Is seasonal depression disorder all in your head?

i was told I had this disorder, but for some reason I think it may be just something doctor's can diagnose you with and put you on medication for. What do you think? I refused the med's beause I feel all I need is upbeat people and lots of sun!

Good on you for not taking the drugs, unless they were benzos. SSRIs are the devil. There is some evidence that vitamin D deficiency can impact mood, but I think it is more or less just a cop out for being bitchy... If you are so sensitive that a rainy day puts a stain in your shorts then life is going to be very hard and long... what the hell, that wasn't supposed to be sexual... Im a damned pervet... wtf

Well, you're right and you're wrong.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is real. There is a legitimate reason why some people react to a lack of sunlight in the winter months.

However, many doctors DO just use it as an excuse to put people on drugs. The fact of the matter is that most doctors basically work for the pharmaceutical companies.

Most depressions don't require medication. They will eventually go away on their own, and you can reduce the strength of a depressive episode by doing some really simple things. Eat well, get enough sleep, and get exercise. Some people with SAD also have good luck with certain light therapies (Google it).

I completely respect you for refusing to let a drug-happy society dose you up when you don't need to be. But remember to take care of yourself.

I don't know a whole lot about it, but from what I understand it's a disorder that begins "in your head" but causes physical symptoms (a psychosomatic disorder). Do you live in an area with a limited amount of sunshine? If so, I think there are lamps that provide artificial light to help. The problem with a lack of sun is vitamin D deficiency as well. Make sure you're getting supplements of that somehow (although no supplement works as well as the sun). If your doctor thought you could benefit from medication then maybe you should try it for a while. I would try and find alternative means of dealing with the problem, though, it wouldn't be good to become dependent upon any sort of medication if you don't have to. Good luck.

what a lot of people don't understand about seasonal depression, is that though it does/can come from cold weather, there are also deeper more psychological reasons to be found with this disorder..
i'm not sure where you live, but for me, winter time is the time of the holidays..christmas, hanukkah etc.. holidays are times you spend with people you love, right? well if you don't have anyone to love or be with, it can be very depressing while everyone else is lighting lights with their loved ones and having christmas trees, it can be upsetting to those who start to feel like they have no one.
but thats not to say that the cold weather can't make you depressed too- i know i'm a victim of it myself! and sun can put you in a good mood, i wouldn't worry about the meds if you think you just need sun and upbeat people. if you feel you don't need them and you are sure of it in a positive way, then i believe you can help yourself :)

ALSO..meds can be something you start to rely on. it can take weeks months and even years for some people to start to not have to rely on medicine after you start taking it. believe me, i know! so if there is any way to NOT take the meds that can be effective, you should try that. :) good luck

Hi Courtney...it is a proven fact that too much dreary weather can cause depression in some people. Good for you to pass on the meds because a lot of the meds that are flying around these days can actually enhance depression and cause suicidal tendancies. Halogen lamps were made to put a more even lighting in a room and it's supposed to help with the drearieness.. also, have you ever heard of Happy Camper or Gaba? They are in the vitamin section and tend to level out your moods. I take the GABA and my step-daughter takes the Happy Camper.... we each like what we are taking and they are not meds with lots of chemicals. Go to a Vitamin house and ask the nutritionalist about them. You sound like a strong, smart lady....

not everything needs poison..however you do need poisons to fight poisons..

Chemo is administered to persons who have poisoned their body for elongated periods of time.

You can poison the mind - and it is sad to see how doctors think it is a nice joke to treat people like they are guinea pigs.

What you need is rest. that is why the weather affects you.

And yes it is real; so is depression.

No, I think it's real. But like all mental illnesses/disorders these days, it's probably over-diagnosed.