Post: #1

I live in a beautiful part of the north east. This summer and fall was excellent weather wise, and I try to get outdoors whenever possible to enjoy it. Currently I am having some symptoms that could be categorized as mild depression.

I am not really that excited about getting up in the morning, not really looking forward to weekends like I have been in the past, my sex drive is low even though I recently started dating a new girl. (this usually means both parties want to bang non-stop).

I can’t tell if I am actually not happy with my current lifestyle or if the seasons are messing with me. Currently I am more unhappy about my financial situation etc, when in the summer I really didn’t worry about it much.

I am wondering if other guys get this way around this time of year? Its really dark, grey and chilly here. I love the winter, but this time of year is tough for me.

I think I feel this way most years, but this year I can really feel a drop in my sex drive, which is disturbing me. I almost think I have a bad cycle going where I think about my lowered sex drive and thus it lowers my sex drive more.

To combat this, I have been trying to do more heavy lifts, and more running for cardio. Those things make me feel better, but I am still off.

Anyone else feel this way in correlation to the ugly fall weather?

Post: #2

Sounds like Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

I think you want this thread:

/thread-39799.html

Post: #3

Thanks for the link. I have no trouble sleeping, I feel like I sleep great. However, I have classified myself as a sun worshiper, and I think there may be something to this for me. Might be worth a look, I have an old grow light in the closet, wonder if that could be used for bright light therapy?

Post: #4

I get affected by seasons too. Personally I find autumn/winter/spring to be invigorating in a way.

Post: #5

I love winter, it's just this whole stick season thing hat gets me. Also leaving for work in he dark and getting home in the dark is hard.

Post: #6

Look into:

Vitamin D

Light therapy: lamps that mimic the rays of the sun

Post: #7

I mentioned this in another thread:

/thread-41306.html

November is a tough month in the northeast because its when things to really get very dark. All the leaves come down and the good weather days decrease in frequency.

It seems like a lot of people I have known have died in November so that plays in the back of my mind. Meanwhile, everything in the outdoors withers, turns brown, and becomes cold.

Hmmm. I think I might retire to my chamber and read some Edgar Allen Poe.

(Once Thanksgiving comes around there is at least the holiday season which can be a welcome distraction before the brutality of January/February.)

Post: #8

(11-04-2014 03:59 PM)MtnMan Wrote:  Thanks for the link. I have no trouble sleeping, I feel like I sleep great. However, I have classified myself as a sun worshiper, and I think there may be something to this for me. Might be worth a look, I have an old grow light in the closet, wonder if that could be used for bright light therapy?

You can definitely use bright light therapy for relief of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder, or fall/winter blues). It will be effective even if you are having no obvious problems with sleep as such.

I would not recommend using an old grow light; check out the thread that BDawg linked to instead, and get a full spectrum light box. You need to be able to get a consistent 10,000 lux of full spectrum visible light for this to have the desired effect.

Post: #9

Im sitting in front of the light now. 3rd day in a row. I think it helps.

Post: #10

(11-05-2014 09:56 AM)Fisto Wrote:  Im sitting in front of the light now. 3rd day in a row. I think it helps.

Cool. Make sure you do it correctly: every day, 30 minute sessions, at 10,000 Lux at the right distance (14'' from the box if you have the Sunlight Jr.), about same time every morning shortly after you wake up. Sit at an angle to the light rather than looking straight at it.

If you feel there are any effects over time (and if you do it correctly and consistently, I'm certain there will be), please post about it on the light therapy thread some day:

/thread-39799.html

Post: #11

I to suffer from seasonal depression. Its real and it sucks. I found the perfect cure though, its been working wonders for me thus far..... I traveled south of the equator where its summer again

Post: #12

Probably two issues -- light/depression & physical activity/testosterone. The best choice is to go somewhere sunny for the winter, but if thats not an option:

-Wake up at the crack of dawn, use blue light if its a cloudy/dark day. Take Vitamin D, get as much real sunlight as possible.
-Exercise every day. When its warm, its easy to go out and do shit for 8, 12 hours in a single day. In the winter, that is rare. Your testosterone levels are going to drop.

As I get older, I've become more skeptical one can live through dark, cold winters and be totally healthy. Taking a look at the places people live the longest would seem to confirm this.

Post: #13

I did a blog post on this:

http://runsonmagic.com/2014/10/avoid-sea...-disorder/

Post: #14

Its not depression, its hibernation!

It's normal!

So, you're a little sad, big deal! Be sad for a little while.

Focus on yourself! Study, read, exercise, cook, clean, organize, etc.

The sun will come back in a few months.

Work on your mental-emotional toughness.

Post: #15

I love the winter.
It brings out the beast in me.
When everyone around is walking around with layers of clothes, head down, hands in their pockets, Im strutting along in a jeans and flipflops. #feels

Post: #16

Hey, thanks Giovanny. Guess I'm hibernating too.

Doing yoga and listening to music helps. I'm trying to practice dancing too...which all sounds pretty gay/stuff you'd read in some Huffington post article, but it works like meditation for me and develops some good skills at the same time.

Post: #17

I get hit really hard with it. I need sunshine. A few things work for me:

-adjusting my daily work environment to include more sunshine
-waking up earlier
-working out in the morning
-sleeping earlier/longer
-staying away from boozy nights
-going hard at my diet to lose weight and prevent gain
-tanning bed, on the lowest setting. It wont tan you, but in 10 minutes get all the light you need.

