Winter Blues - Seasonal Affective Disorder - SAD How is Austin for this. (Spring: houses, schools) - Texas (TX) - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

pilotskid27 · 12-22-2007, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinda

Pilotskid27,

Do you ever have any SAD days?

Nope, not one since I moved here!

It appears I had a more moderate case than you do, but I have all but forgotten the condition existed until I read your post.

Based on your observation that a trip to Arizona allieviated your symptoms for about a week after you got home, I would assume it takes about that long for the light deprivation to affect you. Given that we rarely have more than a couple of days of completely overcast skies in a row, and the daylight lasts longer than what your body is used to, I would imagine you would see tremendous improvement living here. IMHO.

As I write this, I see out the window the sun is just setting and it's 5:45pm...a short day by our standards.

pinda · 12-22-2007, 06:48 PM

I am so glad for you. I felt better within 3 days in Arizona/California and was there for 9 days. I had 1 full week feeling good. Good thing because we were moving my parents, then before we got them settled in it started getting really hard on me helping them and I started sleeping a lot. In Arizona it was great popping out of bed and waiting on my husband for a change. He is the early bird back home.

Thank you again for your encouragment. It is nice to know someone who lived up here having the SAD and now doesn't suffer from it at all. My doctor told me I do have a severe case. She is doing everything she can think of to help me, even accupucture. It didn't seem to help so I gave that up too. Maybe I didn't do it long enough but it is so expensive.

I look forward to the responses. I am going to have my husband read them.

faithr · 12-23-2007, 02:00 PM

What time does the sun set?
It sets at 4:50 PM in DC.

readymade · 12-23-2007, 08:41 PM

I suffer from SAD as well. It's kind of a pain that this... disorder? has to pretty much dictate where I live. I'm from Boston originally and I was SO MUCH MORE depressed there. I currently live in CA (where my depression pretty much did an "about face"), but just can't afford it here any more (and I'm not wild about it, either). The weather here is amazing and is the main reason I've been here for so long (8 years).

My husband (who also suffers from SAD) & I knew we had to get out of CA, live somewhere affordable, liberal, fun (city), music-oriented, and SUNNY! We briefly looked into Portland, OR but it rains too much (9 months out of the year! And it has one of the highest suicide rates in the US as well).

So, we decided on Austin. We haven't moved yet, though. I admit, I'm a bit worried about the winters.

twange · 12-23-2007, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by readymade

So, we decided on Austin. We haven't moved yet, though. I admit, I'm a bit worried about the winters.

Well, I can't speak to Jan-March yet, since I just got here in Sept., but there's just a lot more sun here than where I'm from(Cleveland). Already, I can feel a difference. I was talking to a friend up there today and he said that it was gray and depressing. I felt sort of guilty telling him about the beautiful blue sky I was looking at. I like the occasional grim day, but not for months on end. Cold, I can handle but my mood can drift into the gloomy without much persuasion anyway, I certainly don't need any help from the atmosphere.

I think you'll be fine here. I'll check back in two months and report though.

AGA · 12-25-2007, 10:50 AM

I was doing some last minute shopping yesterday and found a "light box" lamp type at Sharper Image-Barton Creek. It was on clearance and less than 100.00.
Just in case anyone is looking for one.
AGA

pinda · 12-25-2007, 07:04 PM

I read that SAD does best in 30 degrees latitude and south. I mostly only look in those areas to live, but Phoenix is around 33 degrees (I think), but because it was so sunny I did very well there last month. One of the posters said she had SAD and she hasn't suffered 1 more day of it since moving to Austin area.

I hope you will do well if you move there. I also hope you will keep us posted on how you and your husband are feeling if you move to Austin. You would not do well in the Pacific Northwest. I bet that is even worse than Wisconsins. I love Wisconsin's people and beautiful green grass and trees and cleanliness, but I can not tolerate the many gloomy days.

Good Luck.

Melissa78703 · 12-26-2007, 01:04 PM

I suffer from SAD, but didn't know that I had it until I moved to Hellaska. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I was almost suicidal and had to take antidepressants.

Since I moved back "home" to Austin, I have had no problems. Was able to get off medication and live like a normal person. Honestly, we have so many sunny days here, you can't count them all. We have rainy days too, but they don't occur in long stretches. The good thing about Austin is that even in bad weather, the city itself is so vibrant, it more than make up for the bad weather.

Right now it's beautiful out - sunny and cold. I love these kinds of days.

Oh, and welcome to Austin (knock on wood).

readymade · 12-26-2007, 03:03 PM

I'm actually really looking forward to the rain storms. Thunder, lightening, etc...

We don't really have that in CA, and I really really miss it. Of course, I only want the storm to happen for a day or two and then go back to because sunny, heh.

I like reading this forum because I start getting very nervous about moving there. What if I don't like it?! What if I don't make any friends?! I love Italian food... what if I can't find any good Italian food?! (OK, that's the biggest one)

I usually feel better after reading people's posts, though. Reading about how much you all love living there. Even reading the reasons people HATE living there is very informative as well.

twange · 12-26-2007, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by readymade

I'm actually really looking forward to the rain storms. Thunder, lightening, etc...

We don't really have that in CA, and I really really miss it. Of course, I only want the storm to happen for a day or two and then go back to because sunny, heh.

I like reading this forum because I start getting very nervous about moving there. What if I don't like it?! What if I don't make any friends?! I love Italian food... what if I can't find any good Italian food?! (OK, that's the biggest one)

I usually feel better after reading people's posts, though. Reading about how much you all love living there. Even reading the reasons people HATE living there is very informative as well.

We are missing Italian food a bit. Don't get me wrong, it's here but just not by the dozens. Tex-Mex here is like Italian on the East Coast in terms of ubiquity.

The problem is that both of them make me fat!

My mom sent us a box of homemade biscotti the other day...poof! gone