Depression related to sun light

[Graham]

I have noticed over the years like clock work a distinct drop in my mood (mildly depressed) on days where the sun is not out. I am more of one of the just “deal with it” guys and chalked it up to being normal but the positive effects sunlight has on my mood are too noticeable to ignore. I suspect the effects goes past the normal impact a “normal” person might experience.

I thought bupropion might help but I did not notice too much from it. What are the causes and potential remedies that I can look into ?

 

[Phil Goodman]

I deal with the same thing, though some winters are worse than others depending on other factors. One of the things that helps me most is adding more vitamin d to my supplement stack for the fall & winter months. Last year I changed to liquid vitamin d instead of pills and it made a noticeable difference. Just be careful because it can be easy to overdo it with liquid vitamin d since the bioavailability is so much better.

Another thing is to take advantage of what little natural light we do get this time of year. Besides the vitamin d boost from sunlight on your skin, just having sunlight enter your eyes can boost mood and increase dopamine. I’ve also heard that the natural lamps can help, but I live in SC and have never tried them since we have mild winters and not many consecutive overcast days.

Other than those two big ones, make sure your diet,exercise, and eating habits don’t drop off too much in the winter. In the past I’ve usually had more trouble staying motivated in the winter so workouts suffer, football season and holidays roll through and diet gets pretty rough along with increase in drinking. Those factors in addition to the sunlight changes can make things really rough, so I try to maintain my gym schedule as much as possible and make sure I only drink once or twice/week…and when I do I don’t get really drunk, just a nice buzz.


That has helped, but over the years I’ve also started to appreciate it a little bit, and think of it as a time to reflect and re-evaluate things. There’s a certain perspective that goes along with getting the blues that you can’t really get when you’re in a great mood all the time. Like I said though I’ve found ways to keep myself from getting too deep into it, but being a little melancholy in the winter can be a good thing if you make it. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.

 

[Graham]

I deal with the same thing, though some winters are worse than others depending on other factors. One of the things that helps me most is adding more vitamin d to my supplement stack for the fall & winter months. Last year I changed to liquid vitamin d instead of pills and it made a noticeable difference. Just be careful because it can be easy to overdo it with liquid vitamin d since the bioavailability is so much better.

Another thing is to take advantage of what little natural light we do get this time of year. Besides the vitamin d boost from sunlight on your skin, just having sunlight enter your eyes can boost mood and increase dopamine. I’ve also heard that the natural lamps can help, but I live in SC and have never tried them since we have mild winters and not many consecutive overcast days.

Other than those two big ones, make sure your diet,exercise, and eating habits don’t drop off too much in the winter. In the past I’ve usually had more trouble staying motivated in the winter so workouts suffer, football season and holidays roll through and diet gets pretty rough along with increase in drinking. Those factors in addition to the sunlight changes can make things really rough, so I try to maintain my gym schedule as much as possible and make sure I only drink once or twice/week…and when I do I don’t get really drunk, just a nice buzz.


That has helped, but over the years I’ve also started to appreciate it a little bit, and think of it as a time to reflect and re-evaluate things. There’s a certain perspective that goes along with getting the blues that you can’t really get when you’re in a great mood all the time. Like I said though I’ve found ways to keep myself from getting too deep into it, but being a little melancholy in the winter can be a good thing if you make it. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.

I appreciate your response, I take 5000 IU of vitamin D daily in a cap form but I will get the liquid and up the dosage. I need to get tested again because I have been on the lower side of the range. I experience these effects year round, it can be in the summer but if it’s gloomy outside my mood is always poor. Might have to research a good lamp see if that helps to.

 

[Systemlord]

I have noticed over the years like clock work a distinct drop in my mood (mildly depressed) on days where the sun is not out.

Depression rates are higher in states with less sunlight, colder weather can also affect thyroid as well. I wouldn't say I get depressed in shorter colder days, but am looking forward to longer sunny days like a kid about ready to go into a candy store.

I defreilenty prefer warmer sunny weather, most people do.

 

[MarcoFL]

I have noticed over the years like clock work a distinct drop in my mood (mildly depressed) on days where the sun is not out. I am more of one of the just “deal with it” guys and chalked it up to being normal but the positive effects sunlight has on my mood are too noticeable to ignore. I suspect the effects goes past the normal impact a “normal” person might experience.

I thought bupropion might help but I did not notice too much from it. What are the causes and potential remedies that I can look into ?

I live in South Florida most of the year but still use a blue light first thing to help with circadian rhythm and mood. I would highly recommend it and make sure your D level is in a good spot. You can get the blue light right on Amazon.

 

[MIP1950]

@Mark Saur / Same here. Live on the Space Coast but I still need to use my desk top light box in the morning, even during the spring and summer. Started using a light box back in Maryland in the mid 90's, recommended by my psychiatrist. Yet, too much time with the light box while on the computer makes me hyper and sometimes, irritable.

