Developing SAD (Seattle, Vancouver: tornadoes, living in, law)

To Irrational Exuberance:

You come off as someone who is a bit delusional about the weather. Its not always cloudy and rainy and there can be plenty of great weather days throughout the year. Last May was mostly sunny. And it can be consistently nice here almost any month of the year.

"How do people overcome this?"

What an inappropriately dramatic question. A lot of people dont react so bad to the cloudy and rainy weather as you do, and some even like it. I usually like cloudy and rainy weather. This region of the world has a lot of positives about its climate and it seems like you forgot that.


And the way so many people respond is so troubling, not even defending this region and the great things about it and show that the weather isnt always like this. Maybe I will go back to New York State after all because I dont want to live in a place where so many people complain about the weather that really isnt that bad, and act weak about it.

Really, the most depressing thing about when the weather is like this is when there are people who complain about it.


People in the world are actually dealing with real problems and not just getting upset by a few clouds in the sky

Toughen up, and just deal with it. It really isnt that bad, and the cloudy days can actually be nice. I dont understand why some people get so brought down by cloudy/rainy days because they be nice and get so obsessive by it, and completely devaluate all the positive things about their life and surroundings. I truly dont understand.

I hope you feel better about it. My advice is to eat healthier, take certain nutrients such as Vitamin D/Magnesium/Phosphorus/ and Calcium, and get direct sunlight for at least 15 minutes when there is direct sunlight. My advice is for you to also not spread your misery and make other people feel brought down by the weather that really isnt that bad. Also what could help is to have a much more healthy positive attitude about when it is cloudier and rainier and see that the weather/climate is not nearly as bad as you think.

[Seacove]

^^^Incredibly rude and insensitive response. According to you, everyone else is wrong and you are right. No one is allowed to commiserate with each other about an unusually wet season where the weatherman himself said this is the wettest May since 2002. Enjoy New York.

To Seacove

Your response is incredibly rude and insensitive as well. I didnt say everyone else is wrong and I am right? I just think the person who created this thread went TOO FAR with complaining about the weather.

And I love it here. I dont want to move back to New york state, but I continue to see SO MANY people complain about weather like this, I will move, despite loving this region and not minding the weather most of the time.

I never thought it was possible for someone to complain and hate the weather so much to the point where they completely forget all the positive times in their live and surroundings and get so obsessive by it. For me, my weak point is when the weather is above 90 degrees. I hate weather like that, but I would never get obsessive about it in such a bad way.

[Ira500]

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a very real condition. The medical community recognizes it, just as they recognize cancer, acne, depression, etc.
Just because you don't experience it doesn't mean someone else should " toughen up and deal with it."
The original poster was looking for help. " Toughen up and deal with it" might be considered just a little unhelpful??
Would you suggest that to someone with leukemia or AIDS or someone diagnosed with schizophrenia?
The original poster was not suggesting that everyone gets affected by the dark, cool, wet days in Seattle, just that she did, and was looking for ways to help her deal with it. She wasn't attacking your beloved Seattle, NUB. She was just looking for help, not for judgment.

To Ira500: I gave advice in my post. To me, Seasonal affective disorder is a whole different category from actual serious diseases such as cancer, depression, parkinsons disease, alzheimers.

I would never say the toughen up and deal with it thing to someone with aids, schizophrenia or conditions like that. I feel like those conditions are much more serious and difficult to deal with than "SAD."

"
I hope you feel better about it. My advice is to eat healthier, take certain nutrients such as Vitamin D/Magnesium/Phosphorus/ and Calcium, and get direct sunlight for at least 15 minutes when there is direct sunlight. My advice is for you to also not spread your misery and make other people feel brought down by the weather that really isnt that bad. Also what could help is to have a much more healthy positive attitude about when it is cloudier and rainier and see that the weather/climate is not nearly as bad as you think."

[Inkpoe]

Ignore NUB.

If you go to www.costco.com, and type in Philips Portable light therapy, I have 2 friends who suffered severely from SAD and said this has really helped them. They tend to use it during winter time. Both are Seattle Natives.

[Ira500]

If you don't experience a particular disease, then maybe for you it's not an " actual, serious disease", but if you've got it, it's plenty real, and plenty serious:

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - Causes and Risk Factors

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by irrational exuberance

I dont want to make this a thread bashing Seattle weather but I do want to know how do people overcome this? I travel frequently, either to So Cal, somewhere tropical or the south east but it is becoming to the point where that isnt enough.

We tried so hard: light box, exercise, antidepressants, you name it. We finally gave up and moved. Don't go for the antidepressants, I found that docs up there handed 'em out like candy. There are some unpleasant side effects.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by NaturalUrbanBalence

To Ira500: I gave advice in my post. To me, Seasonal affective disorder is a whole different category from actual serious diseases such as cancer, depression, parkinsons disease, alzheimers.

I would never say the toughen up and deal with it thing to someone with aids, schizophrenia or conditions like that. I feel like those conditions are much more serious and difficult to deal with than "SAD."

"
I hope you feel better about it. My advice is to eat healthier, take certain nutrients such as Vitamin D/Magnesium/Phosphorus/ and Calcium, and get direct sunlight for at least 15 minutes when there is direct sunlight. My advice is for you to also not spread your misery and make other people feel brought down by the weather that really isnt that bad. Also what could help is to have a much more healthy positive attitude about when it is cloudier and rainier and see that the weather/climate is not nearly as bad as you think."

Get over yourself and leave the poor OP alone. He or she is having a rough time, don't kick him/her when he/she is down. That's just ugly.

I predict you will last less than five years in Seattle.

And yes, my post to you is rude, Miss Manners probably wouldn't approve. Don't expect a response back, it's clear you are on here to pick fights with people because there's not enough drama for you in Seattle. I don't want to fight, I just want the OP to know that we have his/her back on this.

[CityGirl72]

That was the issue I had when in Seattle. People thought I was crazy not to LOOOOOVE the weather. Well, isn't it THE BEST in the whole USA?? And I was a BOTHER to them because I complained when in actuality I was begging people to help me, I was so depressed and alone.

I had SAD. I never had been depressed in my life. I was on Vitamin D supplements, and the light therapy lamps and 5 HTP. And nothing helped as much as getting the hell out of there. Just 4 to 6 weeks away, and I was off all those supplements and regimens.