Winter depression

Jewlieee

I just changed all of my indoor lights to those daylight lights (can't remember what they are called). I got the equivelent of 100W lightbulbs, but they only take 23 watts of energy. My house lights up like a beach on a sunny day. It is AWESOME! I'm not kidding, it makes SUCH a difference.

Are they just regular bulbs or are they they flourescents? We have some flourescent canned lights in our kitchen and the light is dull and casts a yellowish hue over everything. I use those lights the most but I hate them.

 You can get flourescents that still looks pretty good. We had some in my kitchen in CA. I don't remember the brand, sadly, but I think it was advertised as "natural light" and really did look nice. I think it had a very very slight pinkish glow.

 I'll get the exact name for you tomorrow. They are bright white lights ("day light" hue) - I hate the yellowish hue lights too. Seriously, that have made such a difference on my mood while in the house.

Jewlieee

 I'll get the exact name for you tomorrow. They are bright white lights ("day light" hue) - I hate the yellowish hue lights too. Seriously, that have made such a difference on my mood while in the house.

Yes please. That would be a great help too I think!!

I'm not being a jerk here but THE best thing I ever did for myself was move to Flooor-daaa!!  I joke about it a lot but man, mentally I'm SO much better down here it's not funny.  Every state has it's trade off, but given how much I hate snow, Florida just plain made sense for me.  Sunshine, no snow, grass and the shore when I want to go there -- Priceless!!

Well, if the U.S. auto industry goes under, Michigan will be very empty.  Do you have enough room for all of us down there Callie?  LOL

calliecritturs

I'm not being a jerk here but THE best thing I ever did for myself was move to Flooor-daaa!!  I joke about it a lot but man, mentally I'm SO much better down here it's not funny.  Every state has it's trade off, but given how much I hate snow, Florida just plain made sense for me.  Sunshine, no snow, grass and the shore when I want to go there -- Priceless!!

My best friend lives in Tampa. They moved there from North Carolina and she says that the difference in her husband's mood is amazing. He was always grumpy and depressed thru winter but now he's in heaven.

cakana

calliecritturs

I'm not being a jerk here but THE best thing I ever did for myself was move to Flooor-daaa!!  I joke about it a lot but man, mentally I'm SO much better down here it's not funny.  Every state has it's trade off, but given how much I hate snow, Florida just plain made sense for me.  Sunshine, no snow, grass and the shore when I want to go there -- Priceless!!

My best friend lives in Tampa. They moved there from North Carolina and she says that the difference in her husband's mood is amazing. He was always grumpy and depressed thru winter but now he's in heaven.

North Carolina?  LOL DH and I would gladly embrace a move TO NC!  I think west Michigan and Buffalo, NY are the worst, b/c of the Lake Effect.  It doesn't normally cause the type of blizzards you see in the extreme northeast, but what we get is three weeks of gray, the ground and the sky are the same color.  I remember I think it was two years ago we matched the record for how many days in a row without sun.  Then one day the clouds broke for a few hours so we couldn't set a new record.  Then it was cloudy again for several weeks after that.  

Liesje

I'm going to try tanning this year.

Don't do it!!!!

Ok, you're going to do what you want but....there are SO many health risks associated with tanning beds. They also weaken BC pills.

1 of my closest friends in highschool was addicted to tanning....she looked terrible, who's orange in January???? Anyway, she ended up with a couple weird moles and had to have them removed, but she kept tanning. I talked to her last year and she ended up having more skin patches removed and that ended being skin cancer- she's 22 years old.

I understand that the winter blues affect everyone differently.  For me a little extra excersize gets me outside and enjoying the cold, snowy but bright weekend days of Minnesota. 

We also plan a trip - the planning, researching and expectation can really be as good as the trip itself.  Sometimes it's a weekend in Flooor idAAA or a full out 7 day Carribbean Cruise.

BlackLabbie

Liesje

I'm going to try tanning this year.

Don't do it!!!!

Ok, you're going to do what you want but....there are SO many health risks associated with tanning beds. They also weaken BC pills.

1 of my closest friends in highschool was addicted to tanning....she looked terrible, who's orange in January???? Anyway, she ended up with a couple weird moles and had to have them removed, but she kept tanning. I talked to her last year and she ended up having more skin patches removed and that ended being skin cancer- she's 22 years old.

Ten minutes once a week is hardly addicted, plus no one says you can't cover yourself and/or wear sunscreen. My understanding is that birth control can make one more susceptible to UV rays, not that tanning weakens birth control.  If so then I should have lots of kiddies by now since I'm outside all day all weekend all summer (and weekdays if there's holidays or vacation).  Also tanning does not make you orange unless you are using a spray tan or products.  I have moisturizer that I use but I do not use any bronzing products ever.  In fact tanning in the bed doesn't really give me any color at all since ten minutes is nothing (I have olive skin that tans easily, so I won't burn in a tanning bed).

And for some people who are so depressed Nov - March they might actually choose having some moles removed over that depression.

"And for some people who are so depressed Nov - March they might actually choose having some moles removed over that depression."

I dunno.  I would find skin cancer more depressing.  The thing with tanning beds, you are inches from the UV, which really intensifies the effects.  I used to go to a dermatologist for acne when I lived in Virginia Beach and he had several patients who'd had growth after growth removed and still they refused to quit using tanning beds.

May I also mention that no matter the tone of one's skin, UV exposure also causes wrinkles and severely ages the skin?  You will start seeing it when you hit around 40.  I am starting to see it now, not because of tanning beds, but spending my youth running around outside and in the pool before sunscreen was popular.  I get a great tan, but stopped purposely trying when I was about 22.  I don't have wrinkles so much as small age spots starting to appear on my face.  I religiously cover up now, and go out early morning/later evening.  I can't use sunscreen because most give me a rash-like chemical burn.

I suppose my point is that you have to weigh the effects of both. 

To the OP, I'm sorry for getting this thread off track!

Like I said, you're going to do what you want and what you feel is right.

I'm 100% Italian, with olive skin, never ever had a sun burn, and I stay far away from tanning beds!

Liesje

And for some people who are so depressed Nov - March they might actually choose having some moles removed over that depression.

I'm sorry, this is just my opinion, but possibly exposing yourself to precancerous moles because of the lack of natural sunlight is ludacris to me! There has to be something (other than tanning beds and drugs) to shake that depressed feeling! I live right on the the beach, have my entire life, I'm a total beach bum....I miss the summer months too. But hey- you have to make the best of what you've got, right?

Maybe I'm naive, but, am I missing something? What exactly is "winter depression"?

I don't take skin cancer lightly, especially after Joyce's husband passed away so suddenly last year.  I see age spots on my skin that could only have resulted from the tanning bed because I did not spend hours upon hours outdoors in NH.  They were not there when I was 25-28, and then Poof!  29,30, 31 and they are there.