 

[Gman86]

I live in South Florida most of the year but still use a blue light first thing to help with circadian rhythm and mood. I would highly recommend it and make sure your D level is in a good spot. You can get the blue light right on Amazon.

Can u link the light u use?

Do u stare directly at it?

 

[MarcoFL]

Can u link the light u use?

Do u stare directly at it?

I just set next to my computer for when I am having a cup of coffee looking at news when I get up! It is off to side but shining toward my face. I also highly recommend wearing blue blocking glasses at night when watching TV or on your devices. I however try not to use anything after we get home from dinner other than a TV show.

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Can u link the light u use?

Do u stare directly at it?

 

[Gman86]

Ya I swear by blue blocking glasses. Anyone that doesn’t block artificial light from getting in their eyes at night I pretty much consider an insane person lol. It really is that important tho.

So I made a homemade light setup to get vitamin D during the winter months. Here’s the bulbs I use. Do u think something like these would have the same effect as the light lamp that u use?

Robot or human?

 

[MarcoFL]

Ya I swear by blue blocking glasses. Anyone that doesn’t block artificial light from getting in their eyes at night I pretty much consider an insane person lol. It really is that important tho.

So I made a homemade light setup to get vitamin D during the winter months. Here’s the bulbs I use. Do u think something like these would have the same effect as the light lamp that u use?

Robot or human?

I have no idea. This is what was recommended to me from a neuro type doctor. He swears by it.

 

[MIP1950]

Ya I swear by blue blocking glasses. Anyone that doesn’t block artificial light from getting in their eyes at night I pretty much consider an insane person lol. It really is that important tho.

So I made a homemade light setup to get vitamin D during the winter months. Here’s the bulbs I use. Do u think something like these would have the same effect as the light lamp that u use?

Robot or human?

I used something similar when my psychiatrist recommended a light box. In the 90's there were few around. I bought a bulb like that and used a clip on lamp that I could set up in the kitchen as soon as I got up. My girlfriend(now my wife) always complained about it, even though the bedroom was around the corner from the kitchen of our apartment. But, ultimately, when we moved to a house, she bought me this huge ass light box to set up in the basement.

 

[Anonymon]

I also use a blue light in the morning and it helps me a lot. My issues are more low cortisol related.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Front Pharmacol. 2021 Oct 15;12:681582. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.681582. eCollection 2021.

Running on Empty: Of Hypopinealism and Human Seasonality

Dieter Kunz 1 2, Amely Wahnschaffe 1 2, Nina Kaempfe 1 2, Richard Mahlberg 1 2


PMID: 34721008 PMCID: PMC8553957 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.681582



Abstract

The pineal hormone melatonin is the natural transducer of the environmental light-dark signal to the body. Although the responsiveness to photoperiod is well-conserved in humans, only about 25 percent of the human population experiences seasonal changes in behavior. As a consequence, humans seem to have adapted-at least partly-to the seasonal changes in day length. The aim of the study was to demonstrate that the individual melatonin deficit marker DOC (degree of pineal calcification) is related to variation of seasonal phenomena in humans. Out of 3,011 patients in which cranial computer tomography (cCT) was performed for diagnostic reasons, 97 consecutive "healthy" subjects (43 female, 54 male; age 18-68 yrs, mean ± SD: 35.0 ± 13.1) were included. Exclusion criteria were pathological finding in cCT, acute/chronic illness including alcohol/drug abuse, shift work, and medication, which are known to influence melatonin excretion. The degree of pineal calcification (DOC) was semiquantitatively determined using the previously validated method. The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) was performed in a telephone interview. Twenty-six subjects fulfilled the criteria for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or subsyndromal (S) SAD. Seasonality was more pronounced in women than in men (SPAQ seasonality score: 7.8 ± 4.0 vs. 4.9 ± 4.5; p = 0.001) and negatively and significantly associated with age (r = -0.178; p = 0.04). The subjective sleep length significantly varied between seasons (one-way repeated measures ANOVA: F = 45.75; p < 0.0001), with sleep during winter being 53 min (±70 min) longer than during summer. Controlling for age, the total seasonality score was negatively and significantly associated with DOC (r94 = -0.214; p = 0.036). Data confirm earlier studies with respect to distribution of seasonality with sex and age. The survival of seasonality in the sleep length of people living in an urban environment underlines functionality of the circadian timing system in modern societies. Moreover, data confirm for the first time that diminished experience of seasonality in behavior is associated with a reduced individual capacity to produce melatonin.

Keywords: SAD; hypopinealism; melatonin; pineal calcification; seasonal affective disorder; seasonality.

Running on Empty: Of Hypopinealism and Human Seasonality - PMC

The pineal hormone melatonin is the natural transducer of the environmental light–dark signal to the body. Although the responsiveness to photoperiod is well-conserved in humans, only about 25 percent of the human population experiences seasonal ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov