Tips for Veterans Navigating Seasonal Depression: Don’t Get SAD, Get Prepared

RallyPoint Shared Content — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 10:57:07 -0500

Did you know January and February are the two months in the year in which up to 20% of the US population experience some form of Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD)? SAD is a form of depression brought about by the lack of daylight. Sunlight allows our bodies to produce serotonin which serves as a neurotransmitter that results in a feeling of happiness. Less sunlight = less happiness for a lot of people, especially those already coping with another form of anxiety or depression (which, let’s face it - is most Americans).

The good news is there are things you can do today, tomorrow and in the future to prepare for and perhaps ward off SAD.

Today
There are three things you can do today to battle SAD (and anxiety and depression, in general).
Exercise - You’ve probably heard it a million times, but a good sweat session produces endorphins similar to serotonin that result in a feeling of happiness. Sure, no one feels awesome while bench pressing or running in place on the treadmill, but afterwards the feeling of contentment is akin to a day basking in the sun. At the very least, if you workout hard enough you will be too tired to feel sad!
Sleep - From one extreme to the next: sleep is also a key component to feeling good. Establishing good sleep habits like a routine bedtime and wake-up, no screens 30 minutes prior to hitting the hay and planning for enough hours in dreamland to allow the body to recover and the mind to rest is essential for keeping anxiety and depression at bay.
Eat - If you want to feel good, you have to eat well. Load up on fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and drink plenty of water. Over-processed foods, refined sugars and alcohol all deprive the body of vital nutrients needed to make you feel happy. The double cheeseburger and fries might feel good for the few minutes it takes you to eat them, but the feelings of yuck last far longer.

Tomorrow
Get help. You don’t need to fight the seasonal blues on your own. Many soldiers and Vets abhor the idea of counseling. No one wants to be “diagnosed” with a mental illness even though the reality is that one out of every five Americans suffer from one. If there is a bright side to the pandemic, it is that counseling services have become exponentially easier to obtain. You can pay for them the same way you pay for Netflix, on a subscription basis. You can talk face-to-face via your computer or phone, communicate via email and text messages and pretty much cater your services to fit your needs and comfort level. Calmerry, Betterhelp and Talkspace are just a few of the services available that don’t require any insurance or communication with your healthcare practitioners. Check out reviews at Dr.Mental.org: https://rly.pt/3nFcrD5

The Future
You don’t have to wait to get help. The future is here! Feeling anxious or SAD? There’s an app for that, literally. Check out a meditation app to help you relax and refocus. Here are the seven best choices according to verywellmind.com: Best Meditation Apps: https://rly.pt/3AbTooW

Maybe meditation isn’t your thing. That’s ok, you can also beat SAD by tricking your body into thinking it’s summer. Ok, maybe not summer, but at least sunny. Check out the top five light therapy lamps of 2022 here: Top 5 SAD Light Boxes: https://rly.pt/3FG6prZ

Want more? Google it! There are loads of ways to beat SAD. Calmigo: https://rly.pt/3qGcO20 is a drug-free inhaler used by many people to ease the symptoms of anxiety and PTSD. There are so many ways to help you cope with the post-holiday winter blues. Share your ideas in the comments!

Best Online Therapy Reviews 2022 — Dr.Mental

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Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 19 at 2022 10:59 AM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 10:59:37 -0500

Excellent mental health read for all of us, no matter what our station is in life!!! Thank you for sharing it!!!

Response by SGT Tiffanie G. made Jan 19 at 2022 2:31 PM

SGT Tiffanie G. — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 14:31:12 -0500

I don't agree with the food recommendations. Not everyone has the same blood type and genetics, therefore one diet won't work for all, either. Some people do better on Carnivore, some better on Keto or modified Keto, some do better with vegetarian or some modification of that. Very few people do well on the SAD (Standard American Diet).

Having suffered with SAD for decades, getting a light box was a game changer for me! I even use it in the summer if there are several overcast days in a row. Infrared therapy can help some people, as well, and getting more Vitamin D3 with K2. (One of the reasons people get sick more in the winter months is that Vit D goes down so low from lace of sunshine) We can't always make enough when there isn't enough sun and when we are taking showers every day. (It takes time for it to be converted after being exposed to the skin (Sunlight) and much of the process happens there).

There are certain anti-depressants that can be used just during the winter/late fall/early spring, that work very well to prevent SAD. They don't have to be used year around.

The holidays that occur during this time of year add a lot of stress for everyone. So much is expected of you, so much money you "feel" you have to spend, and so much money that gets spent, whether or not it should. Old grudges pop up as you meet with family...or don't meet with family. And the restrictions in place in many cities and states make that much worse. Can't get to the gym? whether it's because of weather, or because it's closed, that means that you aren't getting the exercise they mention up above. What can you do instead? There are a lot of body weight exercises that will work right in your home that don't take up a lot of space and can be modified for various disabilities. If the astronauts can do them, you can do them!

Also, touch. It is one of the most important things to help with depression and that has been cut off in many places, as well. Can't get to the barber or beauty shop? That means that you aren't getting the skin on skin contact (or at least glove on skin) that is necessary for good mental health year around. Babies will waste and die without touch, we still need it too. Hugs, if you have family where you can. Hand shakes, if you can. If you can schedule a massage for this time, that can be helpful. Taking a bath or swimming, can be a short term help, because it is touching your whole skin and adding pressure and movement against it. Maybe a jacuzzi, warm water with movement and pressure can fake things out for a while. Hold hands with a loved one, put an arm around shoulders or waist. It doesn't have to be PDA!

And for money, next year try to budget better, talk about the holidays during the summer, suggest a "pull one name from a hat" type gift giving. Look at making something, a homemade gift shows a lot of love and INTENTION - ATTENTION, that you were thinking about them long enough to actually make something. Maybe just exchange cards. But, work it out FAR from the holidays, when the stress is much lower and its easier to lower the expectations. It's rough with small children in the house. 2 things for them. One - start a tradition that makes memories, they will treasure that far longer than the playstation or latest clothing. Go see the Christmas lights together, or make a special meal-together, go sing to a nursing home or veteran's home, many of them don't get visitor during this time of year. Go ice-skating, or bowling, or make cookies to give to neighbors. There are a lot of things that can be done. And try to do them EVERY year. That is what is remembered in the long run. When our kids were growing up, we had VERY little money. So we started the tradition of going to the Dollar Tree Christmas Eve (during the daylight hours). Each kid got $7 (we had 5 kids), they couldn't spend the money on anything for themselves. At first hubby and I would split and trade the kids, so that we wouldn't know what gifts they got for us. They learned to manage money a bit. And as they got older, then they could go by themselves to pick things out and then go home and wrap them to put under the tree. Some years we could do a Santa gift (we also did our "named" gifts to the kids from Dollar Tree), and some years...not and Santa shopped from Dollar Tree, too. But, we also did the drive around and look at lights and read the Christmas story together. Even now they remember fondly the trip to the DT and picking out the gifts for each other!

Sleep is good. Sleep is hard. The light box will help some. Put away the blue-light emitters early helps some. Melatonin can help a lot, it is also related to sunlight, you make it in the sunlight and release it in the dark. So, not enough sunlight, not enough to release in the dark! That is when a supplement can help. Sleepytime tea, Chamomile tea, things like that (make sure that they don't interact with any meds you are taking, but most don't) can be a calming ritual at night. Create a night time ritual for yourself. Don't watch or read stimulating things right before bed (like the news!). Don't talk about finance or politics right before bed! Creating a routine that you stick to (just like you did for your kids when they were little) can help signal to your brain that it's time to sleep. A warm bath, again might help, there are also other herbal supplements that can help, I like Alteril, it doesn't make you groggy if you have to get up at night for a child or up early in the morning to go to work. No caffeine right before bed, either, or alcohol. Putting lotion on your hands or feet can give you a bit of self massage, which gives a feeling of touch. (If you can get the SO to give you one, all the better!)

There are also other herbal, homeopathic and essence remedies that can help. Again, make sure they don't interact with any meds you are taking. But, those kinds of natural remedies are for feeding the body in the long term. And getting healthier in the long term helps us to deal with stress in the short term.

