How are you finding the change in seasons and darker nights?

I much prefer autumn and winter. I prefer the cooler temperatures and I like the dark evenings. I’m actually sad in late spring. I like wearing jumpers and using a hot water bottle to keep warm. Perhaps if I had maladies of various kinds I wouldn’t like the cold but as it is I love it.

For me the individual days go really slowly but the months go past really quickly if that makes sense?

I'm not a fan of the colder months, but I'm actually looking forward to this one as I will get to snuggle up and keep my little girl warm.

I'm using my SAD lamp. It makes studying much easier because of lack of sunlight, so I guess I have like a substitute indoors.

26 days @Tori_Scope

I'm not a fan of this at all.  Can't cope with the summer heat, but winter brings a whole new set of problems.  There was a brief week or two in between summer and autumn that were the 'sweet spot' for me but they've passed now.  

I struggle with artificial light causing issues with vision and balance/vertigo but obviously need to use it for dinner and washing up every evening from now right through until about February.  I sit in the dark to watch TV once those are done but the dark nights seem so long already, and bad events (particularly IBS episodes) seem so much worse when it's dark outside.  It's also much more difficult to get out and about, parks are all wet and muddy, and I find there are even more loose dogs on every park or field now that there are fewer people on them.  I know many of the dog owners are there for their own mental wellbeing but I'm really not a fan of anything with teeth that can run lol, (or indeed, anything that can move!) I specifically go to places where dogs are meant to be kept on leads but people don't take any notice of the signs. 

Then there's the cold, aggravating joint issues, particularly in my hands, it's not even that cold yet but I'm getting back to the car after a 15 minute walk and finding I can't grip the key strongly enough to turn it for a few minutes.  Should probably start wearing gloves but that leads me on to the next point.  Having to wear an unwashable layer to go anywhere...so far I've been wearing a fleece or hoody which can washed each week, but am now having to start wearing a coat that's potentially gaining a buildup of coronavirus on it, as would a pair of gloves... 

And then finally there's the prospect of getting flu or Noro now as well as Corona!  I've booked a click and collect for shopping next week, first time of trying it but I've found an actual supermarket visit to be getting progressively more difficult to the point it's causing almost an entire week of pre &post issues for one 20 minute trip!  Hopefully the C&C will cause fewer issues, but still force me to go out.  I'm genuinely worried that I could end up totally housebound by the end of a winter during the pandemic.  I've been trying to meet one relative outside, at a distance, each fortnight, but I'm not sure how that's going to work over the next few months either.  I really don't want to risk anyone at all in my flat, I was bad enough with that before Covid but have now been over 6 months with no-one else at all entering my place.  As most will know, I'm also looking for a more suitable place to move to, and to purchase a more suitable car...all during a pandemic, and now a second wave...  

Cher_Scope said:

How is the house and car hunting going?  and how are you coping with being isolated? It sounds like you are juggling a lot of balls! 

Not brilliantly tbh, there aren't many suitable local places popping up, I've even pushed the budget by another £150pcm now and widened the search radius.  Have enquired about 4 places in the last 2 weeks, one didn't reply, one made excuses about a lot of applicants and the other two refused benefits tenants.

Car hunting is another huge challenge.  I can't view them, let alone test drive even at a local dealership.  Just dealing with a person/salesman causes such a large amount of anxiety, nausea, vertigo and light-headedness that I feel really ill before even entering the car so don't learn anything from a test drive anyway.  I basically have to guess whether a car will be suitable based on looks, wheel size, suspension height etc, deal with the seller via email and then have the car delivered.  It doesn't always end well!  I've also had bad previous experiences with 'bodily fluids' being left in used cars, which I can't deal with.  I don't wish to sound ungrateful as it's only the PIP backpay that is allowing me to buy a nearly new car from a main dealer this time instead of the older cars I've had to buy previously...but I would have given up the lot to be eligible for Motability and the ease & lack of contamination of a brand new car.  I am in email discussion with one dealer at the moment about a 1 year old approved used car that I hope will be suitable but won't know until I've owned it for a couple of weeks at least.  I know I cause them a lot of hassle so don't blame them at all if they find another buyer in the meantime.  I've also been offered such a low part ex value for my current car that I will have to sell it privately...but of course that means more human interaction.  

Being isolated is the least of my problems.  If anything, I'd like to be more isolated lol!  It's dealing with other people that cause a lot of my issues, I find family just as difficult as a till assistant or a Doctor.  I just wish I could cope with basic home life, eating, defecating, etc and have some of my physical issues rectified to help with that.  If I could deal with home life better, then I could work on going out more and dealing with people.  But of course, any treatment requires going out and dealing with people in the first place so it seems to be an endless cycle of a rock and a hard place.  The irony here is that I do wish I had some local acquaintances my own age...I feel like we could help each other if we both had an understanding and similar issues.  Any conversations with family members are one sided which doesn't help me or them unfortunately.

Anyway, before I take another thread completely off topic lol...all I can do is hope that once I've moved, settled in, changed car and sold mine that the overall anxiety will drop and reduce some of the physical issues as well.  It's been 6 months since I won the PIP tribunal and nothing at all has changed regarding health, just the number on my bank balance so really trying to keep a positive outlook that I will be able to move soon and start one of those balls rolling instead of juggling it!

I’m sorry to hear of your struggles continuing @OverlyAnxious.

I totally know what you mean about Motability. I would have given up my whole daily living component of PIP to get the enhanced Mobility if needed as the car is worth so much more to me than the money. I actually decided to work out how much it would cost to privately lease, insure and service the car I’m driving and it would be £600 or so a month yet I only have to sacrifice roughly half that amount from my PIP. I feel very very fortunate and grateful to have the car but am dreading losing it in a year and a half as driving is my life.

It is a shame that people who are on PIP but not higher mobility cannot get a Motability car by topping up the cost themselves as it really is a good scheme for disabled people on a low income.

I hope you manage to find a suitable property and vehicle in not too long.