Posted by jzp on October 23, 2000, at 21:44:10
In reply to Re: SAD » cs, posted by Leonardo on October 16, 2000, at 5:11:26
Hi,
I am officially Bipolar II, but I am usually depressed in the winter and hypomanic in the summer.The main thing I have done to combat it is moving from Minnesota, where I grew up, to the Southwest. I have lived in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Tucson, AZ, and have found that Tucson is by far the best climate for me. It hasn't solved it completely, but it's made a huge difference. I also take antidepressants year-round (Serzone seems to be the one that's really working well for me), and add a mood stabilizer during the summer months. Also, during the winter, I drink one cup of coffee at lunch each day, but I avoid caffeine altogether in the summer.
The other benefit of living in Arizona (as compared to a wintry place like MN), is that I enjoy being outdoors in the winter here. I ride my bike to and from work every day and find it a lot easier to be active than it is in the cold north.
I really sympathize with those of you who are starting to go into hibernation about now. I have definitely noticed a little slow-down, and I can drink coffee now without having anxiety and insomnia, which is what happens in the summer when I have caffeine.
One suggestion with the lights-- set them on a timer to go on when your alarm goes off, or else turn them on as soon as you wake up in the morning. Even if you aren't right in front of them, I found that the bright light still helped me get moving when it was still pitch dark outside. Also, that less-direct method worked better for me because I tended to get hypomanic if I spent too much time under the lights.
Take care,
Jannette
poster:jzp
thread:1092
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20001011/msgs/1528.html