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Jacket potatoes!! I have one in the oven right now. They almost make the cold weather bearable.

Personally, I'm a cheese and tuna mayonnaise girl, but the tuna mayo has to be made with Heinz salad cream rather than actual mayonnaise or it just isn't right.

Sausages and beans are more of a mashed potato meal for me, another perfect potatoey remedy for cold weather.

I haven't tried those with jacket potatoes. Hmmm, shopping list time...

I wish I had answers. Hot chocolate is a favourite in this house. I used to hate hearing dismissive comments alluding to the fact that I needed to get over myself. I suppose avoiding dismissive people is a way forward.

Has anyone ever used a SAD lamp? I've always wondered if they do anything at all.

Last year I bought a couple of Himalayan salt lamps. They're supposed to help in some way.

I don't really have an issue with winter, although my son-in-law had a problem with SAD at one time. I don't know how he copes with it now, but I don't sense it's that much of an issue for him anymore. I think having sufficient lighting in the house is important, however.

One of the great things about winter is the night sky. Some of the most brilliant parts of the sky are up on winter nights: the band of sky from Cassiopeia to the north through Persius, Auriga, Gemini, Orion, and Canis Major is stunning, even if you live under considerable light pollution. Okay, it can be cold out, but bundle up and have a look some clear night in December or January or February!

I love the night sky- It looks like velvet- the kids come over and we all stargaze- then, Alex we drink hot chocolate.

My husband gets that way every winter. It's hard when you know the person you love is struggling and there are no easy answers. Sometimes it feels like there is an oppressive layer hanging over him, and me, by association. I have learned to live with it the way Mr. Bennet talks about his wife's nerves. I think of the line often "I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least."

Sometimes it's not about getting over, so much as embracing and pushing through.

Yes, pushing through is about what it comes down to. Knowing that after winter there is spring. Can't guarantee summer in the UK, but you know what I mean.

I love the dark. Outside, night-sky dark, I need proper lighting indoors if I'm not trying to sleep, and we probably have LEDs too now. We went to the cinema last Friday night and it was great (film wasn't, but I liked being outside after dark).

My husband gave up using his telescope because of cloud cover and light pollution, which was a shame. I think he's too tired to be outside that late waiting for the sky to clear.

I'm not sure if I've ever had SAD. I've certainly been diagnosed with depression in the past. People who come out with "just think positively" get my mental "spork in the eye" treatment. Or maybe my mental "slight tap round the head with a ruddy great sledgehammer." (Last time I checked I couldn't be arrested for my thoughts.) As you say Alex, unless someone has been there, they may not understand.

My main problem with winter was walking on icy pavements. For years I walked 4-6 miles a day doing the school run. I am terrified of icy pavements. I never fell over on them, but because I fell over plenty of other times, I was always scared the ice was going to get me. I've got boots with retractable crampons and hiking poles for stability (got a disability that leaves me unstable on my feet), but it still scares me.

I would love to be in your position Carmel. We used to have a holiday in February too.

Alex wrote: "I like the stars, Dale, though I find it far too cold to go outside and enjoy them.

Carole, you have such a great way of looking at things. It's a shame your husband has to deal with this, and a ..."
I was prepared my whole life to handle it. We didn't know about depression in the "old" days. My mom was depressed and had trouble functioning some times. My grandmother lived with us and we knew when she was in a sad state, we just had to wait for her to come out of it. It was just accepted as part of life. My father was a concentration camp survivor- so between my mom and grandmother, we were encouraged not to give him any grief- He had enough hurt and loss to sustain him for a lifetime- so we all bounced around their moods. I didn't even realize what depression was until I was much older- married for years and realized my husband had the same issues as my mom. I finally got the memo, it wasn't about being in a "bad" mood. They saw things differently- a anthill was a volcano. I'm not saying everybody has this. But, I learned what someone thinks is nothing, may be really something to someone else and the worse thing you can do is not respect that. I think I didn't understand the scope of my dad's losses until the morning after I lost him- Then I saw his world with new clarity. So, even though I live with someone who is depressed, I may not feel his pain, I know it is real for him and I understand I have to treat it that way. If someone hurts themselves physically we collectively sympathize with their pain. Some hurts are on the inside and we must be as compassionate.

Again, you are so right, Carole (and others). If a person has not experienced it him or herself, s/he cannot understand the view from the bottom of the abyss. One of my favorite phrases is: "We see things not as they are, but as WE are", which applies to so many differences between people. Working with terribly injured people for so many years helped me accept them just as (and where) they were. I will add that listening to Irish music, with the upbeat, dance-able tunes always lifted my spirits in the middle of winter. Especially as I did house chores. It was like getting an infusion of happy through my ears!

Carole wrote: "Sometimes it's not about getting over, so much as embracing and pushing through. ..."

Amen! This is great advice, Carole. Thank you. Sometimes life hurts so much it's hard to know what to do next, but the worst thing to do is nothing. We always must keep moving forward, no matter how painfully or slowly. Hugs

Alex wrote: "That's great Carmel, I wish I was in your position. I often dream of moving to somewhere with a more temperate climate, and less horrible winters (not that my part of the UK gets the really severe ..."
And it is a grueling process, sometimes, to come off. I wish you well as we head into the long dark. I hope you find something that helps.

So right, Carmel. "We see things not as they are, but as WE are",

I struggle in January and February. It helps to keep myself busy, but it is a fine line. If I put too much on my plate, I become overwhelmed. I did get some of those Himalayan salt rock lamps last year and it wasnt as bad. I am not sure if the lamps helped though or if it was the more mild winter. Some of my family and friends swear they work.

In some cases you can convince yourself they help and they will. In some cases simply thinking positive won't make one iota of difference.

Music, yes Carmel, I have to listen to music to get through everything.

Cor lummy! What a helpful bunch of people this group has!

I haven't read all the answers as it's bed time here in the U.K. so please excuse me if I repeat any suggestions.

In terms of getting the nearest thing to daylight from a lamp, the company that gets all the accolades from people who need perfect light is 'Serious Readers'. You could Google it and ask for a brochure. It's a British company run by Alex who even has a lamp called the 'Alex'. They provide light for space craft, forensic science labs and so on. Only drawback is they're expensive. Worth investigating though.

I imagine if you suffer from SAD and you write (i.e. you're sitting still for long periods of time) then having one of these lighting up your desk might make a difference. I don't suffer from SAD, but I do find mine has been worth having because, as it says in the brochure, it's close to being bright daylight on my desk.

I've just flicked through the responses, Alex, and there's some wise words scattered within.

Music, yes, music. It's a well known pick-me-up. Go for it, Alex. Eat the right foods, those that contain all the vitamins etc. or take a multi-vitamin tablet every day, vitamin D foods (or tablets) are needed more in the winter - but you probably know all this. As has been said, sometimes we just have to keep going, doing the best we can, until the glorious spring sunshine finally arrives.

The winter doldrums get me, too. My solution: live near the coast. It works out for all seasons - the winters are milder, the summers are cooler. And with the wide-open beach, there's no lack of light.

I once lived in the mountains, where there was snow, biting wind chill, and other dastardly things. It was tough to get through. I learned my lesson.

Alex wrote: "Winter is here in many parts of the Northern hemisphere, it's got very cold in the UK and it's dark before 5PM, and I can feel the winter blues setting in.
With that in mind I thought it might be g..."

that picture of yours is cheery!