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It doesn't really depress me, and I do like sunny weather. It's just, the humidity and unbearable heat gives me headaches and makes me miserable. What does depress me though is when Christmas is over, that truly saddens me. The Christmas season just makes me so happy, I love the music, the scents, the decorations, the weather. Going shopping in the mall during that time is my favorite I miss it!
I suffer with severe depression and anxiety, PTSD, and like that. I really do much worse on the nice sunny days. I do hate the heat, like the OP, anything over about 68 seems hot to me. Inside I keep it pretty dark, my eyes are real light sensitive. But for me disliking the sunny days has to do with feeling I'm missing out on life on these perfect sunny, blue sky days, and thinking of past hurts too. Any one else like I am in that regard? No lectures please, I'm doing the best I can to over come my problems.
One more thing, how are you all coping with day light savings time? I don't see why they have to keep starting it earlier every year.
The fact is, only todays academics could consider that anyone who has a preference for cloudy and/or rainy days 'suffer?' from some 'affliction' and have a name tagged to it.
And just HOW would you suggest those big money be made if not by coming up with a medical label and a pharmaceutical solution for every nuanced state of mind and personality aspect?
There's lots of money to be made in medicalizing life and since money making is the God of Modern Man - such phenomena are here to stay.
Coming from one of the Cloudiest Cities in the Country
Let's just say my decision to move out of Scranton, PA and relocate in Southern California was the best decision of my life! Man, it was a change... improved mood and more productive. I don't think I suffer SAD and I don't mind an occasional cloudy day, but the never-ending cloud cover in Northeast PA made me miserable and tired. Mostly sleepy. Winters lasted forever and I hated being stuck inside. From late October to early April, the sun appeared after 5-7 consecutive cloudy days in a row. I would look out my window and be like "this sucks!" Or I just sleep in longer. Exercising does help in the short-term, but the cloudiness was non-stop for 6 months straight. A rare sunny day in the winter couldn't really be enjoyed with snow on the ground and below freezing temps.
April was definitely more refreshing with more regular sunshine. But May and June were ****ty year after year after year. Non-stop rain and dark, gloomy overcast skies. Couldn't really swim that much.. forget a sun tan! Summer weather was always iffy. The local weatherman would call for thunderstorms and rain every single summer afternoon. Sometimes in the summer, we would go several days without sunshine. Even though we often had clear sunny mornings, huge puffy clouds would come rolling in at noon dimming the direct sunlight and by 3-4 pm it was overcast and raining. Day after day.
When people try to say it's quite sunny in that region, it's because they haven't traveled much or haven't lived anywhere else. In NEPA when the sun was out, it was either shining through haze or a significant amount of cloud cover. So, kinda sunny but not truly sunny. Extended periods of intense sunshine and blue skies (with few clouds) and dry conditions were rare. An almost two week extension of that type of weather occurs sometimes in the spring, summer, and fall. I understand some prefer clouds over sunshine. Everyone is different. If you love cloudy weather on a regular basis, the greater Scranton area is perfect for you. I didn't like it, hence I'm in SoCali where the sun always shines and rain and clouds are a special treat (not an almost daily occurrence).
I moved out of MN due to SAD, I feared if I spent one more winter up there I'd end up in a dark place where no sunshine would ever penetrate to.
And now that I'm in the land of sunshine, working the graveyard shift, sleep from 9-10am to 5p-6p every day(been doing this for 9 years now), I may be developing this condition myself.
Yes, I can still enjoy those few hours of sunshine before I go to bed everyday, but a whole day being out in it would be too, too much for me take anymore.
The few times I have no choice to get up (like a Dr. appt. or going to the mechanic) early, like 3pm, and am out there during the daytime I get so stressed out, so irritable, I want to jump out of my skin! The darkness, the night sky with stars, where art thou?
When I first moved here, I got depressed with just a rare day of clouds, and now I'm so happy that cloudy days don't depress me anymore. There's hope yet, I may be able to move somewhere where I've always wanted to move to, for fear my SAD disease would return and clobber me over the head!
Last edited by tijlover; 03-21-2011 at 11:18 PM..
Reason: edit
Glad to see some more info on what is a real thing. Very hard to get folks to understand that yes I can get depressed and almost angry like in sunny weather. When the sun is out it does feel like it cuts me like a knife as the article says.
For me it is a combination of things. I grew in Kentucky where hot and humid summers are common and growing up I often would stay inside with the blinds pulled and a/c on. Once winter came I loved to go out.
I live up north now....but I have noticed as I get older while sunny days are more tolerable with cold weather once there are 3 or 4 days or more of sunny days in a row...I feel depressed and down. Now if it is cold out, it is way more tolerable and I dont get angry or irritable. Plus days are shorter. I work night shift often and enjoy it as I can go to bed for sunrise and rise after sunset....that is great to me.
In the summer harder to get around it as sun is out past 930 pm in June-July up by the Canadian border. Combined sun with heat (which my melting point is about 75F) and I can easily go from fine to irritiable and in a mood when I just must get inside and out of the light feeling very quickly.
Wow, and I thought I was the only one. Can't believe the number of like minded cloud worshippers like myself; in fact I would be almost as surprised with just two or three responses in this thread.
I live in Michigan and it seems that even after fourteen straight days of sun people get depressed with one day of rain. WTH? SAD seems to be very common here.
It's over 90 degrees out right now and boy do I hate this sticky weather. Also, I don't like going to the beach because of my hatred of blinding sunlight. I've often fantasized about how cool it would be to live in a cabin in the woods with lots of shade and green stuff around. I never share this with people because they'll look at me with a "huh?" look.
If you ever come to Detroit and wonder who's that weirdo covered up in July it will probably be me, lol.
If I was younger I'd try to save up some money and move to Seattle and frolic in the rain like a madman.
I always say I have reverse SAD without knowing if it was recognized clinically. Yes, I can relate I detest the sun. I too get very irritable in sunny, hot weather and get very depressed in the summer. I grew up in Florida and have very horrible feelings associated with my childhood for what appears to others as no good reason. I was very depressed throughout my childhood and although I had other issues, my physical environment added an enormous strain. I've since moved to the northeast, but unfortunately I haven't escaped the sunshine completely. It's summer now, I was just fired and I think it has a lot to do with my mood in the summer. I was extremely lethargic at work and very cranky. Now I'm unemployed and have no motivation to look for work.
Are you an introvert? I think that has a great deal to do with it. Introverts like myself are very sensitive to light and heat and extroverts seem to thrive on it. Being that we live in a society that is very catered to extroverts, many people don't understand this need we have for dim light and cool air.
I despise the Summer! I enjoy about a weekmof nice, hot, sunny weather, but then I am ready for the fall/winter.!
Imlove the scents of fall, the cold weather, I love being in my house with my family in the evening, I love,love winter/ fall clothing!
( I do not like summer clothing at all).
I don't tolerate the heat & humidity very well at all & feel so refreshed when the weather starts to turn.
Not sure why, could be that I was raised in Western, NY... But I have never minded the cold weather at all!
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I miss it! 
Coming from one of the Cloudiest Cities in the Country
