There seems to be a lot of it about.

[baratron]

I have a theory that just about everyone I know seems to be depressed at the moment, and I think it's because it's got to the point in the year where it's been winter for so long that it's like it's never going to end, and we all feel like crap due to lack of daylight. However, I realise that it is not winter for everyone in the world, and that some people are probably enjoying some lovely sunshine right now (the lucky sods!).

So here is a totally unscientific livejournal poll on the topic. I wish it was possible to write livejournal polls that link together the answers from multiple questions and correlate the answers automatically. Oh well. Question 2 is deliberately vague because I set about writing time intervals like "2-3 days ago" and "4-7 days ago" before realising that I couldn't remember the answer to it that precisely myself, so it was probably pointless expecting anyone else to.

[Poll #1331853]

Oh yes, and if you do happen to feel just great at the moment, then please comment below to say why, because the rest of us need cheering up.

Comments

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

it's sunny here. it's also -6f. these two things are in fact related.

[jenett]

This.

To add re: the questions: I don't hit seasonal depression, but I am not particularly wired towards depressive disorders in the first place (my issues run differently, which is both a plus and a minus.)

Also, my office has an entire wall of 10' windows (starting at shoulder height when I'm at my desk and going up) so any day there's sun, I get quite a lot of it. Minneapolis in winter is cold (see above) but often remarkably sunny, which helps.

[brooksmoses]

I am slightly confusing your correlations, because I checked "yes, I have a medically-recognized depressive disorder" but at the moment, I feel pretty normal. (What's normal for a depressed person? Good question -- and not one I have a personal answer to, really.)

I think most of this is that it's a very nice sunny day, and I just spent a half-hour out taking a bike ride.

[baratron.livejournal.com]

When I talk of a "normal" mood, I tend to mean "being of the same mood as other people in this situation". So normal for a person in general, rather than the average mood for that particular person. It's true that my average mood is probably on the low side, but I'm also very aware of where my mid-point or "normal" is.

[kyte.livejournal.com]

I'm mostly with you on that one.

Generally I tend towards the low, but I'm reasonably fine for me at the moment.

[leback.livejournal.com]

It's winter here, but it's been a relatively sunny winter. (The days are as short as ever, but it's not as cloudy as some winters.) And I am fortunate to have plenty of opportunities to actually *see* the sunlight during the day.

Nonetheless, I expect my moods to improve as the days get longer. I am not depressed, but neither have I been particularly happy or energetic; just sort of even-keel "blah."

I am wishing you sunshine and good health and happiness.

[ludy]

we actually get quite a bit of sun here in my tree house by the sea but i'm not particularly effected by light levels it's the coldness and being ill that get me down.

[redbird]

I do have a medically recognized depressive disorder, but it's being treated adequately: I have meds, I have endorphins from exercise, and at the moment I have sunshine, so I'm feeling okay despite the cold. (Tomorrow may be another matter, with wind chills predicted around -15 and actual temperatures probably around -10. And a chunk of my "how to deal with winter" stuff is calibrated to Montreal, where my people live half a block from the bus stop and the posted schedules are reliable.

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

Sunny day wasn't that long ago, but I still can't remember.

It was sunny for a little bit one morning recently (yesterday? today? earlier in the week?) because it was shining into my room when I was trying to get myself up, but I remember being disappointed later (by the time I left my house?) that it had gone and got gray.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Mainly I feel ill and run down at the moment. Emotionally I am all right today, but the general crumminess is part of the SAD cocktail.

[firecat]

My disorder is relatively well treated with meds at the moment, and it has been sunny, and I have been out for walks in the sun a few times lately, so I'm doing OK.

A lot of people are talking these days about vitamin D deficiencies possibly contributing to depression.

[boxofdelights]

I feel good because
1) I am taking my Zoloft and using my CPAP.
2) Colorado is sunny and sunset is coming a minute later every day.
3) I got rocks! I love rocks. I love my garden. I must post some photos of my rocks.

[nessbutterfly.livejournal.com]

Today is a good day... I've had some sleep.

A few days ago I was very grumpy, depressed and irritable. It was 43C, bright and sunny and I couldn't keep cool and comfortable.

There can be too much of a good thing!

Feeling Good

[a-musing-amazon.livejournal.com]

Just back from a good weeks skiing - mostly under sunny skies; saw my bf and had good sex this last night and this morning; and today the sun is shining.

Main downer is that my nitoda is still tired and didn't have a as good a ski holiday as I would have wished for her.

Re: Feeling Good

[baratron.livejournal.com]

Has she had her thyroid checked recently?

Sorry to keep harping on about it, but testing thyroid function should be among the first three things that a doctor does if you go into the surgery having felt "tired and not right" for months on end. Especially for a woman aged over 30. I've heard that 10% of women aged over 30 are hypothyroid to some extent and it has a colossal range of symptoms, most of which are fairly vague.

If she gets fobbed off with some excuse like "post-viral fatigue" or "it's your age" without any tests being done, it's time for a new doctor - because at the very least, both TSH and glucose should be tested. Post-viral fatigue is only a reasonable diagnosis for a couple of weeks or if all the blood tests come back clear. In my opinion, and I am not a doctor of course :)

Re: Feeling Good

[nitoda]

Thanks for your concern. I had a whole lot of bloods done a few months ago when I felt under a lot of stress and had had a lot of time off work. They did test for thyroid and declared no problem. Of course I'm aware that the tests for thyroid function are not always very good which is a concern. I do feel an ability to do less than I used to. I don't know how reasonable it is to put that down to age (at 56!) I do think it's reasonable to put a lot of symptoms down to stress, and they did ease for a while. I think I would be much happier and healthier if I was only working part time and I'm trying to persuade an ex-colleague that he wants to work part-time too and we could job share!
How frequently would it be reasonable to request a check on thyroid function do you think? Annually? Or more frequently if there are still concerns?

Re: Feeling Good

[baratron.livejournal.com]

You and your partners are among my favourite people - of course I'm concerned! Anyway, a slightly off-the-wall but serious suggestion: do you have a gas boiler at home or work? Has it been checked recently? Have you been tested for carbon monoxide poisoning?

High-grade CO poisoning kills you in your sleep, but low-grade CO poisoning shows up as tiredness, dizziness, headaches and fluish symptoms that go on and on. These seem to be rather similar to what you've been complaining about, and of course it's much more common in winter when we run the heating.

I personally think it would be reasonable to get your TSH level tested annually if you aren't quite right but the previous test was happily within the range of normal; and more regularly if you had a high result previously. But I Am Not A Doctor.