# seasonal affective disorder



## irlanda (Nov 14, 2007)

hello i am a twenty year old living in ireland who suffers from seasonal affective disorder( basically the winter plunges me into a deep depression) i am currently studying spanish and french with the intention of emigrating to the south of spain! however the depression has hit me again and i dont know if i will even pass my exams-does anyone know anyone who decided to emigrate to the south of spain due to this disorder? or can anyone give me advice? i cannot live in this country anymore- i dont even care what job i am doing as long as there is sun-any advice would be greatly appreciated


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## golddust (Nov 12, 2007)

Hi, 
Very sorry about the seasonal affective disorder. Funny, I'm also having some of that, and I'm living in Spain!! I'm from the Southwestern USA where it's sunny nearly 300 days out of the year, and now I'm living in Northern Spain and all this cold rain has got me missing the desert!! It's definitely not sunny here. But, I'm sure it must be sunnier in the south, where you're thinking of moving. Maybe you could go there on vacation, to study for your exams? hehe. Have you spent much time in Spain before?


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Hiya

Sorry I dont know anyone who's specifically diagnosed with it, but many people move here from the UK because of better climate.

Right now (I'm South of Valencia) the days are sunny and in the late 60's. Nights get a bit cooler.

But we do have rainy weather here, sometimes for days on end.


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## irlanda (Nov 14, 2007)

*thank you*

thanks guys for your help-i know it would be initially hard over there as i have noone to go over with- my father was saying there will be no jobs over there at this time of year! i dont no what to do-i dont want to leave all my family and friends buts its like its the only way my life will start moving again! for the last two christmas i have gone down to malaga with my mates for some sun and by the end of the week i am starting to feel normal again-it would be interesting to find someone on this who had been in the same situation-thanks again


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## golddust (Nov 12, 2007)

Well, instead of looking for jobs, which could be difficult, you could sign up for some classes? Maybe study abroad for year to compliment your studies?

Have you tried that light therapy? don't know what it's called exactly but I think it's where they put you in a room with an intense type of light that mimics natural light?


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

irlanda said:


> thanks guys for your help-i know it would be initially hard over there as i have noone to go over with- my father was saying there will be no jobs over there at this time of year! i dont no what to do-i dont want to leave all my family and friends buts its like its the only way my life will start moving again! for the last two christmas i have gone down to malaga with my mates for some sun and by the end of the week i am starting to feel normal again-it would be interesting to find someone on this who had been in the same situation-thanks again


I've got to be honest with you here, you soiund like a very family orientated person. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, but picture the scenario.

You move to Spain, and its sunny ...... which you like. You have no job, and you have no friends over here. You have to start from square one by making new friends and finding a job without knowing the language in the middle of winter. I'll give you an example ...... Gandia Playa is usually buzzing with people in summer, loads of bars and restaurants, people promenading, cycling & jogging. Last night I went there for a walk. Most of the restaurants and bars were closed, just a handful open and hardly anyone was in them. There were few people about. So if you want to get a job, ask yourself where all the people who normally work in all these bars and restaurants are.

If you're looking for that kind of work then you have to be looking at somewhere like Benidorm where its a bit more of a year round resort, although you will find that the average age there during the winter is around 70. 

Just dont do something that you might regret when there might be answers to your problem like golddust suggested which would keep you with your friends and family


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## Burriana Babs (Nov 22, 2007)

Well Gold dust maybe you should move to southern Spain, I know the Costa del Sol reminds me a lot of the southwestern states, particularly California. But I do have to say a lot better and a slower way of life in the Costa that is for sure. I could never live in northern Spain. Come on down we are great down here.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Burriana Babs said:


> Well Gold dust maybe you should move to southern Spain, I know the Costa del Sol reminds me a lot of the southwestern states, particularly California. But I do have to say a lot better and a slower way of life in the Costa that is for sure. I could never live in northern Spain. Come on down we are great down here.



He _is_ moving to Southern Spain Babs


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## Burriana Babs (Nov 22, 2007)

I must have missed that. Shame on me.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Burriana Babs said:


> I must have missed that. Shame on me.



No shame 

Why don't you like the North? (Apart from the weather)


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## Burriana Babs (Nov 22, 2007)

Too cold in the North. I prefer living in the Costa del Sol. My kind of weather for sure. Lets me live life like I like to live.

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways with Cava in one hand and chocolates in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn our screaming: WOO HOO, what a ride.


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## golddust (Nov 12, 2007)

Just to clear things up ¨Irlanda¨ was thinking of moving to Southern Spain, not me (unfortunately). I'd like to try life down there, but I live in the North because that's where my husband is from. it's pretty here, but the winters are terrible -I find myself with an ongoing cold for like 5 months which never happened to me in Nevada. And a little bit of that seasonal affective that Irlanda has 
People here seem tactful, but not necessarily friendly or welcoming. And there's not very much diversity here. For instance, today we walked by some Latin Americans playing basketball and my husband said that's something you would not have seen even 10 years ago because there was no immigration. Due to that you do not find much variety in restaurants or community events, and it has also seemed to me that foreigners are just not treated very well in general. Some people can act pretty cold, especially those working with the public like in bars, restaurants, shops, ticket offices, etc. Not sure if that's just the way Northerns (or Basques) treat everybody including one another or if that's aimed particularily towards immigrants. Haven't noticed much of a difference. I try to be friendly and smile with people hoping that they'll be friendly back but instead of getting a smile in return it's usually met with strange looks like they wonder if I'm up to something! 
With the weather those are my reasons for not liking the north -What do you think Burriana Babs?


