Well here it is late March and we are having a snow storm....should be used to this by now, as i have lived here my whole life but I'm not! I am ready to crawl out of my skin, and can't shake this crummy depressed mood. I am a SAHM, my younger two aren't in school yet, the middle goes 3 half days. I am tired of the cold, tired of being cooped up and it's really wearing on me! I know that I cannot change the weather, and if I COULD find a way for us to move I absolutely would. I have hated the weather here my entire life!
So I was wondering what ideas rememdies any of you have found to beat these winter blues? Going out w/ the two little guys does not last long at all. They got cold and wet very fast and are done. I have looked around for indoor fun things to do and the options are very limited, and most pretty pricey. I begin longing for summer the first cold week we get.
My husband snickers at me about this like it's all "in my head" but I honestly get very depressed and sad during winter. I try to shake it, because I feel silly about it myself. But it really gets to me. Especially this time of year when warm weather could be so close, but it could also snow who knows how many more times! UGH!!!
I really hate feeling like this! Do I need an antidepressant for this time of year? I feel awful, and it makes me nuts that I can't shake it!
Any suggestions appreciated!
Vitamin D3 (from cholecalciferol).
We got the late March storm too. Blah. I'm ready for Spring!!
It's Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I have it, too. For years, I went into a tailspin of depression from November to April. There were days where I just couldn't even get out of bed. I'd have no energy and I'd stop caring about things I usually would love. I now fight it by taking lots of Vitamin D (year round) and 5-Htp from Fall to Spring. I take a lot of other supplements, too, but for SAD, those are the ones that really help me.
Also exercise. The more exercise I get, the better I feel. I know that's probably a little difficult with little kids at home...maybe pop in an exercise dvd when the kids have gone to bed? It'll be super difficult to start, but you'll be amazed at how much better you feel when you're done.
Try to cut back on processed carbs and sugar. They'll give you a temporary burst of energy, but you'll feel even crappier when it wears off quickly.
I've heard sunlamps help, too, although I've never used one.
If you see a doc, there's a good chance they'll try to give you some sort of anti-depressant. SAD *is* sort of a temporary depression that goes away when the sun comes out and warm weather kicks in. It's very real and medication CAN help if it comes to that. I've been able to deal with it as I've described above and managed to avoid medications. For some other people, getting meds might be the best choice.
But first line of attack for me would be vitamins and exercise. If that still doesn't help, consider seeing a doc. I'm glad to say that for the last 4 years, I've been getting through winter as a happy person.
I have SAD. It's really cold where I live from November thru April. I really, really dislike it!!! Last year I had a blood test. My vitamin D was very low.
I take vitamin D and it helps somewhat. But not 100%.
I will not go on an antidepressant.
My friend bought a light box for her SAD. She said it has helped. I plan on ordering one next November !
The best remedy for me is excercise ! I put the laptop on the table and dance to my absolute favorite dance tunes.Make a list of 5 -6 of your favorite fast songs ! I walk outside for a few minutes everyday. I have a set of 5 lb weights in front of the tv.. I work on my arms while I watch tv.
I also have to eat healthy and clean. If I eat alot of junk, then, I feel worse !
I have a friend that walks w/ me a few days a week !
SAD is real !
Have you ever tried St. John's Wort? It's an herb that is commonly used for depression. Check w/ your doctor or nutritionist. We have a local health food store that carries high quality vitamins and herbs. There is a nutritionist on staff in this health store.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is real. I'm certain my husband is undiagnosed (except by me). Our bodies need sunlight so by the end of the Winter we being to lose our minds - we are also less active which doesn't help.
I'm in NY and our Winter season began with Superstorm Sandy and no power for 9 days (talk about being ready to lose your mind - I have a whole new respect for the colonists & pioneers..) December was snow free and there were some miserable nor-easters but then got buried with 30 inches of heavy wet snow in February (my friend's husband had a heart attack and died shoveling snow after that storm) and we've been having generally miserable weather with snow every so often since then. Ugh! Now my mom's overian cancer has begun to grow really fast and she's in her final weeks/months (she's 82 but still....) . So I really, really relate to your need for Spring to arrive!
The best thing to do in the Winter to keep way the blues is to get outside and move. Sorry - I know it's tough with kids - but even a run/walk around the block on a cold sunny day is better than nothing. Staying in motion will keep you warm. Then come in and have a picnic lunch on the living room floor (old plastic table cloth, sandwiches & chips). Sometimes just doing something silly like that will get you and kids in a better mood.
