SAD
 

Who suffers from it and how do you guys cope.

I do a mix of exercise + light therapy plus reduced hours at work + spending more time with distant relatives / close friends.

Moved to subtropical Asia

ooops, misunderstood the topic. my bad.

BTW by SAD he means Seasonal affective disorder. A very real and serious issue to a lot of people.

It wasn't the ONLY reason I moved, but definitely one of them. And I haven't had any issues since moving.

^ I believe he was referring to seasonal affective disorder, not just being "sad". =/

I've had this for years. At times it's been severe enough that I've had to go on an SSRI from Nov - March (Feb is typically the worst month for me), though usually that's when it's coupled with other stress factors. I love SFU, but given the fogged in factor they get up there in Nov & Jan/Feb in that grey campus, when I was there that was some of the worst of it I've ever had.

Most years I just try hard to make the most of what sun I can get, and use full spectrum lights at home. I find when it gets really bad, a few short sessions of tanning are a surprisingly quick and effective pick me up too.

what i fucking hate is its pitch black out at 4:45

used to think i liked winter, fuck that give me back august

oh so this is what this is, i got it before during spring

You just have to be constantly motivated, for me it's working out and taekwondo and the dream of making it to the olympics

Before that i was a lazy ass that tried to cut corners and get away with work kind of. Make sure you eat more as well during winter since you'll need more energy.

Hope i helped :D

I find November is the worst month.

Once xmas comes (and the first day of winter), I am motivated by the fact that the worst is over. If I can just make it until then....all is good.

I have also been told that if you tend to sleep in in the mornings, it is better to wake up earlier (like when the sun rises) as you will be able to maximize the amount of natural light you get.

I have also heard that taking Vitamin D and B helps...but I never really noticed a difference.

I agree with the tanning bed....even short periods makes me feel better.

It sucks...but we are almost there- less than a month (Dec 21) until the sun sets later and later :)

working hard, exercise and smoking up some of the finest green herb that i can get my hands on is how i deal with SAD. and if i must say, it works damn well.

I agree november is my bad month. It actually effects all aspects of my life.

can't put emphasis on how real it truly is. My thinking goes to total shit during the winter months.

Serious question. I have a few friends who really push me to smoke weed to deal with it. I dont think its the best idea. Any thoughts?

One of the possible side effects of weed is you can go psychotic... literally

Marijuana is a depressant.

Don't do it...SAD makes you lethargic and foggy headed enough. Why add to it?

This is one thing I'm enjoying about Sask. It might be cold but at least most days it's sunny.

Weed will only make it worse. MUCH worse. You will have depression combined with paranoia, and that isn't a good combo, trust me

workout, take drives up snowy roads (one of the local mountains/make a run to whistler with close friends for cafe crepe montaigne or whatever its called lol), try to bury my head in the books, close the blinds before it gets dark and turn on tons of lights so it "feels" like daytime. I get super duper lazy though, everyone does.

I'm a nightowl naturally, so i don't miss sunlight at all. nor do i crave it.

since im guessing most of you are couped up inside most of the time anyways, you should just close your blinds fully when its dark outside and turn on all your lights and jack up the heat, and pump the music that's what i do.

I don't even notice if it's bright or dark outside. lol ignorance is bliss.

my backgrounds are all sunny or tropical places. hey, it's no different than looking out any other window. lol. anything helps right?

but for real, if you just avoid outside, and not know it's dark or raining or whatever, you probably wont feel as bad.

although i do agree it is slightly depressing when its totally dark before 5pm. but i think the cold makes me far more depressed than any sort of darkness.

you guys didn't pretend you were ninjas and batman enough when you were young.


it doesn't hurt to try. no one's telling you to become a total pot head. a few puffs to try out wont hurt.

obviously you don't smoke a joint and go walking outside in the dark. it's supposed to take your mind off it completely when you are doing something else.

lol it aint some miracle drug, you still have to remove yourself from the environment.


