Seasonal Affective Disorder Moving from NH to WA (Seattle: to live in, health)

[CityGirl72]

Originally Posted by toughguy

Wow talk about shut-in. You would have to actively avoid ever going outside to have that low of a count. Even the diffused sunlight during overcast weather will give you some (not as much as full sun) vitamin D intake.

Well I do stay in alot because I dislike being outside in less then 65 degree weather up here, BUT, think about it - I spent 32 years in California, with 10 of those in the 7th SUNNIEST city in the USA. I think my body was used to MUCH MORE sun then what I get here. So being without really made my whole body go whonky.

[aek11]

Originally Posted by vette-dude

except the umbrella in King county is a must have

Have you ever noticed that very few people in Seattle actually use umbrellas? WHen I moved out of Seattle, I thought it was odd that people would use an umbrella when it's raining.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by aek11

Have you ever noticed that very few people in Seattle actually use umbrellas? WHen I moved out of Seattle, I thought it was odd that people would use an umbrella when it's raining.

Seattle gets drizzle. Other cities get the heavy rain.

[pll]

Originally Posted by aek11

Have you ever noticed that very few people in Seattle actually use umbrellas? WHen I moved out of Seattle, I thought it was odd that people would use an umbrella when it's raining.

I noticed that too. We are from CA and lived in Seattle 4 years. We had the biggest umbrella you could find the first year. After awhile we realized we looked like idiots and got rid of it.

[Serena123]

I never had SAD until I moved to the Seattle area. I've lived in many states, and the difference is how many gray days we have here in the PNW. On the East Coast, it'll snow, but the sun will come out. My opinion only: Seattle is not a good choice for someone with SAD. The only reason I came back to WA is because my 5-y/o granddaughter lives here.

[Muscle Car Mama]

I've lived in the Puget Sound area for the last 16 years and I have pretty severe SAD. I can feel myself shutting down in the fall or coming back to life in the spring, usually around the solstices. It is almost always cloudy and gloomy in the fall, winter, and spring. When it "rains" it just drizzles and lingers. It doesn't usually snow a lot in the lowlands so you won't get the light reflecting off of it for a little boost. I would NOT recommend moving here if you are prone to SAD. I have a sun therapy lamp and it does help a little, but not as well as if the sun shone for a few minutes in the morning. Not a substitute for the real thing. Yes, there are a lot of outdoor activities here, but going out and doing them when you're almost guaranteed to be wet and miserable by the end of it isn't really a good motivator. The summers are beautiful and the days are long, but the sun will set at 4:30 in the middle of December. Blah!

Did you move out here? If you did, how are you doing?

[JesseJB]

Originally Posted by aek11

Have you ever noticed that very few people in Seattle actually use umbrellas? WHen I moved out of Seattle, I thought it was odd that people would use an umbrella when it's raining.

Seattlites shun the umbrella because:

a) They get to be wet and complain about it.

b) Their clothing doesn't warrant protecting anyways.

c) Rarely does it rain so hard that you aren't constantly opening and shutting the umbrella every 30 seconds.

[Miserable Midwest]

I have a feeling I am going to like it there. I don't like sunshine and I don't much care for temps above 75 degrees.

[lovetherainyweather]

Well, growing up in Arizona and then Florida, I crave rainy cloudy days. Too many days of sun makes you crazy as well!
I have family living in Burbank now and they can't wait to get out of there. Cal's economy is awful right now and not looking that good in the near future.
We all have plans to relocate to the PNW. I would rather deal with the weather there and have a job and own a house than live in the sunny weather where there are no jobs! So many things are more important than the weather to me and my family.

[movingwiththewind]

Originally Posted by tada

Doesn't matter if you look/feel young if you're dead before you want to feel that way. Heart disease and stroke can both be caused by lack of vitamin D.

Also, the four places in the world where people live the longest are all sunny places. Lack of sun is what speeds up the aging process if anything.

Canadians, as well as Northern Europeans live longer than Americans, althought they have much less sun than US has.