Good luck mama - I'm soooooo ready for Spring!
There are light bulbs that simulate sunlight that help quite a bit with S.A.D. Sometimes they are called "full spectrum" or "broad spectrum" bulbs. You can get them in regular sizes to put in your existing lamps or fixtures. My favorites are Neodymium, the bulb itself looks purple when it's turned off, but puts off the most gorgeous warm light. If your local stores don't carry them you can find them online. Don't worry about the wattage, just make sure it has a "color temperature" of It sounds insignificant but it can really make a different.
Also, just because it's "in your head" doesn't mean it's not a huge deal! Don't get me started.
Honey, tell your husband to take you seriously because this is a real thing! It's called Seasonal Affective Disorder. My friends daughter had this. I believe a sunlamp could help. Read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder
I have always hated the weather where I live too.
Here, we have three seasons....
Cold.
Colder.
Frozen.
California ain't all sunshine and orange groves, honey.
I DEFINITELY get depressed by the weather.
Everyone that knows me notices a complete difference in me when I get in the warmth and sunshine. Some people wilt in the heat. Not me! I feel so happy and energized. Thank God my ex husband and I get along really well now because he moved a bit south of here and it gets HOT there. He lets me go and stay weekends there in the summertime so I can get my sun fix.
It's upsetting to come back home to the drippy fog, but at least I have an escape from time to time.
Winter is okay if you actually get other seasons. We really don't. It bums me out.
It's not all "in your head". You can take vitamin D supplements, but there really is no substitute for sunshine. Even if you can get just 15 minutes of it a day.
When my kids were little, I would build a fire and get it baking hot in the house. We put music on and the kids ran around in their bathing suits. We would do things like have a picnic in the living room or set their play-hut tents up and PRETEND it was summer. We pretended we were camping, we pretended we were by the river. It was fun. My kids loved it.
Play-Hut tents are fabulous!! They fold up to nothing and just pop open. You should check them out. Your kids will play for hours and hours with them.
Best wishes to you!
Hang in there!
I am in Michigan, so I totally know how you feel. I take a Vitamin D3 tablet and a One A Day Alive (Women's Energy) Multivitamin along with a mild antidepressant. The combo has worked wonders for me. It also helps to exercise and eat plenty of veggies and fruits:) Spring/Summer cannot come quick enough in the Midwest!
Perhaps your husband can take the kids in the evening so you can go to an aerobics class at a local gym, or to something you enjoy. Sounds like you could use a break. I also agree with Sherri to get some good outdoor gear. Here in the Boston area it also gets cold, and we each have multiple pairs of snow pants and insulated Bogs boots to pull on easily, several pairs of insulated gloves and hats, etc. This way you can go out twice a day and hang up the wet stuff. We bought a clothes rack and it sits in the downstairs living room behind the door so everything does not have to go into the dryer all the time.
We also heated up the house some days and played with tents and tubes and had picnics. The silliest thing I did one snowy February when the kids were little is put the blow up kiddie pool in the kitchen on the linoleum and filled it up with warm water, placed old towels all around it and watched the kids "swim" while I sat at the kitchen table having a cup of tea. Sometimes we piled into the car and walked around the mall just to go look at stuff in the Disney store and then eat lunch in the food court (food brought from home) and "dance" to the loud music at one of those fancy teen stores with the gorgeous men photos in the entry - can't remember the name.
I think it is all in the playful attitude, but if you are down, then nothing will be fun. It may be a good idea to talk to your doctor. Why suffer when there are solutions. Anti-depressants can all have side effects - we went through 2 before we found one a 3rd that worked for our daughter. But if meds is the route you want to go, do not give up since there are many to try. Our daughter is so much happier now.
Invest money on good outdoor winter gear so that you and the kids can actually enjoy being out without getting cold and wet. I live in Winnipeg, and it doesn't get much colder than that, but we spend lots of time enjoying outdoors in the winter, snowshoeing, tobogganing, skiing and playing.
A second on the vitamin D! It doesn't completely fix it but makes it more bearable!
First either go to a doc and get your vit D checked or just start taking a vit D pill. Most likely that will help. you can get a UV light made expressly for this kind of reduced sunlight exposure. Or sit in the sunlight coming through a window. This is a real thing AND it's all in your head! Your sunlight exposure effects your moods and he needs to get a brain past Neanderthal.
