have a look at the web-site link I posted.....you will find lots of info there and if you ever need a chat pm me.......

Of course the seasonal changes are amazing, I don't think many would disagree with that.
However it doesn't alter the fact that low light levels effect the bodys responses and levels of important chemical manufacture.
As has already been mentioned Seretonin levels drop, a cause of depression, the body is less able to make/utilise Vit D.
A lot more understanding and recognition of this affliction is needed.
All you that are affected have my sympathy.

Have you thought that there might be those out there who long to see autumn and winter this way but mentally are not able.

It's like something blocks the thought and is so frustrating it becomes debilitating to many.

I think autumn is beautiful and love the dark, cosy nights of winter but at the same time I am filled with dread and worry about how my mental state will be if I do not take precautions. That's not a nice feeling.

Depression of any sort is a very serious illness, which unrecognised and untreated can be and often is fatal. It is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, whether it is regular depression or SAD. It is obviously not going to be resolved by "a kick up the backside". That is the sort of ignorant nonsense that could result in someone taking a real nose dive, because they were too frightened to face up to their very real mental health problems and seek the help they need.

Thank you.

Thanks Nippy!

SAD very much is a real illness and it can have frightening effects for any sufferer. I am sadly, one of those individuals who has suffered, so far this year I have been lucky however I am still going through CBT and under the direction of my doctor, I feel this has been an immense help to me.

I am fortunate to have a partner who works with severely mentally ill individuals and the consequences he sees at his work can be terrifying. He can readily provide examples of the true extent of real suffering, not just feeling a bit down or a bit low but unable to function at even a basic level in a lot of cases. This is not simply a fed up feeling or a the nights are drawing in feeling, it is a real feeling of desperation, of impending doom, of worthlessness, and it can be terrifying - I know this 1st hand. To go outside and have a walk and relish surroundings - I would have given anything to be able to but the desperation and fear grips you so hard and squeezes so tight it is physically, as well as emotionally, impossible.

Sad, like Depression in general, is caused by a change in the chemical balance in the brain, this can be genetically inherited, or can be circumstantial, at it's most basic it is for example as if two people are exposed to fumes one may suffer ill effects before the other, likewise two people faced with emotional turmoil will not react the same, and therefore one may develop depression whereas the other may not. Thus being circumstantial.

The chemical imbalance is not limited to Serotonin, others include norepinephrine and noradrenaline. The levels of these chamicals can be monitored using scans and blood tests, also the level of brain activity can be monitored using MRI scans. It can be clearly seen and monitored and is indicative of depression whether severe cloinical depression or seasonally Affective depression.

Many studies about human nature and the way we live today compared to how our bodies were originally designed present the case that our bodies are programmed to be indoors sleeping during the darker nights conserving our energy etc to help us through the cold, therefore it is a hard wired synapse that "suggests" to us that we should not be out when it is dark and cold, and our present day way of living dictates we have to and therefore a chemical change can happen.

I accept the view that we have evolved considerably since such times however the back of our brain has remained pretty much unchanged and controls things like breathing, and fight flight response and chemical balances in the brain. Some individuals have no problem dealing with, or over-riding these natural reactions, they may be exposed to more light during the "light hours" by means of artificial office lighting, computer screens etc etc than others who suffer (that however would be very difficult to quantify-ably prove) This goes back to the analogy drawn with twop people faced with the same circumstances yielding differently to the pressure of the circumstance.

It is true that a few mindless individuals will "claim" depressive illnesses, or more specifically mental health illnesses of all types when they are in fact not suffering but are looking for an excuse, that however is a surprisingly small minority compared to the vast volume of true sufferers who are afraid to seek help or to speak out plus those who have sought help and struggle with this horrible illness. The same however can be said about people who suffer from back pain there are many many sufferers in chronic pain suffering a variety of conditions, trapped nerves, prolapses, bone degeneration etc, and there is a minority who claim they have back pain in order to avoid work, family issues etc - however no-one says back pain is not a real condition - yet in the majority of cases it like depression is a hidden disability.

Anyway this quick answer has taken far longer than I expected sorry

An amazing post Lynne.......very enlightening.

Brilliant post, full of your own experience and facts as well.

I'm really surprised that someone would suggest that people affected by SAD just need a "kick up the bum". Its a serious condition which has been researched extensively by the medical profession. As a previous poster has mentioned this shows physiological changes in the chemicals in the brain which sufferers can't just switch on and off - so to say people who have this just need a kick up the bum is like saying people with asthma "just can't be bothered to breathe properly"

Unfortunately this is indicative of the stigma around mental illness.

To the OP - dont be afraid to go and have a chat with your GP.

Dee x