Archive for the 'Seasonal Affective Disorder' Category

Once again, the calendar has turned a page and now it reads September.
It means football.  and turning leaves.  and the fall harvest.
And then there’s dusting off the light box.
For those of us who deal with seasonal affective disorder, September can be a mixed bag of feelings as the days shorten and the weather cools.  It’s [...]


Writing while sitting in front of light box.
Elliptical workout while listening to Christmas music, Poison, and REO Speedwagon.
Coffee during Meet the Press.
Shower in time for the FOX NFL pre-game show picks.
Football, football, and more football.  Scrabble during meaningless games (to us), rapt attention during the Broncos game (when not checking the Avalanche score).
Making my seventh [...]


1.  I must have angered the football gods.  Two of my three favorite college teams (Colorado, Northwestern) LOST.  Both of my NFL teams (Bears, Broncos) LOST, the Bears in the last second of the game.  (At least Kyle Orton and the offense showed some life this week, right?)
2.  Struggling to get out of the SAD [...]


The sun is shining, the air is warm, birds are chirping, flowers are budding, cats are leashed and walking around the backyard.
Spring has sprung, it seems.  I’m trying my hardest to be optimistic that no more wintry weather will come to the Front Range of Colorado until late autumn*.
This was another rough transition into spring [...]


I don’t feel good.
I haven’t felt this horrible since the months immediately prior to and immediately following my hypothyroidism and type 2 diabetes diagnoses.
Staying awake past 9pm is nearly impossible on weeknights. Staying awake during the work day is nearly impossible without a morning cup of coffee followed by 2-3 cans of diet caffeinated [...]


Sometimes I don’t even notice it coming. Something mentioned in a conversation sets my mind in motion. Racing thoughts lead to a racing pulse. From there, one of two things happens. Either panic ensues or utter sadness does. Things seemingly beyond my control make me lose control.
Almost as soon [...]


Then and now.

02Mar08

Yesterday, there was a record high of 74 degrees in the Denver area. Today, there has been snow, wind, and cold. This is typical for the months of March and April along the Front Range of Colorado, though. (And does it ever mess with my seasonal depression…) Granted, the [...]


How does it happen that the things we crave are the things that hurt us most? I crave chocolate, so I eat it. Then it raises my blood sugar and then it raises my anxiety. I crave the ultimate alone time, so I become a hermit. Then depression washes over me [...]


Paxil. Undiagnosed hypothyroidism. Bad habits regarding food and exercise. All contributors to weight gain and eventual type 2 diabetes diagnosis at ohmygoshsocloseto29.
And now, I have yet another possible cause of type 2 – my breast size at age 20. You see, some Canadian researchers determined that women with D-cups or [...]


Trade-offs.

31Jan08

“‘…Look at yourself, my dear.  You look ill; you are ill.  I’m told you’ve been spending your weekends in bed.’   I could not deny it.  Gone were the days when I had partied in North London after a school day.  Now I would crawl home on Friday evening and fall into bed, exhausted by the [...]