The years I do the worst are when I let it all go with boozing, eating and sexing. This year I want to pull it back and really take care of myself. I am going to get back into crossfit seriously again. I was a coach, competed, and have been doing it regularly for 9 years. I took a break from it a few years ago to chill and let my body heal. I was never really injured, but I thought a typical gym rat lifting routine would be enough for me. Its not. I need sport and competition. Especially in the winter, if I am focused on a schedule, I can get through it easier.

Post: #18

I've already noticed this in November - the difference between the DC area and northern New England is dramatic. Everything is so much darker sooner and of course colder the further north you go.

It's difficult to get motivated to exercise; doubly so if you're stuck in the suburbs with no hot women to observe walking up and down the city streets. I can completely see how people let themselves go to shit physically on they are married and living the suburban lifestyle combined with unpleasant weather and no sunlight. Suicide is a quicker form of the same path.

Post: #19

Go tanning once or twice a week.

6 minutes in a standing booth once or twice a week has me feeling great.

Post: #20

I always get a bit of SAD in the late fall/winter months.

It hasn't hit yet though, I'm thankful for that, it was already in full swing by this time last year.

Post: #21

(11-15-2014 07:15 PM)Vaun Wrote:  I get hit really hard with it. I need sunshine. A few things work for me:

-adjusting my daily work environment to include more sunshine
-waking up earlier
-working out in the morning
-sleeping earlier/longer
-staying away from boozy nights
-going hard at my diet to lose weight and prevent gain
-tanning bed, on the lowest setting. It wont tan you, but in 10 minutes get all the light you need.

The years I do the worst are when I let it all go with boozing, eating and sexing. This year I want to pull it back and really take care of myself. I am going to get back into crossfit seriously again. I was a coach, competed, and have been doing it regularly for 9 years. I took a break from it a few years ago to chill and let my body heal. I was never really injured, but I thought a typical gym rat lifting routine would be enough for me. Its not. I need sport and competition. Especially in the winter, if I am focused on a schedule, I can get through it easier.

I just found out you are puckman, I don't know why some of you have changed your usernames. Anyway, dropping you a rep point now, always liked your posts.

Post: #22

In the Winter. as most fruits & vegetables aren't in season, you need to lower your carbohydrate intake (Avg = 300 g, below 100g is best for Winter).

Keep in mind during the Winter Time, instead of being outside for hours (plural), most people are only outside for an hour at the very most; if you're in a suburb/middle america like me the avg person is only out mere Minutes a day.

If you have a 9-5 job, instead of eating lunch in the breakroom, take your food outside and walk for a half hour (knocks out 2 birds with 1 stone). Over the course of a year this amounts to 100 extra hrs of extra daylight you are getting.

If you are white/lightskinned the Winter time is the best time to sunbathe since the UV Rays are at their lowest, 1-2 on a ten scale. Today I went into the woods, took all my clothes off and did about an hour of sunbathing. I would've went longer but it was getting cold, so I put my clothes back on and walked for the next 4 hours. So in all, I spent five hrs outside today, would've aimed for more but I woke up late.

Keep in mind daylight is mostly absorbed thru your eyes, so if you wear glasses/contacts you are screwed.

Post: #23

I love the winter. I feel as if everything business or work related gets done during this time. Everyone is focused on working for the summer, so productivity goes up, even if everyone's mood goes down.

Usually in the summer I take about 2000iu of vitamin D during the day while in the winter I bump up the dosage to 5000-6000iu. It's quite necessary to maintain balance, because, especially in colder climates, the daylight is much weaker.

Post: #24

Seasonal depression is a big thing here, as the darkest days are between 4 and 0 hours from sunrise to sunset, depending on how north you live. it causes fatigue, loss of libido, general loss of energy, apathy and something close to actual psychological depression. I'm a winter person myself, I love the outdoors and the cold, so I have it a bit easier than those who are more summer types, but the darkness still does have its effect. Here's a list of things I've found to help me personally. Not all of them are useful to everyone, as this is all anecdotal.

-Vitamins D and C

Both seem to help me in general well-being and keeping sickness away. Finland always has between one and three flu seasons, as the illness spreads easily in schools and workplaces, and is brought to homes from there. Maybe it's just placebo, but I've felt generally better after I started taking these two.

-Magnesium and Zinc.

See above, and add an increase in libido.

-Working out

Self-evident. In winter I work out a bit more, and I go swimming during the weekends. I don't run that much during the winter, but I go skiing when it's not too cold. When the temps drop below -25 degrees Celcius, you start to run a slight, but increasing risk of pneumonia due to the cold air freezing your lungs if you run or ski for too long in too cold. It won't get you right away, but the risk is there. A bonus in outdoors training in winter is the huge feelgood effect there is when you come back indoors.

-Food

Certain dishes suit winter better than others. Making feelgood, healthy food makes me feel better generally.

-Light

I've no idea what this is called in English, but we have lots of table lamps in stores that have a bright, mulled light that certainly makes you feel better and wake up in the mornings. Get one of those, they've worked very well for me.

-Hobbies

Keep on doing stuff. Apathy kills, especially when the year is in its darkest. Under 4 hrs from sunrise to sunset is a bit short and doing nothing in the darkness is not a healthy way of spending time.

-Girls

For me personally, intimacy is a great cure for the seasonal depression thing. Even though there is a slight decrease in chicks' sex drive, I've noticed that things tend to go from wild and rough to slow, intimate and passionate with lots of cuddling and such.

That's what came to mind first.

Post: #25

I actually bought one of these to combat this exact problem, i'm actually too lazy to use it most of the time but i'd say it's essential for you or anyone who lives above 40o latitude:

http://www.amazon.com/NatureBright-SunTo...ht+therapy


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