SAD: Just Wondering........

Nurses General Nursing

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Do people who live in sunny parts of the country have fewer problems with seasonal affective disorder than those who live in northern climes?

The reason I'm asking is, my family and I are considering moving south in a couple of years (maybe even sooner), and the biggest consideration in this whole process is my problem with winter depression. Actually, it begins in the fall and lasts all the way until April or May or whenever sun and warmth finally make their return to soggy, soppy Western Oregon. Every year it's gotten worse, and this last year was absolutely disastrous........I'd lost 40 pounds, was exercising, and felt better than I had in 15 years, then the blues hit me in September and I completely lost control. The depression itself has been fairly mild, but insidious, as I gained back every pound I'd lost, and they brought friends, 20 of them to be exact. I didn't even realize what was wrong until recently, when it all fell into place as I began to emerge from the fog..........now I know, and I've got to do something about it.

So I'm wondering if people who live where it's sunny and warm most of the time generally do better with this condition. I can't keep upping my antidepressant dose......I'm already at the outer edges of safety with the med I'm on, and I don't think pills are enough to do the whole job anyway. I need to SOLVE this problem, because the yo-yo-ing on the weight is devastating to my health, and now that it's warmer I have no problem keeping my intake at a decent level---no more compulsion to scarf down every single carbohydrate I can find, no need to gobble sweets like there's no tomorrow. (I've lost 15 pounds without even trying hard!)

And it's not just food and weight issues. I get lazy and unmotivated at work, and when I'm home all I do is spend time on the computer instead of working in the yard, cleaning house, or spending good quality time with my family. I feel like all the life has been sucked out of me.......and then when the sun returns, I'm full of energy and fun again.

There's got to be something better than living like this, and until we do make the decision to move, there's probably another couple of winters to get through. I'm going to do more research, but I'd like some anecdotal evidence too if you can provide some.........I'm skeptical about the so-called geographical cure for ANYTHING, but I do want to hear from those of you who live, or have lived, where there's no real winter.

Thanks in advance to all who may post here. :)

Hi,

SAD is a very common disorder and affects many people... most of whom don't know it. I do, however, know a little about it because I did my major assignment on it last year.

I live in Australia, and it definately isn't a common disorder here, probably because even in the southern areas we have warm weather for about 9 months of the year. It doesn't even snow in most places. There are a few organisations that run out of Australia, but in tests that have been conducted over here, the majority of SAD sufferers were found to be located in Tasmania (the small island that hangs off the bottom of Australia). The reason for this is that it is closest to the Antartic region. There are fewer numbers in Victoria (where I am from) and the numbers become positively minimal the further north you go (with numbers dropping as low as into the single digits in the Northern Territory, Northern Queensland and Western Australia - notoriously warm regions).

Unfortunately, it's a difficult form of depression to battle. Your symptoms are classic indicators that you actually suffer from this condition quite badly. It definately doesn't help that you live in an area that has bad winter's and obviously, the first thing that most doctors/specialists would probably recommend is that you seriously consider moving to a warmer climate. You have already expressed to us that summer definately improves your condition and that during winter you lose control.

The only other solution that might even be practical would be "lights." These "light boxes" try to mimic the benefits that SAD sufferer's seem to reap from natural warmth and in most cases work well. Rather than upping your med's I would probably recommend that you search for other avenues that would/could possibly help this disorder and a simple search on GOOGLE should give you some clues as to what other alternatives there are for you.

Good Luck to you. I hope you find a solution to assist you out of this depression.

Specializes in Step-down/tele, home care, corrections.

Hi,

Here's a few links from a paper I did for a biology class last year. I've also had a friend with this, and he participated in the timed light study at Yale (it worked for him!).

