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Nov. 1st, 2004
[link] SAD
Nov. 1st, 2004 12:05 pmFrom ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
nikkinewsnet, comes quite possibly the most sensible explanation of SAD I think I've ever seen. I'm all impressed and stuff!
They mentioned an increase in melatonin, a decrease in serotonin (I'm not entirely sure I was consciously aware that it was _both_, although I've blamed both at different times), loss of libido, anxiety, irritability and social withdrawal. They also mentioned both excersise and light therapy. Go, them!
Of course, they didn't mention the thought that taking metatonin right before sleep will at least force an increase in it such that I tend to be able to actually _get_ to sleep (although it doesn't last the whole night). Which I did last night. I seem to recall that normal metatonin stuff entails a drop in production during the day, and an increase when it's time for sleep. Having it more or less the same level _all the time_ caused me to decide, at some point, that perhaps forcing an increase at sleep time would be beneficial. This appears to have held true.
And they didn't mention the possibility of taking serotonin-affecting things (OTC (SAM-E, 5-HTP, St. John's Wart, etc...) or perscription (I'm only familiar with SSRIs)). But, hey - I suppose it's good that their first thought wasn't medicating, right? (Besides, I'm _terrible_ with taking regularly any of the OTC supplements which ought to help, and the one SSRI I ever tried kinda... deadened me, emotionally)
Anyway. Food now!
nikkinewsnet, comes quite possibly the most sensible explanation of SAD I think I've ever seen. I'm all impressed and stuff!They mentioned an increase in melatonin, a decrease in serotonin (I'm not entirely sure I was consciously aware that it was _both_, although I've blamed both at different times), loss of libido, anxiety, irritability and social withdrawal. They also mentioned both excersise and light therapy. Go, them!
Of course, they didn't mention the thought that taking metatonin right before sleep will at least force an increase in it such that I tend to be able to actually _get_ to sleep (although it doesn't last the whole night). Which I did last night. I seem to recall that normal metatonin stuff entails a drop in production during the day, and an increase when it's time for sleep. Having it more or less the same level _all the time_ caused me to decide, at some point, that perhaps forcing an increase at sleep time would be beneficial. This appears to have held true.
And they didn't mention the possibility of taking serotonin-affecting things (OTC (SAM-E, 5-HTP, St. John's Wart, etc...) or perscription (I'm only familiar with SSRIs)). But, hey - I suppose it's good that their first thought wasn't medicating, right? (Besides, I'm _terrible_ with taking regularly any of the OTC supplements which ought to help, and the one SSRI I ever tried kinda... deadened me, emotionally)
Anyway. Food now!
[link] SAD
Nov. 1st, 2004 12:05 pmFrom nikkinewsnet, comes quite possibly the most sensible explanation of SAD I think I've ever seen. I'm all impressed and stuff!
They mentioned an increase in melatonin, a decrease in serotonin (I'm not entirely sure I was consciously aware that it was _both_, although I've blamed both at different times), loss of libido, anxiety, irritability and social withdrawal. They also mentioned both excersise and light therapy. Go, them!
Of course, they didn't mention the thought that taking metatonin right before sleep will at least force an increase in it such that I tend to be able to actually _get_ to sleep (although it doesn't last the whole night). Which I did last night. I seem to recall that normal metatonin stuff entails a drop in production during the day, and an increase when it's time for sleep. Having it more or less the same level _all the time_ caused me to decide, at some point, that perhaps forcing an increase at sleep time would be beneficial. This appears to have held true.
And they didn't mention the possibility of taking serotonin-affecting things (OTC (SAM-E, 5-HTP, St. John's Wart, etc...) or perscription (I'm only familiar with SSRIs)). But, hey - I suppose it's good that their first thought wasn't medicating, right? (Besides, I'm _terrible_ with taking regularly any of the OTC supplements which ought to help, and the one SSRI I ever tried kinda... deadened me, emotionally)
Anyway. Food now!
nikkinewsnet, comes quite possibly the most sensible explanation of SAD I think I've ever seen. I'm all impressed and stuff!They mentioned an increase in melatonin, a decrease in serotonin (I'm not entirely sure I was consciously aware that it was _both_, although I've blamed both at different times), loss of libido, anxiety, irritability and social withdrawal. They also mentioned both excersise and light therapy. Go, them!