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## Holly (Nov 22, 2007)

Irlanda, sorry to hear about the S.A.D. it's a horrible thing to have - my brother gets it quite badly.

He started to get it when he moved to Holland, that was one of the reasons he and his family moved to the south of France where he no longer suffered from it. After 10 years he's had to relocate back to Holland for his job and was really worried about the S.A.D., but he has a couple of special lights that he uses in his office and he says it really helps.

Having spent a year in Moscow it is one of the biggesst problems in the winter for most expats, so they use "happy lamps" too.

I've just tried to post a link to a site that the Moscow expats use as it delivers to Russia so will definitely deliver to you, but I haven't posted enough on this site to let me post the URL 

PM me and I hope I'll be able to give you the URL that way.


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## Big Pete (Aug 7, 2007)

Burriana Babs said:


> Too cold in the North. I prefer living in the Costa del Sol. My kind of weather for sure. Lets me live life like I like to live.
> 
> Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways with Cava in one hand and chocolates in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn our screaming: WOO HOO, what a ride.


LOL

Like the thinking


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## Burriana Babs (Nov 22, 2007)

I may be wrong but I understood the Basque were not real excited about the immigrants(especially americans) and let it be known. If your husband is from there he should know more about that. But just keep doing as you are and eventually they will figure out you are a nice person. Here in the south I find the people very friendly and willing to help out any way they can. I know here in Nerja we have a large immigrant population and the people seem to accept that quite nicely. We have a good variety of restaurants and great beaches. Maybe you should plan a visit down this way sometime and check it out,


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## Wils & Nance (Dec 31, 2007)

*To Irelander*

Hi, just wanted to say i know very much how you feel !
I also suffer from SADS, I have been working abroad on and off for years to try and combat the winter blues.
I live in the Scottish Highlands and last summer was the first summer i spent here for years and it was awful, (no bloody sunlight) !
Doc put me on high strength vitamin D, and recommended a sunbed once a week and it "does help" !
i haven't wanted to murder anyone all winter...lol !
I am sure you get that feeling when someone cuts you up when driving or you get a shopping trolley rattled against you heels in Tesco.

But I am hoping to move to Spain permanantly next year and hopefully I can live a better life. You are very young yet, so when you get to my age you will find your hands don't work in the winter and everything creaks it does get worse with age and makes you more depressed.
Please, go to boots, buy high strength vit D, it really does help, cos you have a vitamin d deficiency it means your body doesn't produce calcium, so it affects your bones and worsens with age.

P.s, the lights cost around £200 and are very expensive to run (I found !) replacement bulbs are expensive and difficult to get, also i found I didn't have 2 hours a day to sit in front of it ! Doctors generally won't recommend sunbeds, but i do find it helps a lot ! It's quality of life that counts !


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Have you tried a light box? If you can get one and spend enough hours near it every day, that should help lift the depression enough to get you thinking clearly and on your way.

I live in Florida, which I think is populated with a lot of undiagnosed cases. Once in a while, in the winter, we get a few overcast days and people are crawling up the walls. One of the big advantages of heading south is not just the increased sunshine. Having days that don't vary in length so much between winter and summer really helps a lot.


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## Gerry Pridham (Jan 9, 2008)

irlanda said:


> hello i am a twenty year old living in ireland who suffers from seasonal affective disorder...............or can anyone give me advice? i cannot live in this country anymore- i dont even care what job i am doing as long as there is sun-any advice would be greatly appreciated


Hi Irlanda,

My wife suffers from SADS and is also arthritic. We moved to the UK eight years ago from Damascus, Syria, to educate our children. The weather here in Cheshire is very damp and doesn't go well with the arthritis.

My wife visits home 3 or 4 times a year, but feels guilty leaving the kids so many times. 

Last year, we took a trip to the Canary Islands, both for investment, and because I wanted to see if my wife feels better whilst over there. I haven't been able to tell yet. I took 9 trips last year, but she only did 3.

I am getting her the light box for when she comes back from Syria in 2 weeks, but I am also encouraging her to take some one week breaks in Fuerteventura, now we have rented an apartment out there.

Work is difficult, but cost of living can be OK if you are prepared to slum it a bit. Since low cost carriers seem to be on the increase, it's not too expensive to travel there, and it may be a good idea to find some friends out in the Canaries that wouldn't mind you staying with them now and then, especially if you are learning Spanish. I got a return flight to the UK in November for £95.

Best of luck and try to get one of those light boxes.


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## Big Pete (Aug 7, 2007)

What are the symptoms of this SAD illness ?


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