or comedien who makes you laugh then watch it, if you have friends who make you feel good then spend time in their company. You can't put a price on good friends

[KeynvorLogosenn]

hey Neil and Susie
Hope the house moves goes well Neil, I haven't moved house in 12 years, but I remember how busy it was. I was four at the time and remember crying when my ladybird toy wasn't in the box with my things when I got to the new house!!

Talking of hibernating, I felt like that this morning, I just didn't want to get out of bed. But I have made a fool proof method of getting up. Some one else normaly feeds the cats in the morning, I do the evening. But if they left it for me, the cats would be hungry and would pester me for food, hence I have to get up and feed them! Once I am up I just can't go back to bed! Perfect!!

Susie, yeah I always try to have a good laugh with my friends, unfortunatly they normally happen at the wrong time Take today for example, our maths teacher was yelling at us to be quiet when she was talking. In all fairness me and my friends were quiet and listening, but right in the middle of a serious silence... my friend next to me did the weirdest sounding hicup ever . And of course all three of us were laughing so much and at that time we were laughing at each other laughing ... you could imagine what the teacher was like then!!

We should turn this thread into one to cheer each other up over the winter tell each other jokes (only clean ones!!) and fun stories

Em

[Susie]

I don't know any clean jokes!

Apart from the one about the three legged donkey, but I save that for four year olds because they are the only people (apart from me) who think it is funny.

Unfortunately I have to get up in the morning because of the kids, even on the days I am not working. However, this morning I was shattered and after dropping the youngest off at school, I cancelled all plans, tore up my list of jobs for the day and went back to bed! It was fab.

[KeynvorLogosenn]

you were so lucky! I would do anything to get back into bed! But no... I had walk to school in the cold grey weather, then have a looong day at school, come home and work some more (inbetween UKB that is!)

Maybe we should think of as 'there is no such thing as bad weather, just lots of different kinds of good weather'

Ha! I remember telling that joke to a kid, they found it soo funny it made me laugh so much too!
I don't know any clean jokes either, but I hear them all on school trips for some reason mainly from the teachers!!

Does any one else know any clean jokes? I guess embarassing moments are quite funny as well thinking about today

Em

[Susie]

you were so lucky! I would do anything to get back into bed!

Anything? Even give birth to three kids? If it wasn't for having to look after the little blighters still I would be working full time as I used to. Still, part time working does have it's good points, like butterflying on sunny days and going back to bed when the weather is grim.

Keep your chin up, Mouse, it is only a few weeks until half term!

[bugmadmark]

OK - so if laughter is supposed to help here goes...

Why couldnt the butterfly go to the dance?...
Becasue it was a Moth ball

What does a caterpillar like to do on New Years Day?...
It likes to turn over a new leaf!

How do you revive a dying moth?
Use moth-to-moth resuscitation!

what do insects learn at school?...
Mothmatics!

Why was the moth so unpopular ? ...
He kept picking holes in everything!

What did the Hollywood producer tell the caterpillar after it’s screen test?
Don’t crawl us, we crawl you!


And some reflective thinking after the hysteria...

Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.
Hans Christian Anderson

I only ask to be free. The butterflies are free.
Charles Dickens

I’ve watched you now a full half-hour;
Self-poised upon that yellow flower
And, little Butterfly! Indeed
I know not if you sleep or feed.
How motionless!—not frozen seas
More motionless! and then
What joy awaits you, when the breeze
Hath found you out among the trees,
And calls you forth again!

William Wordsworth, To a Butterfly


Mark

[KeynvorLogosenn]

Anything? Even give birth to three kids?

I think I may pass for now anyway Susie! Okay, so not quite everything then!

Mark, your jokes were great, I haven't heard any butterfly related ones before Laughter is certainly a cure! Where did you get all of them from?

I really loved the 'I only ask to be free. The butterflies are free.', thats all I ask.

Wooo half term! but no doubt I will be given loads of homework, I am trying to think of things to do during the week, other than work, I am rating my chances of finding a pupa.... but I am doubting!

Em

[bugmadmark]

The reason why Google makes so money is because I spend my life searching for things like this when I should actually be on my way home! funny thing is that there really arent that many novel butterfly jokes - most have the same jokes on offer and most are at expense of the Moths. Poetry and other readings however are somewhat more bountiful whenit comes to butterflies - not that I can claim to be a literary expert - Google again im afraid! Enjoy 1/2 term when it arrives - do some walking!

[KeynvorLogosenn]

try using ask.co.uk instead!

I am planning to do some walking , just got to understand the map I went out a couple of weeks ago and got lost , I tried to read the map, had it upside down then a freind called me and asked if I wanted to go into town. When they asked where I was, my sobbing reply was 'I don't know'

Now I have folded the corner slightly so I can have it the right way up! Fold is in bottom right hand corner!

Hopefuly this time I will make it home before dinner
Em