Of course, they didn't mention the thought that taking metatonin right before sleep will at least force an increase in it such that I tend to be able to actually _get_ to sleep (although it doesn't last the whole night). Which I did last night. I seem to recall that normal metatonin stuff entails a drop in production during the day, and an increase when it's time for sleep. Having it more or less the same level _all the time_ caused me to decide, at some point, that perhaps forcing an increase at sleep time would be beneficial. This appears to have held true.
And they didn't mention the possibility of taking serotonin-affecting things (OTC (SAM-E, 5-HTP, St. John's Wart, etc...) or perscription (I'm only familiar with SSRIs)). But, hey - I suppose it's good that their first thought wasn't medicating, right? (Besides, I'm _terrible_ with taking regularly any of the OTC supplements which ought to help, and the one SSRI I ever tried kinda... deadened me, emotionally)
Anyway. Food now!
Introspection without any external stimulus is dangerous. I know this in my gut, but sometimes it bears repeating. It's too easy to get stuck in spirals or similar.
It's also often useful to point out that people need to _do_ stuff, and not just think. Otherwise, what do you think about, and how do you avoid going in circles? (doing stuff, in my head, should include both talking to other people and being physically active. I am, however, fairly bad about the latter unless there is some reason other than getting excercise to be active)
Some people are, in fact, able to get by quite well without lots of introspection. This fascinates the hell out of me. I am currently of the opinion that this may be due to a number of things, some of which include the ability to figure unexpected/new things out on the fly (which I cannot do, at least right now), and/or a sufficient level of constant awareness that they know what they need to know about themseves when they need to know it (rather than needing time to figure out what's in their heads if there is a change, like me). It is also, I suspect, very important for both one's self and those to whom one is close to know how one works in that regard.
Doing new things scares me, but once I do them I often find I enjoy them and/or learn something about myself. Doing something new also makes it not new the next time, thereby reducing the number of totally new things that I might run into and get tripped up by. (note: entirely new situations have a tendancy to make me freeze up. Especially if I am doing them alone. But the more such situations I experience, the more available exprience I have to draw upon. And similar experiences count, in terms of my ability to use the info to make a new situation less scary)
Doing new things also greatly increases my need to process both the input I receive, and my internal reactions to that input. Hey! I think I just found a new, more descriptive, way to describe what I'm doing when I'm investingating the inside of my head. "Checking my internal reactions to additional input."
[edit: I'm _much_ better about being physically active if people whose company I enjoy want to do something physically active with me. Pleasant company helps, a _lot_, and makes me much less likely to have 'but there's so many _other_ things I could be doing' feelings. Besides, for most of the physically active things I like to do and for which company makes sense, I can be nattering with the person!]
It's also often useful to point out that people need to _do_ stuff, and not just think. Otherwise, what do you think about, and how do you avoid going in circles? (doing stuff, in my head, should include both talking to other people and being physically active. I am, however, fairly bad about the latter unless there is some reason other than getting excercise to be active)
Some people are, in fact, able to get by quite well without lots of introspection. This fascinates the hell out of me. I am currently of the opinion that this may be due to a number of things, some of which include the ability to figure unexpected/new things out on the fly (which I cannot do, at least right now), and/or a sufficient level of constant awareness that they know what they need to know about themseves when they need to know it (rather than needing time to figure out what's in their heads if there is a change, like me). It is also, I suspect, very important for both one's self and those to whom one is close to know how one works in that regard.
Doing new things scares me, but once I do them I often find I enjoy them and/or learn something about myself. Doing something new also makes it not new the next time, thereby reducing the number of totally new things that I might run into and get tripped up by. (note: entirely new situations have a tendancy to make me freeze up. Especially if I am doing them alone. But the more such situations I experience, the more available exprience I have to draw upon. And similar experiences count, in terms of my ability to use the info to make a new situation less scary)
Doing new things also greatly increases my need to process both the input I receive, and my internal reactions to that input. Hey! I think I just found a new, more descriptive, way to describe what I'm doing when I'm investingating the inside of my head. "Checking my internal reactions to additional input."
[edit: I'm _much_ better about being physically active if people whose company I enjoy want to do something physically active with me. Pleasant company helps, a _lot_, and makes me much less likely to have 'but there's so many _other_ things I could be doing' feelings. Besides, for most of the physically active things I like to do and for which company makes sense, I can be nattering with the person!]