actually, get your drug facts straight.
being depressed is not the same as a depressant

Depressant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

if that were true, drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes a helluva lot everyday would make me happy.

weed is actually a depressant, stimulant, psychedelic, and intoxicant.
yeah it's all of them.
Erowid Cannabis (Marijuana) Vault

if u look cannaboids are smack right in the middle
and THC is all of them except an anti-psychotic.
http://files.shroomery.org/files/06-...031724-Ima.bmp
http://infobeautiful2.s3.amazonaws.c...sworld_960.gif
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...nn_Diagram.jpg


if you wanna talk about drugs that further your depression, turn to alcohol.

alcohol is the worst thing you can hit when you're looking for an escape.

next time you feel like shit, start drinking, lol, i guarantee you'll feel like killing yourself.

marijuana you'll probably just zone out and think of something completely unrelated.

everyone is different, it affects everyone differently.

it can make you paranoid yeah. depends on the strain, and person. from my understanding sativa's tend to make people more paranoid than couch-lock indicas.

obviously you don't use it to get mega fucking stoned. that defeats the purpose.
just enough to use it for what it's supposed to be used for.

just like you don't see people with ADHD taking 50mg of dextroamphetamines when the doc tells you, you only need 5mg to "fix" you.

Damn why is fails turned off for this forum? That is some bulllllll shit Ulic

I didn't say it would make you DEPRESSED. As you pointed out, I said it is a DEPRESSANT (which it is).

It makes you lethargic and foggy headed....much like SAD. If ya already feel like that, why would you make it worse?

Marijuana slows down the central nervous system. The use of depressants can result in a slowed pulse and breathing, slurred speech, drowsiness, lowered blood pressure, poor concentration, fatigue and confusion, as well as impaired coordination, memory and judgment." (www.drugfree.org- yes, the is info outside of wikipedia).

When was the last time you smoked a joint and felt like you could run a marathon?! Don't tell me that shit makes you happy...

And as you said, you don't even suffer with SAD....what makes you think you can give advice as to how to deal with it?

No issues getting off them after such a short period? I was using an SSRI years ago and it was a struggle to wean myself off. There are times I'd like to try it again but am worried about getting off it.

it's not.

if i locked you in a room that had no windows and you didn't know what season it was, you wouldn't suffer from SAD. so ignorance is bliss... RIGHT? just to make things clear, im correlating it to removing yourself from the environment. (which you have done).

In asia the sun sets by 5pm too. so tell me, what is the difference?
in fact in asia the sun sets by 5pm even in the summer. wouldn't you suffer from SAD even worse there than here?

yeah, the sun might rise earlier there, compared to here (in the winter), but then you're not awake at 5am anyway right?

so what exactly is the difference? you're going to reply that the weather is a lot better. yes it is. the warmth most definitely helps does it not?

so if you remove yourself from the environment, and you're warm (not wrapped up, but the environment is warm, ex. using a heater), are you not essentially doing the same thing that you have done? moving to HK, or being in a room where you cant gauge the outside weather, what exactly is the difference? it's psychologically different. cuz you KNOW. that's the ONLY difference.

as for the weed, like i said, everyone is different. anyone with bad experiences with weed probably was smoking it recreationally and smoked way too much, and/or have general personality tenancies to worry or have anxiety or stress issues.

that is an assumption that you have created out of thin air (unless im wrong, then it means you have smoked the appropriate amount of weed while suffering from SAD, then please tell me your experience in detail).

the lethargic feeling and foggy headedness of SAD is not the same as the effects of smoking weed.

the lethargic feeling you get from marijuana is only a stage of the entire "high" or whatever you want to call it. usually at the very end, and generally from indica strains. and not everyone experiences it (just like not everyone experiences the munchies).
a lot of people actually say they are often more awake, and if they smoke it when they're really tired (like nodding), it often wakes them up and keeps them awake until the lingering "buzz" wears off (which wears off hours later). it most definitely keeps the gears in your brain turning faster than normal. if you consider yourself a thinker, rather than a doer, then you will most definitely feel more awake. if you're the type to just lay in your bed and watch tv, well no shit you're gonna feel tired. you're gonna feel tired if you were laying in your bed watching TV without weed.

the "foggy headedness" you experience from SAD is not the same as the terrible short term memory you have when you're high on weed.

you are assuming it makes it worse.

