Are you successfully living here with SAD? Or is it just better to move (seriously). (Seattle: rentals, credit card)

[DP79]

I lived in Seattle for 7 years and despised every second of that gloomy, depressing weather. But I told myself (along with everyone that knows me) that I should get over it and make the most of it. Wrong answer. I was miserable and got more miserable with every fallwinterspring (because it's all the same, you know...). I moved out of there 6 months ago and I've never been happier. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and I will never ever consider living there again.

[thatguy950]

Originally Posted by DP79

I lived in Seattle for 7 years and despised every second of that gloomy, depressing weather. But I told myself (along with everyone that knows me) that I should get over it and make the most of it. Wrong answer. I was miserable and got more miserable with every fallwinterspring (because it's all the same, you know...). I moved out of there 6 months ago and I've never been happier. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and I will never ever consider living there again.

Where did you move? All these stories of people leaving soggy Seattle are making me jealous and anxious to finally get back to Honolulu, but I can't until my S.O. passes her CPA exam, still I'm only going to be here a little longer. Yesterday was ANOTHER rainy day...all day, windy too. Woke up today, gray, 44f and rainy again. It's been that way for at least a week where I am without a break, but really it's been that way since early October (which is later than it usually starts here, too).

I won't consider living here ever again once I do leave. Visits sure (in July only probably), but never live here. It's been a long and miserable 6+ years for me, pretty much every memory of doing something in that span has been framed by a backdrop of grey, rainy, and miserable skies. When in Honolulu I don't mind the rain, because it lasts, at most, for about 2-3 days, and it's warm. Still, that is extremely rare. Here, the tap opens in October and doesn't close again until sometime in July, with the occasional SHORT break here-and-there. How anyone could live here for more than 10 years, and especially retire here, is beyond me.

[new_to_town]

Originally Posted by DP79

But I told myself (along with everyone that knows me) that I should get over it and make the most of it. Wrong answer.

The stubborn part of me is saying this now. Because I honestly like almost everything else here except the grey. Whereas I moved from Cincinnati and disliked about everything there, I'm nervous I'll move and something else will be a problem... I'm tired of moving.

But the SAD is a health issue, whereas other things are more a preference issue. I told my Mom it's kind of a waste to have access to so many great outdoor activities but mentally not feel like doing them or have to push myself to do them due to the SAD. When I lived in Cincinnati I drove five-seven hours each way, each weekend to cross country ski for months to train for the Birkibeiner ski marathon, so it's not a lack of motivation that's natural to me.

[DP79]

I moved to Chicago. A lot of people would scoff at the comparison of weather between Seattle and Chicago (in fact, a Seattle friend once told me, "You're the only person I've ever known to move to Chicago FOR the weather!"), but that's how low my opinion of Seattle weather had become. In reality, I don't mind the cold here and I have seen blue skies practically 99% of the time, so I'm as happy as a clam. Plus I finally feel like I'm back around real people (NORMAL people) again, who know how to be friendly and socialize with eachother, so the combination has lifted a big weight off my shoulders. I feel happy, content, balanced, and alive again. Seattle will always be a great place to visit... 3 months out of the year.

[Seacove]

It would be great if the ten or so people who are obsessed with complaining would actually leave Seattle for the place they want to be. A small group of people here do nothing but complain about the weather and the "freeze", half of which don't even live here anymore. Here's hoping the rest find their happy place really soon.

[zunshine]

Seacove: I see this forum more like a support group, not as a negative campaign against Seattle. Many of us believe this place is great, but feel a need to share our experience so others suffering from the same issue can feel understood and not alone. I am lucky enough that I can and I will move very soon away from Seattle, but others have more obstacles to overcome before they can leave, so it is human nature to vent. I know you love it here, and when one is convinced that this is the place, nobody can change one's mind, so don't worry about us, we won't stain Seattle's reputation. I laughed at people that had depression until I had it. Mental illness is very misunderstood, so it is easy to label people as lazy or with a wrong attitude (I am not saying you do, but I have done that myself). So let us be like AA, Anonymous SAD people lol

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by zunshine

Seacove: I see this forum more like a support group, not as a negative campaign against Seattle. Many of us believe this place is great, but feel a need to share our experience so others suffering from the same issue can feel understood and not alone. I am lucky enough that I can and I will move very soon away from Seattle, but others have more obstacles to overcome before they can leave, so it is human nature to vent. I know you love it here, and when one is convinced that this is the place, nobody can change one's mind, so don't worry about us, we won't stain Seattle's reputation. I laughed at people that had depression until I had it. Mental illness is very misunderstood, so it is easy to label people as lazy or with a wrong attitude (I am not saying you do, but I have done that myself). So let us be like AA, Anonymous SAD people lol

Hey if you're mentally ill, I sympathize. I'm just wondering how many threads your support group needs. It's like Evergraystate is back. I supposed I should be glad considering it feels like too many people are moving here. I'm not depressed by clouds and mist that make everything more intensely green but you guys are depressing and should probably leave soon so you can learn to laugh again. Good luck to you.

