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S.A.D. isn't it?


paigetheoracle

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This thread connects with Michaelangelica's one on Depression but from a slightly different angle as it also includes and high's and the reasons thereof.

 

I believe 'Seasonal Affective Disorder' (SAD) and depression are based on the same thing - withdrawal from life, though inclement conditions or trauma. Somebody in shock, will be noticeably cold as a frightened person is and if I'm right Clinically depressed people will be too. I suffer from migraines and I see that as withdrawal from the world too, which shows up in cold extremities (withdrawal of blood from limbs to defensive position round central bodily core). So too with SAD - slowing down/ cooling off of bodily processes as individual goes into a form of hibernation (Dark nights/ cold weather/ scant resources). I gained a clue about this after patting myself on the back that my dog training methods had calmed our new dog down, only to have him explode with excitement when spring came (Back to being barking mad). This I believe ties in with seratonin levels and dark/ sleep. I also further believe that any form of unconsciousness (sleep/ death/ thought/ heavy meal doze) is based on this as a natural reaction and necessary movement away from life, given the individuals circumstances or even race/ life form.

 

Spring however is hope revived and awakens our senses, no matter what light is thrown into our darkness, to revive us - hence rebirth being described as bright light, whether it was St. Paul or the founder of Alcoholism Anonymous. It's like being a seed in the soil, responding to warmth and sunlight. In other words the difference between psychological problems and physical ones at this level, is basically the same - withdrawal or advance under favourable/ unfavourable conditions (Stimulus response).

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This also explains intelligence as expression (growth) and depression really just being a form of unexpressed potential. In the same way that the overweight are burdened physically, the depressed are burdened with their (pessimistic i.e. unstated) thoughts. Those at the bottom of society are like seeds as those at the top are more like adult plants (realized potential).

 

Another thing hope is always described as being small (Pandoras box) and despair as something gigantic (Bunyan's 'Pilgrims Progress'. To me this symbolizes letting go versus putting the brakes on/ holding on. In other words, discharging energy through action as opposed to accumulating matter through thought (timidity/ worry).

 

If you view things this way, it reflects society as being a mirror for nature and turns intelligence into expression and unintelligence into repression or suppression i.e. blue collar workers and the disposed members of a former society (natives as opposed to colonists). It's saying we are all equal and the only difference between us as individuals or groups, is the creative or destructive potential we employ (openess/ self-imprisonment).

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Speculative but interesting.

 

I think I may have experienced S.A.D. in the past, and your comment about this being related to being cold and needing more heat, got my attention. This year, I have been warmer than in the past, and I don't think it is because of global warming. We had a cold winter, but most days, I have been wearing a light coat, and I have used very little heat at home. I never before thought to connect this to your explanation of winter blues.

 

A lack of vitamin D has been associated with depression, and I am taking calium with vitamin D on a regular bases. Also lack of exercise is associated with depression and in general mental deterioration when we age. I have been walking a dog for 1/2 to 1 hour in the mornings and evening. I think these things may make a difference.

 

About the head aches. I used to suffer migraines often and suspect the cause was hormonal, because my teen years were the worst. However, I read illnesses are a friend in a way. A good migraine or cold gives us an excuse to withdraw and baby ourselves. The book suggested we thank our illnesses and become friendly with them. When I did this, I stopped having migraines, except at those times when I really did want to withdraw. Not that this will cure all our headaches, but perhaps we should be honest with ourselves, and when something is bringing us down, perhaps we should make a life change and get that something out of our lives.

 

I went through a period of anxiety attacks, when I forced myself to live in a situation that was not phsycologically healthy. I think our bodies act out our problems in phycial ways, when we try to ignore the problems. Thinking we are being strong when we endure something that is not good for us, can result in our bodies giving us strong messages that something has to change. It would be a good thing if our doctors were better at interpreting these messages.

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Speculative but interesting.

 

I think I may have experienced S.A.D. in the past, and your comment about this being related to being cold and needing more heat, got my attention. This year, I have been warmer than in the past, and I don't think it is because of global warming. We had a cold winter, but most days, I have been wearing a light coat, and I have used very little heat at home. I never before thought to connect this to your explanation of winter blues.

