I'm not sure..please help..

Ok so I think I have seasonal affective disorder, but I'm not sure at all. How can you tell if you have it? Almost everyone experiences the winter blues. I was really depressed almost every day last winter..and the dark just made it worse. Hence I would cry a lot at night and think harmful thoughts. I did try to commit suicide too by overdosing. Now that the sun is coming out more, (it's April) I am overall happier. I'll still think about bad things and want to die sometimes, but the sun is helping a lot. I don't know. It's really frustrating not knowing. I mean maybe I'm just a moody teenager. I'm 16, btw. I'm just so confused and I know other people have so many bigger problems. I feel bad for complaining.

Hello, I suffer from SAD and have for the past 10 yrs or so. I was diagnosed by my psychiarist at the age of 16 with it as well as clinical depression, GAD and later PTSD.

I was put on anti-depressants, also she had me get a light box to do light therapy in the winter/dark months starting from Sept-April for 30 mins every morning.

I did it alot this winter and it helped my mood alot.
I think that if you are suffering from it alot etc then perhaps bring this up to your doctor and see if he/she can reccomend you to anyone?

SAD is not at all uncommon, alot of people suffer from it, just some people suffer worse then others... some people are not even aware that they suffer from it. I'd talk to your doctor hon, it could very well be SAD. *hugs*

Wow thanks for the quick reply Sadgurl!! I'll look into that...seeing the doctor is so scary though.

why are you scared hon?

bad past experiences...like drinking charcoal. idk..i guess i just don't want to face the fact that there's a possibility i have it. it seems so unreal.

Hi S&L,

You shouldn't feel bad for talking about your feelings. Everyone is important.

I think Sadgurl will agree that now is the time to start exercising outside if you can. Those endorphines help alot, and slowly your moods will elevate.


I have a really good friend, who gets SAD in the summer, he lives in very hot climate. He started exercising at the gym where it is cool and his depression has lessened so much for him.

That sunlamp thing sounds great too. My mother does this for her depression only with tanning boothes.

I think that there must be a lack of vitamins supplied by the sun, plus lack of exercise, and most of gain some weight, that is always depressing for me.

We are here for you. Don't let the "beast" control you, you can control it. But you may need alittle help at first. Stick with us and see if talking might get you thru the first steps to recovering/coping/maintenance. Okay?

Hi Ddeehopes. Jeesh you all reply so quickly. Thanks!! This site is better than the last one I was at. Anyway..hmm thanks for so many ideas! I think I should start excercising more. I used to run around all the time and be more active. So I think that'd be good. It's really tough digging out of this hole. Seems so pointless. Thoughts of suicide are always running through my head. It's making me crazy. Well thanks again! I'll try more excercise..

cutting sounds good too..

I used to pierce in my early bpd days. But have had enough pain in my life without adding scars that you can see, my ex's have done enough of that for me.

I think for a long time I craved physical abuse thinking I was bad. or deserved nothing more.

But you do. We all do.

sad&lonely1 wrote:bad past experiences...like drinking charcoal. idk..i guess i just don't want to face the fact that there's a possibility i have it. it seems so unreal.

Hun you wont be having to drink charcol with SAD hon, trust me. Why would you not want to face it? I think you already have... SAD is no different really from regular depression, it just hits us harder in the winter months ,but it can be helped with light therapy as well as medication, and I exercise to keep my endorphines up...

Nothing to be afraid of with this hon.. it's definatly not the end of the world, like I said i've been suffer for about 10+ yrs now with this, and I'm a happy person. I have my down times, but as long as I keep busy, have good friends, family , a loving bf then it is tolerable... Hang in there.