SAD and Me

It was in 1995 that I first became aware that I suffered with Seasonal Affective Disorder.

There's a bit about how it affects me below, but I've now set up a website devoted to it=>

My SAD Website - a specialist site for SAD sufferers with an holistic approach to managing the symptoms.

My own story continues........

How did I beat SAD?

Well, I never beat it, but I have learned to recognise the symptoms and the treatments and approaches I use work very well.

The Consolations of Philosophy

If you are inclined on balance to a less-than-positive view of life (for example, "it's all b*****x and then you're dead"), you might find, as I did, that some reading helps. Specifically, a friend recommended "The Consolations of Philosophy" to me. The book gave me a much broader historical perspective of life. Also, I found "Status Anxiety" (by the same author, Alain de Botton) very thought provoking - it reminds me that our measurement scale of success today (wealth and/or fame) is purely arbitrary, and will change. I re-read them both occasionally as they re-ground me. Also, I retain a bit more at each read, then at dinner parties I can trot out an idiots guide to philosphy :-) There are reviews of the books on my book review page on this site.

Exercise Regular exercise can improve the feel-good factor through release of hormones in the brain. I probably need to get more exercise! I do get to climb my masts from time to time!

Music & Dancing

Uplifting and high tempo music cheers me considerably – I have my favourite tracks such as Madelena by Kaleidocopio. It evokes memories of Brazil and the Brazilians – they seem to take such joy in life! Have a listen to Kaleidoscopio - favourite track the Brazilian classic Madelena

Laughter

The best tonic, or so they say. I'll sum it up by saying that I keep Man Walks into a Bar: The Ultimate Collection of Jokes and One-liners by my bed. Thousands of jokes, arranged by subject, and always gets a laugh. I have 2 copies!

And, my favourite films - "Life of Brian" with that oh so positive anthem, together with "The Meaning of Life". Both by the Monty Python crew of course. Laughter, like exercise, releases those cheering brain chemicals. Works for me!

Sunny Holidays

In 2006, I was lucky enough to sail to Brazil and enjoy Carneval. The sunlight was very bright, and the length of the day is fairly constant in the tropics. I can recommend a visit to Salvador for Carneval in February. That winter, I had no SAD at all. There were a few hangovers to cope with, though. The caparinhas are unbeatable!

There is more detail about symptoms, onset and so on in my e-article in the Articles section of this site.

Even More Info?

I recommend the Dummies book - I've got a few books in this series. They are well organised and written in a way which is easy to digest.