Cannabis: Potent Anti-depressant In Low Doses, Worsens Depression At High Doses
like i said, i didn't say go smoke a whole joint yourself and throw a pot party to fix your SAD.
everything is done in moderation. a few puffs. or even 1 puff. or half a puff.


lol c'mon, that's a biased website. that's a total anti drug site.

how about from a less biased site:
Erowid Cannabis (Marijuana) Vault : Effects

POSITIVE
mood lift, euphoria
increased giggling and laughing
relaxation, stress reduction
creative, philosophical, abstract, or deep thinking : ideas flow more easily
increased appreciation or awareness of music; deeper connection to music; increased emotional impact of music
increased awareness of senses (eating, drinking, smell)
change in experience of muscle fatigue; pleasant body feel; increase in body/mind connection
pain relief (headaches, cramps)
reduced nausea, increased appetite (used medically for this)
boring tasks or entertainment can become more interesting or funny


i know some people that have a few puffs before they workout, and they're fuckin huge guys. i've tried doing this a few times as well. i noticed the pain reduction in my last "few" reps was significant. I could push harder because my pain threshold was higher. im sure there are other members that have smoked a little and worked out. im sure they'll have similar responses.

construction workers are also notorious for smoking weed and working all day. their jobs are fairly physical. you think they'd smoke up and work all day if it made them tired and sad? it doesnt make them happy, but it sure makes the day a helluva lot more interesting.

it doesn't MAKE you HAPPY and giddy, but it most DEFINITELY takes your mind off whatever negative thoughts you have and neutralizes your negative mood to something MORE positive than what it was.

you have the wrong path of thinking. you want to be happy? guess what, we arent designed to be HAPPY all the god damn time. but you can feel OKAY/NORMAL.

if you wanna feel happy go ask your doctor for some serotonin selective re-uptake inhibitors. or go ask him for some extended release dextroamphetamine or any amphetamine variants. or hell, you can even take some benzodiazapines. i guarantee you, you'll feel "happy" after taking the appropriate amount of the above. and yes, those things i listed are not illegal street drugs, in fact they're the purest form of those street drugs you can get, legally.

i just listed an antipsychotic, stimulant and depressant, and they all can make you "happy". im not talking about happy. im talking about distracting your mind from the SAD mood. removing SAD does not equate to being giddy kind of happy.


and you totally got your head over why i even started this.

you're slandering a drug (yes it is, for those of you who consider it just "a plant"), and you've obviously got no, or very little experience with this drug. you are basing everything off your own personal experiences, based off the weed you, or your friends smoked, and you guys probably don't know where it came from, which strain it was, and if you've ever used it, you probably used it for recreational purposes at recreational doses, not medical doses.



you totally avoided my statement on alcohol. well, it's okay, because we all know that is the most true statement in all of this thread. not one person will disagree that alcohol will totally fuck your mood up if you're already sad (and it probably will fuck your mood up even if you're not sad).

now, since you're so against weed for SAD, let me ask you, during these down seasons, do you drink at all? this is a question to anyone that suffers from SAD.

if the answer is yes, then, i ask you... why the fuck are you drinking and slandering weed when alcohol makes things way worse?

it's hypocritical. and there's obviously a bias based not on facts, but personal preference and upbringing to which drug is okay and which is not.

i can guarantee you, that if you're a physically normal, that doesnt suffer from anxiety, low confidence, or any type of social phobia (or any phobia) and you're suffering from SAD. that after having a bit of weed, you'll feel a hell of a lot better than having a few drinks.