Introspection without any external stimulus is dangerous. I know this in my gut, but sometimes it bears repeating. It's too easy to get stuck in spirals or similar.
It's also often useful to point out that people need to _do_ stuff, and not just think. Otherwise, what do you think about, and how do you avoid going in circles? (doing stuff, in my head, should include both talking to other people and being physically active. I am, however, fairly bad about the latter unless there is some reason other than getting excercise to be active)
Some people are, in fact, able to get by quite well without lots of introspection. This fascinates the hell out of me. I am currently of the opinion that this may be due to a number of things, some of which include the ability to figure unexpected/new things out on the fly (which I cannot do, at least right now), and/or a sufficient level of constant awareness that they know what they need to know about themseves when they need to know it (rather than needing time to figure out what's in their heads if there is a change, like me). It is also, I suspect, very important for both one's self and those to whom one is close to know how one works in that regard.
Doing new things scares me, but once I do them I often find I enjoy them and/or learn something about myself. Doing something new also makes it not new the next time, thereby reducing the number of totally new things that I might run into and get tripped up by. (note: entirely new situations have a tendancy to make me freeze up. Especially if I am doing them alone. But the more such situations I experience, the more available exprience I have to draw upon. And similar experiences count, in terms of my ability to use the info to make a new situation less scary)
Doing new things also greatly increases my need to process both the input I receive, and my internal reactions to that input. Hey! I think I just found a new, more descriptive, way to describe what I'm doing when I'm investingating the inside of my head. "Checking my internal reactions to additional input."
[edit: I'm _much_ better about being physically active if people whose company I enjoy want to do something physically active with me. Pleasant company helps, a _lot_, and makes me much less likely to have 'but there's so many _other_ things I could be doing' feelings. Besides, for most of the physically active things I like to do and for which company makes sense, I can be nattering with the person!]
It's also often useful to point out that people need to _do_ stuff, and not just think. Otherwise, what do you think about, and how do you avoid going in circles? (doing stuff, in my head, should include both talking to other people and being physically active. I am, however, fairly bad about the latter unless there is some reason other than getting excercise to be active)
Some people are, in fact, able to get by quite well without lots of introspection. This fascinates the hell out of me. I am currently of the opinion that this may be due to a number of things, some of which include the ability to figure unexpected/new things out on the fly (which I cannot do, at least right now), and/or a sufficient level of constant awareness that they know what they need to know about themseves when they need to know it (rather than needing time to figure out what's in their heads if there is a change, like me). It is also, I suspect, very important for both one's self and those to whom one is close to know how one works in that regard.
Doing new things scares me, but once I do them I often find I enjoy them and/or learn something about myself. Doing something new also makes it not new the next time, thereby reducing the number of totally new things that I might run into and get tripped up by. (note: entirely new situations have a tendancy to make me freeze up. Especially if I am doing them alone. But the more such situations I experience, the more available exprience I have to draw upon. And similar experiences count, in terms of my ability to use the info to make a new situation less scary)
Doing new things also greatly increases my need to process both the input I receive, and my internal reactions to that input. Hey! I think I just found a new, more descriptive, way to describe what I'm doing when I'm investingating the inside of my head. "Checking my internal reactions to additional input."
[edit: I'm _much_ better about being physically active if people whose company I enjoy want to do something physically active with me. Pleasant company helps, a _lot_, and makes me much less likely to have 'but there's so many _other_ things I could be doing' feelings. Besides, for most of the physically active things I like to do and for which company makes sense, I can be nattering with the person!]
Apparently many people either obtained or were unable to give away lots of candy this past weekend, because there's an awful lot of candy in the lunchroom.
Making Red Hat Westford hyper is an amusing thought, though. I wonder if that was the goal? ;)
Making Red Hat Westford hyper is an amusing thought, though. I wonder if that was the goal? ;)
Apparently many people either obtained or were unable to give away lots of candy this past weekend, because there's an awful lot of candy in the lunchroom.
Making Red Hat Westford hyper is an amusing thought, though. I wonder if that was the goal? ;)
Making Red Hat Westford hyper is an amusing thought, though. I wonder if that was the goal? ;)