Posted on 12/16/2009 7:06:06 PM PST by Scythian
I'm not looking for pity, just in a dark place right now, son's getting over pnemonia. I've been ill on top of an already unknown mystery illness for years and after a decade long bout with Lyme Disease which I won. I'm one tough ba@#$rd to kill off. Not good to be this depressed so early in winter, going to be very long winter. I long for warmer weather but was never like this, used to love the winter, life just washes over me like a wave of late. I'll be back on my feet, but for now suffering is my path. Anybody else feel like this? This song really resonates with me lately ... I'm down, but I ain't out.
I won't be told anymore, That I've been brought down in this storm
And left so far out from the shore, That I can't find my way back, my way anymore
Suffering
Sunlight, D3, all good advice. If you’ve had Lyme and been treated, go get retested - don’t take a chance that you’ve been re-infected, or that previously dormant spirocetes have been wakened by the whatever it was you had recently. And, if I know FReepers, you’ll be prayed for tonight!
Yes, This does seem to be an extra challenging winter for some reason.
An interesting story. Ed Herrman, 'Longfellow's Christmas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXfzp296zhA&feature=related '
Although things may seem bad, you won’t have to look very far to see some in far worse shape than you...
Like that story goes, I felt bad because I had no shoes, til I saw the one with no feet...
Amongst all that bad, there’s got to be a lot of good...
I'll vouch for that. I used to have winter depression (I would take Christmas vacations to Cozumel) and still do some but Vitamin D-3 does help.
Its like telling a diabetic he doesn't need medication, just pray and think positive...yea right, like that cures diabetes, but I have heard some people make such stupid statement....
The have made PET scans of people with depression and people without it...it definately shows up on certain tests.......talk with your doctor, if he isn't interested, get a second opinion...be specific with symptoms....Thats necessary for proper diagnosis (in any disorder)
See my post #26 sent to the wrong person.......
As my hubby always says, "Better living through chemistry!" ;o)
Go to your doctor and get a check up.
http://www.lyme-disease-research-database.com/lyme_disease_blog_files/lymesymptoms-depression.html
#
P.S. Winter sucks...totally agree.
Winter snow looks nice on greeting cards though.
I’ll be praying for you Scythian.
I’m an Alaskan and boy do I understand.
SAD, (Seasonal Affective Disorder), is a real thing. But they make multi spectrum lights that are supposed to help.
Main thing that helps me is to stay busy as you can, and enjoy all of the good things about winter, (no bugs, no tourists, beauty and quiet, etc. etc.).
Avoid all alcohol etc it just makes it worse.
I agree it is the darkness that really gets to you, if you let it.
Good luck.
The lights help, a lot.
We have a room with a large, south-facing bow window that is full of plants. We have grow lights in the window and a hydroponic machine on the table with grow lights. These are compact florescent and only pull about 30-50 watts each. Right now, the hibiscus, cyclamen, and calamondin orange are all flowering. The orange blossoms smell delightful. There are hydroponic machines in 2 other rooms. When they are on, we don’t need any other light.
One nice thing about growing older is how quickly time seems to pass. Winter is depressing, especially this year, but in a few weeks, the sun begins to return North and and it is just a bit more than 3 months until solstice.
Staying busy and continuing to hang in there really is key. .
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Feeling Better today?
I was going to make more but I ran out of Hottie Dough. LOL
Yes, I am feeling better, they are calling for snow for us and I always like that. I’ve received some very good advice on this thread, thank you everyone, truly ...
Yes alot of people here swear by those lights.
Unfortunately I can’t have plants because I run wood heat and the cabin freezes sometimes.
But I have alot of windows and I make a point of being outside during daylight hours no matter the temps.
The older I get the more I actually prefer winter to summer for the reasons that I already stated and I can go anywhere on my snowshoes or snowmachine, (thats snowmobile to you folks outside).