Pain. They don't mention pain up there, but for me it is one of the things that will trigger depression, even if other things are going well. Stretching gently can sometimes help. Some supplements can help. Watching your posture in the daytime, make sure you are as ergonomic as possible. Use heat, use ice, use a tens-machine. Find topicals that work, Blue-emu, Arnica, Tei-fu, TigerBalm, BioFreeze, are just a few to name, some will work better for you than others. You many have to try several. Some like Arnica and Blue-emu work over time, and not all at once. Food intolerances can make pain worse. Again, because not everyone is the same. Tomatoes may really bother you and not your spouse. And cooked tomatoes may not be a problem, at all. You have to find what works for you. The internet has plenty of resources to help track down food intolerances. And gluten isn't always the culprit! Look at a Crohn's Disease list, or find a "Low Inflammation" list. and start eliminating the things on the list for at least 3-4 weeks, and then slowly start adding one at a time back in, that may tell you which food it is that is a problem. Some people have a problem with nuts causing inflammation, some don't. You are going to have to search out your own best health, you know your body, you have to live in your body, so get to know it, just like the funny noises under the hood when you drive!

I understand the not wanting to get counseling - when I had a security clearance, getting counselling could spell the end of that. With all the red-flag laws now...could put you on someone's list. And, well, as military, pride! We are tough! We are strong! You take it and you keep going! That is what makes heroes! I still pull on that sometimes today sometimes. But, I have also had to learn to make accommodations for the breakdown of my body, for the traumas I've suffered over time, for the diseases and injuries that I have taken, and that is okay. And your mind and soul they take injuries and trauma over time, too, and accommodations have to be made for that, too. Notice, I didn't say excuses. An excuse is when we just don't want to do something and so we find a way to let ourselves off the hook. An accommodation is where we evaluate what we can and can't do, and then do what we can, or find a way, up, around, under or through.

Back to counseling...For some people it can work, for some people it doesn't. And it may take several "counsellors" to find one that works for you. I never have found one besides my spouse that works for me. That doesn't mean you won't. You can find a lot of things on the internet (good and bad!) that you can, again, learn about yourself. (What is that crazy squeaking noise? Do I have a ball joint going out?!) I like EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), it's hands on, and makes sense to me. They have been using it with success on PTSD in Veterans, as well. Neurolinguistic Programming works for some people (I don't trust it! I was in MI for too long! (never let anyone hypnotize you, we were taught!) lol) Neurogenic Art might help some. Animal therapy like horse riding helps a lot of people (wish there was some nearer to me!). There are more resources than ever. Just research them well, before you hand them any of your hard earned money!

Lastly, Grounding or Earthing can be VERY helpful. Being out in nature is a lot harder in the winter (unless you hunt!). Put your bare hands on a tree for a few minutes every day. Walk barefoot if you dare! But you can also get or make a grounding kit. Basically, because we always wear shoes, and don't have dirt floors anymore and are around so much electronics (including wifi flowing through the air!) we build up positive ions in our bodies. And like clouds, we need to let those out. The earth/ground has negative ions, that is why lightning happens, the clouds releasing positive ions that are attracted to the negative ions in the ground. It's why the air smells so good after a thunderstorm and rain. So ground yourself, and that can really help you feel better, too.

I'm no college educated therapist/psychologist/psychiatrist, so take everything I've said with a grain of salt (your body is your body!) But, I've studied, and worked with my own body/brain/soul and tried to help my hubby and kids and now grandkids as I can, and as they let me. And I certainly don't have it all down pat, as things got out of hand, before I started learning to make things better. So, it's just one step at a time. Help yourself, help your brother/sister/neighbor. I'm hear(okay, actually here) if any of my brother/sisters in arms needs to talk. I don't have all the answers, but sometimes a listening ear can make all the difference at that moment.

Stay sane,

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 20 at 2022 3:13 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 15:13:43 -0500

It's real.

Response by Maj Tiffanie Ditlevson made Jan 26 at 2022 6:08 PM

Maj Tiffanie Ditlevson — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 18:08:56 -0500

The VA should provide "Happy Lights" to vets with seasonal depression. The data supports light therapy to improve mood, cost effective, non-addictive. I ordered a light on Amazon ($25) and three light bulbs ($15). Best money ever spent to help my mood (I live in IN and we have our dark days.). Hope this helps.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jan 28 at 2022 10:49 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 22:49:49 -0500

When I am outside on winter days, I visualize soldiers in the Continental Army suffering greatly. Many left blood in the snow due to lack of shoes or boots. This just the tip of the iceberg, and I feel ashamed.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Mar 1 at 2022 5:24 AM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 05:24:28 -0500

Thanks for sharing