 

A lack of vitamin D has been associated with depression, and I am taking calium with vitamin D on a regular bases. Also lack of exercise is associated with depression and in general mental deterioration when we age. I have been walking a dog for 1/2 to 1 hour in the mornings and evening. I think these things may make a difference.

 

About the head aches. I used to suffer migraines often and suspect the cause was hormonal, because my teen years were the worst. However, I read illnesses are a friend in a way. A good migraine or cold gives us an excuse to withdraw and baby ourselves. The book suggested we thank our illnesses and become friendly with them. When I did this, I stopped having migraines, except at those times when I really did want to withdraw. Not that this will cure all our headaches, but perhaps we should be honest with ourselves, and when something is bringing us down, perhaps we should make a life change and get that something out of our lives.

 

I went through a period of anxiety attacks, when I forced myself to live in a situation that was not phsycologically healthy. I think our bodies act out our problems in phycial ways, when we try to ignore the problems. Thinking we are being strong when we endure something that is not good for us, can result in our bodies giving us strong messages that something has to change. It would be a good thing if our doctors were better at interpreting these messages.

 

I agree with the last point and have learnt a lot from my illness and its causes.

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Here is afew more thoughts on the subject Nutronjon, that might get you thinking.

 

Definition of an optimist - someone who knows Spring will come again, despite it being Winter (hopeful).

Definition of a pessimist - someone who knows Winter will come again, despite it being Summer (hopeless).

 

Sound is a summer sense because music relaxes us and gets us into motion/emotion.

 

Sight is a winter sense because it gets us to cool down and focus on something definite, rather than chase the indefinite, hence its association with the intellect.

 

Every blow to the ego is winter - every success, summer (suppression or repression versus expression). Expansion and cooling (separation/fission/ energy release/ relaxation/ sleep).

 

Contraction and heating (friction/fusion/matter/tension/ awareness). Passion is forgetting everything (past/ past history) as repulsion is remembering it (winter retreat).

 

Overt action is positive expression (starting/ creating things) as covert thought is negative suppression or repression (stopping or destroying things):

Gratitude at being alive (actualized energy) versus resentment (attitude problem) at feeling frustrated (dormant energy/ dead). Concentration upon detail (high emotion/ little hope) versus dispersed state (apathy/ giant despair).

 

Death is a return to the great unconscious (emptying out of consciousness) as life is pouring it in: We cannot remember the past/ past lives (if real) for this reason - death is the end of memory as well as the body as it refuels life in you (You can't take it with you - any of it): See Julian Barnes new book 'Nothing to be Frightened of' (Jonathan Cape) and Jules Renard, French Writer ('Yes, God exists but he knows no more about it than we do': The great unconsciousness is God - the little conscious is us) plus Jung.

 

This is my attempt to make sense of it all and is full of contradictions that are even glaringly obvious to me but I'm sure it'll give you scope to get back to me and may even spark off ideas in you, I hope!

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The first thought that comes to mind is, Hinduism and understanding when we speak of one thing, we speak of its opposite. Second is the impression of breathing. Breathing is life. When the Chinese I Ching is given mathematic form, it produces a line that looks the line drawn by a heart monitor, and it stops 2021. The Aztec calander marks the end in 2021. The reversal of 21 and 12 is one of several east/west reversals. Now that may be far from your thoughts, but as I read what you wrote, it so strongly made me think of breathing, and you seem to invite open mindedness, so I had to go with the flow.

 

My understanding of Hinduism is that God is consciousness, but you have said it is the great unconsciousness. Reminds me of a short film depicting the Hindu notion of the Great Dreamer, when the Dreamer is asleep, we experience reality. When the Dreamer wakes, the dream ends, then He returns to sleep and it all starts over again. I can accept this consciousness as the beach by the sea. We make sand castles in the sand, and the waves return them to formless sand. Apart from the consciousness we have individual form, but upon death we return to the formless. Despite all the Christian worship of God, I do not think they desire this degree of unity with God. Their talk of heaven is eternal separation of God, maintaining their individual identies and their history of limited relations forever.

 

Well that is pretty far from the subject, and I hope I have not offended anyone by picking up the invitation for open minded thinking. :phones:

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