Re: Feeling depressed due to winter isolation

[Guest guest]

, I always feel trapped in the house this time of year. The cold/damp

weather increases my pain. I try only to go out for doctor appointments and

physical therapy. I really miss the sunshine.

Staying inside so much increases my depression. I try to find things to do but

it gets hard. Reading helps. I go to a nice chat room on depression at

Talkcity.com.

Registration is free and the conversation helps cheer me up. There are many

people in there dealing with chronic pain too.

my family gave me a Dell notebook to use when I can' sit at main computer. Its

a little smaller than a laptop and was about $300 total. It has really helped me

feel less isolated.

Feel free to email me anytime. I try tjo read my mail everyday but I will

answer within a few days.

Huzs,

Tami

> R wrote:

>

> Do any of you who are confined to the house feel like you are in a prison like

I do. I get out from time to time and it feels great, but I`m never sure the

price I will pay for it is worth it. I have some friends who understand, and

others who don`t. What gets me is they all want me to come to their place for

coffee, but it seems like none of them can find time to stop out here.

[Guest guest]

I've been wanting a notebook sized computer, just for the same reasons you have

yours. Such a convenient size to keep nearby.

Today here in IN we have total sunshine and I plan to soak up as

much as possible. It's 19 degrees heading up to 31 and tomorrow more sunshine

and 36. Can't expose a lot of skin today but tomorrow I will try to out on the

back porch out of the wind.

Everything is sparkling in the snow. My dogs want to be out but it's still cold

for them to stay out too long if they aren't playing. I've noticed they are

more " testy " during the winter days. Makes me think they are needing spring to

come early just like me.

I hope you can find ways to lift your mood. There's also a moderated chat at

prohealth.com The people there helped me seek the right treatment for my

depression. I feel like they saved me and set me on a better path. A lot of

the people that I knew back then may not be there, but some are and they are

good people too. Dogs are getting into things, gotta get up and find out what.

Jennette

>Tami wrote:

>my family gave me a Dell notebook to use when I can' sit at main computer. Its

a little smaller than a laptop and was about $300 total. It has really helped me

feel less isolated.

[Guest guest]

I suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). In plain words, the lack of

sunshine depresses me horribly. I have one of those " sunlight lamps. " It really

does help. Although, I have found that only one does not help enough. I try to

have at least one in every room I spend much time in. Especially the rooms where

I am alone, like my bathroom or bedroom. Use of it in the bedroom will not

encourage sleep! lol That is because light makes your brain stop producing

Melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep. I switch to a regular, low watt

incandescent light when I am trying to get tired enough to sleep. Insomnia is

another of my problems.

My problems are not like yours, of course, because none of us are " the same! " We

all have our own set of personality traits. So we all have to adopt our own

" remedies. " I am sharing this so that those who have any of these problems can

see that they are not alone.

I live alone, which doesn't help, but I do have help that comes in several days

a week because I am also physically impaired. It helps with the feeling of

isolation, but it really doesn't help with the depression.

I am also bi-polar, and the depression side of bi-polar is deep and extremely

debilitating. It interferes so much with my ability to be social in any way that

I just bottle it all up, and that makes it worse. Along with Agoraphobia, I

truly am a prisoner in my own home.

I wish there was an easy remedy, but all those fears (Phobias) prevent me from

reaching out for help, or even instituting the help I do get.

The worst part of all of this is that no one around me really understands that

my mood and feelings really don't have anything to do with them, or how they

feel, or what they do. I feel like I have to apologize all of the time. I can't

live with anyone because it is so hard for them to understand me and so hard for

me to convey my true feelings.

Aside from my problems, do not buy Veralux products because once they stop

manufacturing a certain model, they tell you they can't fix it anymore. Which

leaves you with a $130, or more, product that is good for nothing but a door

stop! Just a word of caution. I buy my " daylight lamps " at places like BigLots.

They are off-brands, that are fixable and cost MUCH less.

I hope you all have more sunshine and happiness! Thanks for listening to me.

God Bless, Carole