Seasonal Depression

Is seasonal depression common in the UK?  I live up north and while I only officially moved to England last January, this will be the third winter I've spent a lot of time here, and I'm already dreading those dark and rainy days.   I have a lot of other things going on that depress me as well, but the foremost thought when I'm sad is the lack of sunshine here.

I've never been treated for depression and am having a hard time asking for help with it.  I'm also nervous about whether being treated for mental illness comes with a stigma in the UK.  Would it affect future employment or anything like that? 

How is the NHS about mental health care?  I've barely used them so far (I didn't like my doctor AT ALL when I went to see him and haven't worked out what to do about it yet) and am not sure what to expect.  Do you think they'd help with something like sun lights if that's what I needed, or would I have to argue with them and let them medicate me first?

Any thoughts on how to beat this stupid weather are appreciated, too.  At the moment, I just go to visit other places as often as possible, but ultimately, I think this is escapism and not a permanent solution.

A fairly recent thread: http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=54650.0

Have you considered a SAD light?

SAD lamp!!!  I love my SAD lamp and would not ever consider going through a winter here without one.  A. Vital. Piece. of. Equipment.

I suffer from SAD and use a lamp everyday when the long days kick in.  I was lucky in that there was one floating around my office not being used by anyone, so I grabbed it and have had it for 4 years now.  It's a nice strong one that costs about £100.  I doubt the NHS would cover the cost of one, but it can't help to ask.  Places like John Lewis sell them, so you can pick one up on your own.

As for getting treatment for depression on the NHS, yes it is absolutely possible. If you don't like your GP, could you try registering with another surgery in your area?  What about requesting a different doctor in the practice you are already with?

Good luck! Try not to worry about the winter quite yet...we still have a few more weeks of summer left (I hope)!

I don't live in the UK yet but sure I will go through those days too.  Last summer we had solid rain through June and half of July and I was sad many, many days.  I can relate to seasonal depression; I get it even here in Oklahoma.

I use St. John's wort for that.  Other things I have used are L-theanine, melatonin, vitamin D. Also, a good vitamin B complex also helps with your body's ability to cope with stress and other emotions. Don't know about the availability of mineral supplements in the UK, but I find that those are as effective as some of the prescribed remedies by the doctors. 

Don't know if you're willing to try that sort of thing, but I've been using some of those off and on for several years now.  They work!

I'd never heard of SAD lamps until a former colleague of mine, a man from County Roscommon, mentioned that he used one.

Money well-spent, IMO.

My first couple of Autumns through in the West here were hard, but the SAD lamp helped.  I even put my kids before it when the nights draw in and they got one of those gradually wakening alarm clocks for Autumn and Winter.

What helps, too, is walking every day, rain or shine (although you'd not know it from the size of me!) and getting active in the community.

A lot of people of Celtic origin do have Vit D deficiencies so it's important to look to medical causes, too, such as low thyroid or even diabetes.

This is my soap-box issue, but Vitamin D is hugely important. The most emerging science on Vit D is that NO ONE is getting enough and you cannot get it through diet alone. Supplements are essential and most women I know here in the US are now taking upwards of 800 IU a day or more on doctor's recommendation.

Also, the UK for the most part, does not fortify the milk with calcium or Vit D so if you are a big milk drinker, you aren't getting the same fortification you would in the US.

Another tip: Vit D is best taken with calcium (you can get supplements with both in them) and they should be taken with something rich in Vit C (such as orange juice) to help your body absorb it the most efficiently.

I ended up with adult rickets after 8 years in the UK and I'm pretty sure the lack of D also contributed to my SAD.

Also, the UK for the most part, does not fortify the milk with calcium or Vit D so if you are a big milk drinker, you aren't getting the same fortification you would in the US.

I didn't know this. This is fascinating.

I had no idea they didn't fortify milk here, either, and I am usually a massive milk drinker.  I suppose it's entirely possible that I'm reacting to a distinct lack of those things in my diet and didn't even know it. 

Thank you guys for the advice.  I will read the other thread and take a look at the lamp.  I'm happy to spend a couple hundred pounds on something like that (already have the daylight alarm on my birthday wish list.)  I didn't expect they'd be so affordable, I guess. 

I also took the time since I posted to join the local choir, which meets a little too far away for me to walk to it and therefore is stressing me out already, but it'll be the first thing I've done here on my own since moving here nine months ago, and I think it'll work out good once I get the hang of it.  I hope. 

I also decided to do some umbrella shopping and have decided to buy the loudest and silliest one I can find, so that it's something cheery to have on bleak days.  Up next are raincoats, but I can't seem to find any I like yet.

I have to say, it's annoying to talk to DH about this because he is adamant that the sun is up between 9 and 4 all winter long... never taking into account that it's BARELY up and just kind of hangs sickly above the horizon before falling back down again... nothing at all like the overhead noon sun glaring blindingly off snow that I'm used to from Chicago.

I'm glad you guys get it.

I also decided to do some umbrella shopping and have decided to buy the loudest and silliest one I can find, so that it's something cheery to have on bleak days.  Up next are raincoats, but I can't seem to find any I like yet.

I have an umbrella that has the colours of the "rainbow" (ROYGBIV), and I always make sure to aim the yellow directly in front of my face when I'm walking.  I LOVE it; it really cheers me up.  It's getting quite beat up though, so I'm on the lookout for the next brightly coloured one.

I have to say, it's annoying to talk to DH about this because he is adamant that the sun is up between 9 and 4 all winter long... never taking into account that it's BARELY up and just kind of hangs sickly above the horizon before falling back down again... nothing at all like the overhead noon sun glaring blindingly off snow that I'm used to from Chicago.

I agree that the lack of snow is an issue here, at least for those of us from the northern US. I'm from New York, and in the winter there were days when I needed sunglasses.

Another thing that bothers me is those dim, yellow energy-saving streetlamps that they have here.

I realise that the bright white ones use more energy, but when I'm walking home from work and it's pitch dark out, I want the street I'm walking on to be brightly lit as far as I can see.  I don't want to have to worry about who might be lurking in corners and shadows. If someone is walking towards me, I want to be able to get an idea of what they look like.

I also just want some brightness in my life.

What helps, too, is walking every day, rain or shine (although you'd not know it from the size of me!) and getting active in the community.

Great advice! 

Most of the places that sell SAD lamps also carry full spectrum lightbulbs. They're expensive but they're VERY bright. So bright that DH hates the ones I bought!

Sometimes for me it just takes coming home, putting a fire in the fireplace and lighting a load of candles. But I admit that if I could spare a couple hundred quid I'd buy a lightbox in a snap.

My SAD alarm clock has completely changed the way I wake up - it's made a massive difference.

My SAD alarm clock has completely changed the way I wake up - it's made a massive difference.

It's really helped Aillidh.  She's terrible for waking up in the morning, and now she's in school, well, early mornings are part of life.  I set it so that it starts making noise, too.  Right now, she likes 'pond' (we have a Phillips sunrise alarm clock).

Right now, she likes 'pond' (we have a Phillips sunrise alarm clock).

That's what I have. I love it. I use the beep sound, though. After a few months of using the bird sound, I would wake up to every bird sound and in the summer months when you have the window open and the birds chirping at ridiculous-o-clock, it was really annoying.

I'd recommend the Phillips clock.