But really the secret is to stay busy and not dwell on being depressed. EVERYONE gets depressed sometimes. I agree that proper nutrition and light are very important to fight depression, as is staying busy.
Whenever I get a little down I remember how the pioneers lived here, now THAT was tough.
I also NEVER watch TV, imo it is designed too depress us all. (It’s all lies and filth anyhow imo.) But I love my movies.
Once the the winter solstice passes, we are gaining daylight, and that REALLY helps your attitude.
I am NOT discounting depression in any way, it can be a very serious problem, but, as with all problems, there are plenty of solutions.
Living in Alaska, or a northern state, is not a good idea if you find winter depressing. But for many of us, the idea of living in hot places is downright nuts.
It’s mostly a mental thing, and just as you say, staying busy is the key. Do that and summer will be here before you know it! (Darn it.) LOL!
Your plants sound very nice. I’m kinda jealous.
We run wood heat with propane back up. We have had the wall furnaces fail in below zero weather. When that happens, we plug in ceramic heaters until the furnaces can be replaced/repaired.
I have very old plants (the oldest is a 51-year-old jade tree; the calomondin orange is 41). They are all plants that either thrive or survive at 40 degrees for a night or two, especially if they are relatively dry. I have acclimated almost all my plants to going dry for a few days at a time. They are mostly root-bound. I top dress with fortified soil every Spring and use fertilizer monthly.
All I can think of is you could choose hardy plants adapted to cool temperatures and then set them up in a mini-indoor *greenhouse: a shelf or two w/lights covered with a couple of mylar space blankets during the night. The only drawback is that the compact florescent lights run cool. Only the large blueish incandescent grow lights that look like flood lights put out excess heat. They also pull 75 watts, each.
I wonder if you could rely on cooler lights for four or five hours, turn on additional incandescents for another 12 hours (total of 16-18 hours light), then cover the shelves for 8 hours darkness at night. Adding a small ceramic heater set at 55 or so overnight might avoid freezing.
Cyclamen blooms December-February and likes cool temps. Large fuschia blooms. Other forced bulbs like it cool. Jade plants, which can be trimmed over time to resemble trees, survive cool temps and relatively low light. Mine has bloomed for over 10 years. The blooms are modest, white sprays, but they are flowers. The Aerogarden hydroponic machines do put out some heat from their compact florescent bulbs. The larger ones would support spring flowers that are not bulbs. I find the smaller Aerogardens to be worthless, as they only have an airstone and an intermittent pump. They stop working after one crop. The larger ones, especially the Pro 200, are better. I have also draped mylar over one of those while growing tomatoes over the winter.
It must be difficult with the lack of light up there. It just occurred to me that you must either not have running water or you have some way of keeping your pipes from freezing. I have had my well (shallow) and my septic tank freeze at -30.
I respect those who can live in Arctic winter conditions. I am at 44 North and at this time of year I go through all sorts of mental/emotional gymnastics to get past solstice. Nearly 9 hours of daylight and I still feel deprived!
Hard to beat the Keys other than the next few days.
“I even get irritated about having the shades closed at all during the day.”
Me, too!!! Cold, short days and long nights are so dang depressing and I’m in sunny Texas! Very pretty, sunny day today but it’s 35 degrees. I HATE it when it gets this cold. At least when it’s sunny and bright that always helps me from getting too blue. Also, I dress very warmly in long johns and coveralls and get outside for a daily hour and a half walk with my dogs. I would be on a downward spiral if I didn’t do all my little daily tricks to stay upbeat.
You are not alone. Lots of people struggle with winter depression, including me. Today is my birthday, I feel old (I’m 48) and it’s freezing outside. I’ve already been on my daily walk and am fixing to get dressed in my brightest, sunniest (but warmest) clothes. I have lots of little tricks up my sleeve to ward off winter depression. I’ve even had strangers make uplifting comments to me about my sunny yellow shirts and bright blue sweaters. If I can put a smile on someone else’s face during the long winter months, even better.
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