Comments | sadsupport: Moving to reduce symptoms: does it really work?

403 in sadsupport

Moving to reduce symptoms: does it really work?

Feb 10, 2010 10:19

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Comments 11

a_soft_world February 10 2010, 17:31:20 UTC

This isn't as dramatic as your situation, but I recently moved from Western MA to Philadelphia, where the winters are milder and there's about 15 minutes more of light per day. I've found that, overall, it does help improve my mood when I know the sun isn't going to set at 4:15 PM and the high for the day isn't 8 degrees.

If you can, maybe you should visit Boston sometime soon, so that you know exactly what kind of winters Massachusetts gets. Boston isn't as cold as western MA because of the ocean, but they do get quite a bit of snow. I don't know too much about summertime SAD, admittedly, but be sure you know what you're getting into and imagine darkness and cold for the majority of the year. Good luck with your decision/move!

paper_crystals February 11 2010, 00:27:35 UTC

I noticed that moving from Boston to NYC as well.

403 February 11 2010, 01:40:48 UTC

*imagines* Inside my head, it's lovely. But yeah, I know what you mean about visiting first. I've been there a few times in the summer, which is how I know it doesn't shut down my ability to sleep, the way that summer in AZ does. Due to the circumstances of being in undergrad, I haven't yet been able to visit during the winter.

crowjoy February 10 2010, 18:07:21 UTC

I moved from NJ to FL in my early 20s and stayed there, SAD free, for about 20 years. We moved to Central NY 2 years ago and I've been doing ok. My tricks have been to use my light, get out into the day, even if it's not sunny, and find "sunny" distractions to get me through til spring.

If it's the glare and heat of summer you hate, and you are better with cozying in, gray days and the like, the change might do you good. I agree with Soft World above though, visit before you commit!

403 February 11 2010, 04:30:42 UTC

Good to know that someone's done it successfully!

I like gray days, and being able to look up without wincing at the brightness. :)

crowjoy February 11 2010, 12:38:42 UTC

So far so good! I know what you mean. In FL I hibernated all summer because my skin was sensitive to the sun and the heat was so crazy. And I don't hibernate in the winter up here as much as I expected I would.

desertsunflower February 10 2010, 18:15:34 UTC

Dude, would I love to trade with you. I've wanted to move back to the desert for years but am unable to (used to live in Yuma).

However, we moved from the extreme north in the Yukon. I suspect it would be even a little extreme for those who like the winter and darkness, but I wouldn't know.

We moved from Whitehorse to southern Alberta and it has made a difference for me. I'm not free of symptoms but they are much more manageable. I'm more functional than I had been.

I also do not know if one could trade one form of SAD for another. That would be somewhat interesting to know. I would guess that if I did move back to AZ, I'd start grumbling about how hot it was. :P

403 February 11 2010, 04:34:20 UTC

That's a dramatic change. Good luck getting back to someplace sunny!

fire_my_spirit February 10 2010, 19:30:42 UTC

Well, I live in Boston. I have the winter blues sort of SAD, and I can trace it back to when I moved up north a good 9 years ago. But it's my first year here, and honestly, my SAD is better than it ever has been this year; I've finally learned the best ways to adapt to the cold. I'm feeling it like hell now because I'm tired of the effort the adaptation has taken, but yeah, I've been rather amazing this year. So there's a move that surprisingly worked ( ... )

crowjoy February 10 2010, 20:32:03 UTC

Your comment about the squirrel cracked me up!

403 February 12 2010, 14:50:01 UTC

Sounds good! I'm a very introverted person, so I've never actually managed to provoke the crochetiness during my visits there. Good to know it exists. Thanks!