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

[VivaLasViejas]

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. :)

[Luv2BAnurse]

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.

I totally agree with you on that one! I get depressed when it's HOT.

[SmilingBluEyes]

One other thing I noticed about heat: people are much shorter-tempered in it. That much I can attest to having so much experience living in hot climes.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Yep, you guys sound just like my sister........she loves the gray and damp, and turns into a brass-plated b**** when the temps go over 80. She never did tolerate the heat well, even when we were kids growing up in the backcountry of San Diego County where it could get up to 110 degrees as late as Halloween. I'd be outside playing in the dry desert-type heat, and she'd be indoors flaked out on the sofa under the AC. She's thrived since she moved up here, and she can't understand for the life of her why I have problems with the climate. Which is OK, she doesn't have to.......I only wish she would just accept that what is, IS (I think part of it is, she really doesn't want us to move to Arizona!).

[ahsweeney]

Wow, I forgot about SAD. We moved to GA from MA about 11 yrs ago, and I'm now on a serious campaign to get my husband to transfer back up to New England. I did suffer from SAD when up north, but I'm burnt out on the congestion and traffic of the Atlanta suburbs now. There is a dopey contractor who is squeezing in 7 huge houses (starting price $700,000!!!) on a tiny stretch of land between 2 subdivisions. We call them "cluster mansions". What I really can't stand is the heat and humidity in the summer and fall. I "retired" from nursing when my 2 yr old was born. I'll go back when she goes to school. For now, I escape to ME for 3 weeks with the kids to my mother's house. My son was decorating his jack-o-lantern last year in his underwear 'cuz it was still in the 80's. I tell people that we have "reverse hibernation" here in the South. UP North, you hibernate in the winter, here we hibernate in the summer 'cuz of the heat & humidity. Loved your comment about your sister being a "brass-plated b****" I believe that would be me also!!!!!!!

Can you put skylights in your family room? The best advice I've read so far has been just get outside for an hour daily. Try to get the natural light - what there is of it!!!!

Good luck

[Hex, LPN]

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 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're definitely not alone. I live in FLA so I know exactly what you're talking about. The time from late April aaaaall the way up to like, late October is just awful for me ( and if your car's a/c breaks down as it happened to mine a couple of weeks ago, well, you can imagine )

Anyway, when I tell other Floridians those exact comments you made (wanting to move up north) they look at me as if I'm crazy :chuckle but I definitely can't see myself living here for the rest of my life. It's a shame though, cause other than that I love the area.

[Hex, LPN]

One other thing I noticed about heat: people are much shorter-tempered in it. That much I can attest to having so much experience living in hot climes.

Abso-freaking-lutely

I thought it only happened to me.

Have you ever noticed how during summertime some people can drive around in old beat-up cars with no a/c and be perfectly happy? They're listening to the radio, or talking on their cellphones, and not one drop of sweat????

Meanwhile, my a/c breaks down and I feel like I'm melting away....go figure lol

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Can you put skylights in your family room? The best advice I've read so far has been just get outside for an hour daily. Try to get the natural light - what there is of it!!!!

Good luck

We are fortunate in that we have a HUGE picture window, plus two other large windows in our living room that let in all the natural light there is at any given time. I don't go outside much in the winter because I hate being wet and cold even worse than I hate the perpetually gray skies and the winter fog........that damp chill just gets into my joints and makes them ache ferociously, and then I can't get warm no matter what I do. I also have some nasty allergies and asthma, which are always made worse by the cool, wet weather, so outdoor exercise is out as well.

I have to get through at least two more winters here, as my oldest son has some issues and is currently in therapy; he does NOT need to be uprooted at this time in his life, so we're going to wait at least until he's out of high school in 2007. I'm going to check into getting a light box, and in the meantime I'll continue with my twice-weekly 'helio-therapy' sessions in the tanning salon.......it does help considerably, and it's a lot cheaper than therapy!! :chuckle

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Have you ever noticed how during summertime some people can drive around in old beat-up cars with no a/c and be perfectly happy? They're listening to the radio, or talking on their cellphones, and not one drop of sweat????

Yep, that's me :chuckle

Last week, we had some record-breaking heat for several consecutive days before it went back to being cloudy and miserable again, and there I was, sitting in traffic in 95-degree temps, and beaming happily along with the sun. It's only when it soars into the 100s and/or becomes muggy that I tend to lose my happy thoughts, because there is basically NO air conditioning in houses here and few public swimming areas. But even that doesn't happen very often........mostly, our summer temps hover in the low to mid-80s, which to me is utter perfection.

And may summer come SOON.........we've had a taste of it, which basically only served to remind me of how fed up I am with the clouds and rain. :stone

[lmz]

I have dealt with SAD for years and live in Alaska. I know that I am better where it is sunny, but not necessarily rid of it. My family members, who still live in California, are okay until they get 3 weeks of rain and then they are all in a blue funk, same for general winter even there.

The short of it is that you may be able to take less anti-depressant, but not necessarily none. I've tried that. I lived in San Diego for a summer and was depressed even with the sun and without anti-depressants.

I also wonder about something you said regarding anti-depressant not taking care of all the problem. A good hard (often difficult) look at one's emotional issues helps. And I believe the recommendation is to use both meds and psychotherapy together.

Hope this helps in your understanding, even if it doesn't give you the answer you want.

good Luck.