I guarantee you sometime this christmas season, you will consume alcohol. you tell me when you're home, buzzed, or still drunk and all wound down from the party you were at, how good do you feel? how good do you feel about yourself and where the world is going? it's a rhetorical question, you don't need to answer.

and you don't have a phd in bio-chemistry, what makes you think you can give advice to as how weed affects the human body?

one doesn't need to be a physics major, to figure out how to throw a basketball through a hoop.

I don't need to be a psychiatrist to tell you that distracting your mind will probably be a good step away from your SAD.

i definitely dont need to suffer from SAD to tell you what psychoactive drugs can distract and put your mind somewhere else, and alleviate your negative mood associated with SAD.

by the way, im not a pro-legalization of marijuana type, pot culture hippy guy.

but i am very opposed to drug facts that are biased opinionated.



like i said, weed can be a TOOL to distract your mind.
some people play instruments, some play video games. have you thought, maybe with a bit of weed, combined with playing instruments, or whatever your hobbies are, would greatly reduce the effects of SAD? when i said removing yourself from the environment, i didn't just mean physically. mentally too.

why do you think excersize is usually the general prescription for these psychological type of disorders? it removes your mind from the environment. a distraction. that and it generally improves health anyway.

I also know majinhurricane works in a club, he's probably surrounded by alcohol and im not sure if he drinks, but if he does, it most definitely doesnt help, and that taking a few puffs of weed to see how he reacts to it most definitely wont hurt.

see? is this not another example of what i was getting at?
it obviously works for dhillon, it might not work 100%, but it HELPS. right?

don't use SSRI's if you can avoid it. SSRI's should only be used for major depression. it also depends on which SSRI you're using, theres a whole bucket load. some are easier to ween off than others.

doctors only prescribe SSRI's for SAD or other minor depressive disorders because that's what they were taught. there are plenty of alternative medicines/methods to deal with minor depression. SSRI's can cause way worse depression later. plus like you said, you can't just stop taking them. i'm highly against the prescription of SSRI's for first line of defence.

you can look into "5-HTP", it's a precursor to serotonin. it's available in nutrition stores. im sure you'll notice a difference if you take it for a while. but like anything else, take it in moderation, i'd take less than the label says. perhaps every other day.

you can also look into melatonin, and pop it 30minutes before the time you wish to sleep (earlier, so u can wake up earlier and experience more sunlight). but i'd generally avoid melatonin as well unless you're adjusting to another time zone, an insomniac or have trouble sleeping.

Ulic, you don't get out or have much of a social life at all... do you?

I know what you mean Majin. I'm not really affected by SAD but I sure do hate how early it gets dark, especially after the shitty weather we had this summer. Nothing is worse than leaving work and feeling like your day is already over and that all there's left to do is go home to bed. Just have to push through it. For me it's going to the gym, having beers with friends, studying hard, and staying as motivated to enjoy life as I would if it was hot and sunny outside. The great thing is winter will eventually end, and as of December 21st the days will start getting longer again :)

I'm equally excited for Dec. 21st as I am saddened for Jun. 21.

I'll chime in about weed...

When I smoke, I am SUPER energetic. I used to blaze and run the seawall, clean my home, bust random pushups during commercial breaks.

However, one thing I will advise people that are depressed, is to think twice about blazing. From my experience, it brings deep thoughts. If you are ALREADY depressed and you blaze on your own, you may have a shitty trip and dwell on things too hard. Especially if you are not a seasoned toker.
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I take a multi vitamin daily and a couple 1000 IU tablets of Vitamin D to help with the feelings. Vitamin D is what you get from sunlight, so when there isn't much it's good to supplement this.
I've also been going regularly to the gym, and I feel great.

And I've made a point of going away somewhere sunny at least once this winter.

If you know you are affected by the winter routinely, take responsibility. Plan for a cheap getaway to mexico or something, even like 4-5 days would help.

Don't just sit in the dark damp vancouver winter and complain.