Steve

http://www.ynhh.org/healthlink/mentalhealth/mentalhealth_12_03.html

http://www.isv.uit.no/seksjon/psyk/wdep2.htm

http://www.outsidein.co.uk/sadinfo.htm

http://www.light-and-ion-therapy.org/

I have lived in a hot, sunny place for the last 15 yrs, and I hate it here. If it was solely up to me, I would have been living in the pacific northwest a loooong time ago. We do not get the four seasons here. We have a short spring (4.5 mons) and the rest of the year, it's 90-110 degrees. The humidity is high. Our windows fog up a lot. The only trees are palm trees. There is very little rain, so there's very few flowers or green. The wind is always blowing here. My husband does not understand nor believe me when I start complaining (which I do a lot) about how miserable :crying2: I am. He makes me feel guility when I mention leaving. I have found others down here who feel the exact way I do, so I know I'm not alone. We are starting into our 100+ days. I don't even want to get started on how miserable those temps make me feel. I envy people who live where there are opportunities to use coats, sweaters, fireplaces, make snowmans, seeing fog come out of people's mouth instead of on there windows. I could go on and on, but I'll stop.

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

Come on back to SoCal!! You know you want to! I'll come help you pack, OK?

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
I have lived in a hot, sunny place for the last 15 yrs, and I hate it here. If it was solely up to me, I would have been living in the pacific northwest a loooong time ago. We do not get the four seasons here. We have a short spring (4.5 mons) and the rest of the year, it's 90-110 degrees. The humidity is high. Our windows fog up a lot. The only trees are palm trees. There is very little rain, so there's very few flowers or green. The wind is always blowing here. My husband does not understand nor believe me when I start complaining (which I do a lot) about how miserable :crying2: I am. He makes me feel guility when I mention leaving. I have found others down here who feel the exact way I do, so I know I'm not alone. We are starting into our 100+ days. I don't even want to get started on how miserable those temps make me feel. I envy people who live where there are opportunities to use coats, sweaters, fireplaces, make snowmans, seeing fog come out of people's mouth instead of on there windows. I could go on and on, but I'll stop.

You sound just like my sister........she THRIVES on the gloomy conditions up here, while I'm the polar opposite (oops, no pun intended).

When I lived in the San Diego area, I used to dream of living someplace lush and green, where you could actually tell the seasons apart........now all I want is to be where it's sunny and warm pretty much all of the time. Who'da thunk it?

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
Come on back to SoCal!! You know you want to! I'll come help you pack, OK?

If I could afford to live there again, I probably would.......I miss the beach!

But there's no way......it's way too expensive, and there's just too danged many people there now. I remember when the area around Miramar was almost completely devoid of humanity, now it's wall-to-wall houses.....same thing with Poway, and even where I grew up (Ramona) it's becoming congested. No thanks.......think I'll take my chances on southern Arizona at some point.

Do people who live in sunny parts of the country have fewer problems with seasonal affective disorder than those who live in northern climes?

The reason I'm asking is, my family and I are considering moving south in a couple of years (maybe even sooner), and the biggest consideration in this whole process is my problem with winter depression. Actually, it begins in the fall and lasts all the way until April or May or whenever sun and warmth finally make their return to soggy, soppy Western Oregon. Every year it's gotten worse, and this last year was absolutely disastrous........I'd lost 40 pounds, was exercising, and felt better than I had in 15 years, then the blues hit me in September and I completely lost control. The depression itself has been fairly mild, but insidious, as I gained back every pound I'd lost, and they brought friends, 20 of them to be exact. I didn't even realize what was wrong until recently, when it all fell into place as I began to emerge from the fog..........now I know, and I've got to do something about it.

So I'm wondering if people who live where it's sunny and warm most of the time generally do better with this condition. I can't keep upping my antidepressant dose......I'm already at the outer edges of safety with the med I'm on, and I don't think pills are enough to do the whole job anyway. I need to SOLVE this problem, because the yo-yo-ing on the weight is devastating to my health, and now that it's warmer I have no problem keeping my intake at a decent level---no more compulsion to scarf down every single carbohydrate I can find, no need to gobble sweets like there's no tomorrow. (I've lost 15 pounds without even trying hard!)

