Not sure if this personal account of Seasonal affective Disorder is serious or not. It seems to me that being clear enough about it to be able to poke fun at your depressive condition means you’re not really depressed. But who am I to judge?

Wah, Wah, I Have Seasonal Affective Disorder | The Onion - America’s Finest News Source

technorati tags:Seasonal+Affective+Disorder, SAD

There’s a new blog Sunny and Toasty from a well-known life coach Pat Gundry which has the objective of adding some winter cheer to those who are adversly affected by the cold, dark days of the season. I liked this first post which is all about how the Scandinavians use design to brighten their environment.

Sunny and Toasty: Color And Space

technorati tags:SAD+blog, winter

This article outlines some of the research about the link between Vitamin D and Seasonal Affective Disorder. Vitamin D is the vitamin you get from a combination of sunlight and diet and the reason grannies recommended cod liver oil in the olden days (when I was young:) ).

Worth a look if you are considering dietary supplementation as a means of combatting the symptoms of SAD.

The Epoch Times | Vitamin D and Winter Wellbeing

technorati tags:SAD, Seasonal+Affective+Disorder, Vitamin+D, Cod+Liver+Oil

This article about a patient who started getting SAD symptoms after moving to Nashville from Texas, talks also about the FDA approval of Wellbutrin XL to treat SAD.

What amazed me about this was how many people get well just with a placebo.

“It was approved to treat SAD after studies showed that 84 percent ofpatients with a history of the disorder were depression-free when theybegan taking Wellbutrin XL before the onset of symptoms in autumn. That compared with 72 percent who got better taking a placebo”.

Are people taking drugs unnecessarily? Most peoplewould rather avoid them if possible. On the other hand if that’s what it takes to relieve SAD symptoms, that’s what it takes.

Drug brightens dark days of those with winter blahs - Nashville, Tennessee - Friday, 12/08/06 - Tennessean.com

technorati tags:Wellbutrin+XL, SAD, symptoms

Interesting piece on this blog which caught my attention because I am a LEO too.

The writer believes that Leos may be more sensitive a lack of sunlight because of their birth chart.

I’ve never been very sure about the merits of astrology but gloomy days do get me down although I don’t suffer from full-blown seasonal affective disorder.

Maybe there is some truth in this link.

Astrology and Seasonal Affective Disorder: Is Leo Predisposed? @ Blogcritics.org

technorati tags:SAD, Seasonal+Affective+Disorder, Astrology, Leo

Imagine buying a penthouse apartment for $14.3 million and then finding that new buildings being erected alongside were going to keep your home in the shade the whole time!

That’s what one buyer Pritam Singh found in Boston. He is attempting to extract himself from the purchase and sale agreement as a result. His wife is a sufferer of Seasonal Affective disorder it seems.

Did you check the light levels before moving in the last time you moved house? especially the light levels in winter when they count more than ever?

Definitely a factor to watch out for.

BostonHerald.com - Real Estate: A shady 14.3M deal? Mandarin condo buyer sues over sun block

technorati tags:Boston+lawsuit, SAD, lack+of+light

One of the members of the Yahoo S-A-D group was saying that it takes a whole range of treatments (light therapy, meds, good nutrition, supplements etc) just to get through each day in winter.

It can be hard to make all that effort especially when you’re feeling so blue, but it is worth it if it means making it through to spring and summer without creating too much disruption in your life, your family and your work. Get as much support as you can to help you find the right balance of treatment if you do not have the energy to get through this alone.

S-A-D : For those suffering from seasonal affective disorder

technorati tags:SAD, Seasonal+Affective+Disorder

Last year I reported about the town of Rattenberg which was immersed in darkness all winter and about its novel solution to lighting up the area.

Then I just read about the little town of Viganella in Italy with just 197 inhabitants which was plunged into near darkness each year on November 11 for 84 days in a row due to the sun disappearing behind the mountain. And they are using giant mirrors too to bring more light into their lives and reduce the incidence of SAD…

Maybe there’s a way with mirrors in space or something to make the whole world a lighter place (although goodness knows what that would do for Global Warming).

The Raw Story | Mirror mirror on the mountain, let the sun shine on our fountain By Nicholas Rigillo

technorati tags:Rattenberg, Viganella, SAD, Global+Warming

The Weather Channel in the UK is publishing charts to show how the UK and Europe might be affected by SAD each day. Anyone know of a similar service elsewhere in the world? If you do , please add a comment to let us all know.

weather.co.uk - UK - SAD Forecast (24 hr)

technorati tags:SAD, Seasonal+Affective+Disorder, Weather

If you drive a lot a convertible is great for getting more light in your life. But unfortunately in winter, when you need the light most, you can’t keep the top down.

Now you can get a bit more light in the cabin with a new car from VW - the Eos - which gives you a power glass sunroof in your convertible when you need to keep the retractable hardtop in place.

I want one of these for Christmas please. Santa are you listening?

VW’s all-season convertible - 11/22/06 - The Detroit News Online

technorati tags:VW+Eos, Convertible+car, SAD+in+winter, Seasonal+affective+disorder