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7 months ago
Sunday, September 18, 2011
OCD and the Weather
Over on the yahoo boards, people are chatting about whether the weather/seasons affect their OCD. Count me on the yes side for sure! I don't know if it's the shorter days, the rain, the cold, all of the above, but my depression cranks up every fall, and my anxiety cranks right up with it. I didn't actually fully notice this until last year. My late aunt had one of those fancy light boxes, and I have it now. I've not used it yet, but I really need to haul it out soon. Last year when I went on Prozac briefly, I ended up with an extra month's worth of pills. I saved them for possible use this year, but I'd like to avoid that if I can. Got some work to do.
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I've always found it really interesting how our environment affects our health.....from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), to the aches and pains people get when the pressure changes, to depression during different seasons and times of the year. I just never thought of it in terms of OCD, but it certainly makes sense!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean. Once I feel the cool autumn air, my anxiety and OCD picks up momentarily, very strange how our bodies react to the weather.
ReplyDeleteOne rainy day is usually ok, but a string of them in a row will start to get me feeling both frazzled and low energy at the same time. And certainly having SAD makes the winters, especially January and February, very unpleasant. This is the first year I'm going to try the light box and see how or if it improves things.
ReplyDeleteAdventures in Anxiety Land
I am right there with you! I've noticed a change this past week....just as the days have been getting shorter. I really think it's the shorter days and less the rainy/cold weather for me, but it gets really bad. I HATE fall and winter, and I don't like Christmas as a holiday either, so I'm usually very relieved when January arrives.
ReplyDeleteI get terrible weather anxiety in the winter. I have a terrible time sleeping if I know we are getting a snow or ice storm and I'll have to clean my car in the morning to drive to work. I think it is all related to whether or not I have to drive somewhere. If it's a weekend, I can relax but Mon-Fri, if I know they weather will be bad, I get obsessed about watching the weather and getting up multiple times in the night to check the status of the weather. I need to learn to "relax."
ReplyDeleteKarin says:
ReplyDeleteI haven't noticed this as yet, but my SAD doesn't usually kick in til the new year comes. Then the holidays are over, i'm tired of the snow and i just want spring to arrive.
I live in a house with bigh huge livingroom/ diningroom and kitchen windows. So that may be what is helping me. That was one of the top reasons for picking a house. It MUST have lots of huge windows. Otherwise i'd go stir crazy. Esp. being so far north where october can already look dark and dreary.
So i will check this out for myself this winter. i know that my cycle can bring on periods of lower resistance to ocd.
I love fall and winter. Once I get past September and get into the cool weather, I usually feel more comfortable and actually a little perkier. It's the exact opposite for my mom. I think part of mine has to deal with the allergies and asthma that comes along with spring and summer as well as the bursitis flare-ups with the spring and summer storms. Living in tornado country, the idea of storm season is enough to flip me out. I'll take my blizzards over the tornadoes any day. ; )
ReplyDeleteI don't know if the weather DIRECTLY affects my OCD, but when my seasonal depression kicks in, it makes me more miserable, which makes me way more likely to pay attention to the thoughts in the back of my brain...so indirectly, I'd say it must. I highly recommend a light box--it saves me each winter.
ReplyDelete