And it's not just food and weight issues. I get lazy and unmotivated at work, and when I'm home all I do is spend time on the computer instead of working in the yard, cleaning house, or spending good quality time with my family. I feel like all the life has been sucked out of me.......and then when the sun returns, I'm full of energy and fun again.

There's got to be something better than living like this, and until we do make the decision to move, there's probably another couple of winters to get through. I'm going to do more research, but I'd like some anecdotal evidence too if you can provide some.........I'm skeptical about the so-called geographical cure for ANYTHING, but I do want to hear from those of you who live, or have lived, where there's no real winter.

Thanks in advance to all who may post here. :)

I can totally relate, I too suffer from SAD. I presently live in Maine and I am actively pursuing a move to a sunnier location. I have lived in AZ in the past and had very little problems with winter depression. When Spring comes in February its hard to be depressed. I do think I still felt alittle off when the number of hours of daily sun goes down but it is not nearly as dramatic. The worst part of SAD for me is that I lose perspective that the season is causing my laziness and gluttony. I begin to berate myself for being undiscpilined and unmotivated. I do know that sleep depravation helps. I don't know why that is but it works. Also planning activities or extra work so that you must get your butt out of the house helps. Good luck to you and yes a move will help.

I live in Australia and our winters are pretty short compared to you guys.

I once met a woman from USA travellin g in Australia . She was the first person who I had met with SAD. She used to get quite manic in summer and severly depressed in winter when she lived in Maine.

She successfully managed her SAD by moving to Hawaii. She said it made hwe feel like a new person. I know it's a bit further south than AZ, but it's still the USA.

I wish you well.

Specializes in Obstetrics, M/S, Psych.

Lots of mention about SAD while living in Maine! It certainly is a very dark, dreary state for about half the year. I think that is what keeps the population down. If the climate were more year round like it is in the summer months, I imagine we'd be alot more populated. That's the only good thing about putting up with SAD here, I suppose. I'll enjoy my summer, but I'm out of here when the winter blues hit again!

I live in Australia and our winters are pretty short compared to you guys.

I once met a woman from USA travellin g in Australia . She was the first person who I had met with SAD. She used to get quite manic in summer and severly depressed in winter when she lived in Maine.

She successfully managed her SAD by moving to Hawaii. She said it made hwe feel like a new person. I know it's a bit further south than AZ, but it's still the USA.

I wish you well.

That's one of the reasons we moved to Hawaii 14 years ago.

No more Winter Blues!!

Still the USA (and half way to Oz :))

Specializes in Utilization Management.

I live in FL and when we have those wet, dreary weeks, I tend to notice that it affects my moods. But not like a winter up there used to.

It doesn't seem to get as hot in this area because we have the Sea Breeze all the time, so when the temp starts hitting the 100s, it's not too bad. And just when you think you can't stand the heat any more, along comes an afternoon thunderstorm to cool things off.

Overall, I'm definitely not missing winter here and no amount of money can make me move back North! I love it where I live.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I lived in "sun belt" states like Texas, Southern Oklahoma and Arizona for some 16 years and found the summers too unbearable to exercise or even enjoy. I found myself depressed to wake up to temps in the 90s at 8 a.m. I hated the pool being hot from the intense heat of the sun. There seemed to be no way to EVER get cool in summertime. I felt like doing nothing but sitting in AC and drinking iced tea. I hated to have to wear spf 30 sunscreen just to take a morning walk...the sun was so damn intense, it was ridiculous.

I don't know, maybe I am an oddball (yea you know I am lol), but since living in WA, I find myself much happier, and you can't get much more north than here and be in the USA. Just another perspective....

If you don't like artificially-cooled air pumped at you 24/7 for 6-7 months in a row, if you hate to go outside at 7 and have it already be 86 in the shade, well, the south may not be for you. I like fresh air from an open window, myself. Living in those places sure was not for me! TOOOOO HOT.

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