Audrey and the Magic Lamp

photo credit: slickclic

Well OK, my magic lamp doesn't look exactly like that but it certainly has some kind of genius inside that granted me a wish: to get rid of my seasonal depression. Now that winter seems to be over, at least around here, I can claim out loud that, al-hamdolillah, for the first time in my life I didn't suffer from depression during the last months. I had a hard time during Christmas Holidays but I know exactly why now: I went to the retreat center and didn't have my lamp with me for 5 days.

I was quite skeptical about light therapy. I thought it was for people with 'light' (without any play of word!) mood problems. In my case, I had severe depression problems during winter... Dark thoughts, physical and mental dysfunctions, suicidal ideas, etc. How could a lamp change that? Well, the lamp did it and I had to tell you about it, in case you, or someone you know is suffering from SAD. Depression could go. You just need to get a good lamp - and rub it. You don't even need to look for it in a cave full of treasuries. You can order it online or buy it in specialized stores - or even pharmacies.

My diet is probably helping, too, as the candida I'm fighting is supposed to create mood problems. By cutting the bad stuff that Mr. Mush likes to eat, I'm probably preventing him to create more irritability, agressiveness and mood swings. And I'm more an more convinced that sugar is a poison, so by avoiding to eat some, I think I'm doing a service to my body and my mental health.

It feels good to feel good.

And all praise is due to Allah.

:)

Word of the week: Enough

Painting by Emily Martin @ The Black Apple

Enough: 1. sufficient; all that is required, needed, or appropriate. 2. used to express impatience or exasperation.

Holidays are over. Well, not that they were really holidays for me, but they are over. Kids are going back to school. Phew. I really had a hard time. I was impatient. I was moody. I wasn't proud of me. I felt annoyed, most of the time. I guess anyone would be, as they were fighting all the time, crying, whining, yelling... Aaaaaargh!

And that sky. That grey sky that I dread. Was there. Every day. For 2 weeks. My SAD is knocking on the door... "knock, knock, it's me, Seasonal Affective Disorder, remember me?? Trying to avoid me with a lamp?! Better stand under it 12 hours day, HA HA HA!"

Enough of having two "I don't know what to doooooooooo!" boys at home. Enough of never-ending renovations. Enough of this. Enough of that. Enough of myself, even, sometimes.

Is it? Enough?

Word of the week: Winter

Winter: 1. The usually coldest season of the year, occurring between autumn and spring, extending in the Northern Hemisphere from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox, and popularly considered to be constituted by December, January, and February. 2. A year as expressed through the recurrence of the winter season. 3. A period of time characterized by coldness, misery, barrenness, or death.

What else can I say. She's here. Yesterday, I woke up to see her first flakes, her white blanket, her biting cold wind. Every year the same thoughts. Will I survive her grey mornings, her short days, her cold nights?

Oh Winter! Let me see your good sides, show me your qualities! Please, please winter, don't be so harsh on me this year!

Oh Winter! Be gentle and be quick, so my dearest Spring can come back soon...

Grey

is not my favorite sky color. I feel winter coming, and I'm not sure that light therapy will be enough...

I'm trying to be proactive, not to let depression have a grip on me this year, again...

Here's what I intend to do in the next days:

- yoga (breathing and stretching gives me a lot of energy)

- tanning salon (it always feels so good on my skin! - I usually go 2 times a year)

- massage (received a free session certificate for Eid - thanks lil' bro)

- painting (to express my feelings through colors and brush strokes)

- new basement decoration (have to choose new walls color, new floor, new ceramic - new is good for the mood)

- psycho-therapy (I stopped seeing my PT in July and need to resume my therapy)

- chocolate cake (very effective for short term happiness)

- breakfast with friends in the middle of the week (we started this a couple of weeks ago and it perfectly breaks routine)

What do you do to fight the blues?