{"id":100,"date":"2008-10-29T13:23:23","date_gmt":"2008-10-29T17:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/?p=100"},"modified":"2008-10-29T13:23:23","modified_gmt":"2008-10-29T17:23:23","slug":"vinterdepression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/vinterdepression\/","title":{"rendered":"Vinterdepression"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Returning to Sweden after we changed to winter time last weekend was a bit harsh. Suddenly it gets dark at 4PM here. And it will only get worse. That\u2019s one of the joys of living in the North. I like winter, don\u2019t get me wrong, it\u2019s the darkness that kills me.<\/p>\n

So, to make sure that I stay alive and keep blogging, I went in search of my favorite full-spectrum light bulbs today. And wouldn\u2019t you know it, I was late \u2013 apparently the whole town had the same idea. Elkedjan<\/strong> was all sold out. They only had one \u201cnatural sunlight\u201d light bulb left and told me to come back next week when a new shipment arrives.<\/p>\n

This is my yearly ritual \u2013 replacing all normal light bulbs with those bluish \u201cnatural sunlight\u201d ones and plugging in massive greenhouse-style lamps. And leaving them all on until springtime. Yes, I know I said that I\u2019m big on saving energy and all that, but I make up for my ginormous winter electricity consumption during summers when I don\u2019t turn on any lights at all. So it all evens out, I hope, and my carbon footprint should stay more or less the same.<\/p>\n

This is not just an Anna quirk, or a goofy habit with no scientific background. Seasonal affective disorder is a serious thing. And I\u2019d never known just how serious until I moved to Norrland<\/strong>. My first winter was dreadful. So dreadful in fact, that I ended up popping anti-depressants like Pez candy. I gained a ton of weight, had to go on medical leave and eventually ended up hospitalized. Winter in Norrland \u2013 1: Anna \u2013 0.<\/em> It wasn\u2019t pleasant. Fortunately, I don\u2019t remember much of it now.<\/p>\n

The following year I was much better prepared. I read up on SAD (vinterdepression eller \u00e5rstidsbunden depression<\/strong>) and was ready. I turned my living room into a greenhouse and got serious about light therapy (ljusterapi<\/strong>). And just to make sure I got adequate sun exposure, I also went to Gran Canaria in December. Yes, I know it\u2019s a cheesy clich\u00e9, but it did help.<\/p>\n

These days I feel like a veteran of northern winters. I know the drill now – over the years I\u2019ve learned what works for me and perfected it to fit my needs. Winter doesn\u2019t bother me anymore \u2013 it\u2019s nothing but a few annoying pages in my wall calendar and a brilliant excuse to go somewhere on vacation.<\/p>\n

But first things first, I need to replace those light bulbs. And then book a week-long break somewhere warm. This year it needs to be somewhere cheap, too. I\u2019m thinking Cyprus or Egypt. Any suggestions?<\/p>\n

Here are some common symptoms of \u00e5rstidsbunden depression<\/strong>:<\/p>\n