[new_to_town]

Well, as I said I like most things about it here, but want to see if anyone is successfully living here with SAD and what they are doing or if they had to move and how they are doing now. Maybe some people had/have a bad experience here and want to talk about it in a way you find overtly negative, but I find it helpful to see what people are doing to help themselves and/or how people are doing before/after they move, since I may have to.

Lord knows I don't want to have to move again, after just having done it, and move away from family to a place I don't know anything about. It's not like it's an easy decision, or as if I am in college and can just pick up my backpack and go someplace else in the blink of an eye, or am a millionaire who can afford to move multiple times with no repercussions, so I want to make an informed decision and make sure I've explored all the options/things I could do before I just give up and move away.

[zunshine]

Seacove: Just ignore us, it's like when you can't stand someone on twitter, you stop following and voila!

New_to_town: To leave is the hardest decision I've ever done in my life. I am leaving my husband and I left my family for my husband so you can imagine. Of course it is not all about SAD but as you know the feel good hormones like serotonin depend on sun radiation. Some people have a genetic advantage to absorb radiation better, you can id them because they are always in shorts and they are mostly very white. There are other factors too, for example males produce serotonin at twice the rate of females that is why depression is more prevalent in women (addiction in men), so it is quite possible that you could deal with it better than me. On the other hand, if you had a recent loss then don't dismiss that. You can stay and enjoy the summer, while selling stuff or applying for jobs, if this is strong enough you won't forget the way you felt in winter, so don't be afraid of waiting. I am also tired of moving, I just came here last August, I lived in CT and before that in Houston and before in NM, but you can come back, I am sure your sister won't turn her back on you, so you can try another place and if it doesn't work out, come back. Before I researched SAD I attributed my anxiety and hopelessness to everything like not having many friends here, not having family close etc, I kept on swimming, took salsa classes (highly recommend it, there is a studio in Belltown -also some very beautiful girls), all this helped but only until I enjoyed the sun during vacation that it was perfectly clear in my mind that I could not live here. Anyway, try your best but don't be afraid of trying something new. Now that I am leaving I can enjoy Seattle again, just like when you are in a sunny location you enjoy the rain.

[new_to_town]

Yeah, I don't know, in some ways I think I need to get away to think about it. I'm leaving tomorrow (right when the sun comes back LOL) to help my Mom drive back to the Midwest. Then, I may take a vacation to somewhere sunny. Then, when I drive back I am thinking of visiting a lot of cities across the US, because maybe there is somewhere I'll find that I didn't think about.

You're right though, I do have the summer to figure things out and decide in case I don't know by the time I get back. There is a danger in that though because I could see it being awesome here this summer and causing me to think well if I just try x, y and z, then... until I'm miserable next winter and can't think again. I also would rather go somewhere and get my life started rather than waiting for a move to ??? because now I feel like I can't get a job, start a relationship, really do anything if I think I am going to be moving, and living in "temporary mode" has gotten old. I just did that for like five years in Cincinnati, knowing I was going to be moving "soon".

Oh yeah and the 5-HTP was a fail too. I think it actually has started to make me feel worse. Things that contribute to melatonin, which I think it indirectly does, help me sleep but then during the day the SAD symptoms return. *sigh*

This is superrrrrrrr disappointing because I was soooo ready to start my new life here! My sister and her husband live in a large house in nice area of town, the downstairs is basically it's own apartment, and they would let me stay here rent free for as long as I needed (I rehab houses on the side so I remodel their house in exchange - I'm not a mooch LOL) - in addition to everything else that is good about this place EXCEPT the SAD. I LOVE the outdoor sports here, the people that like to do them/focus on health, the scenery, the food, the political lean, the educated population, the dog parks/dog lovers, the job market is good, the temperate weather (even the overcast is good for running!), the tech scene, hills, mountains, ocean access, lakes, AAAAHHHHHH this sucks really badly!!! Cost of living is not good, but I could even get over that if I had to.