Why are Orli and Joseph thinking about this in the middle of the summer? I am happy (and South enough). I am wondering if people with SAD living in the high latitudes either moved South or, being all gloomy, had a lower reproductive rate in the past, thus lowering the rates of SAD in the population.
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My scientific specialty is chronobiology (circadian rhythms and photoperiodism), with additional interests in comparative physiology, animal behavior and evolution. I am not an MD so I cannot diagnose and treat your sleep problems. As well as writing this blog, I am also the Online Discussion Expert for PLoS. This is a personal blog and opinions within it in no way reflect the policies of PLoS. You can contact me at: Coturnix@gmail.com
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« Today's Carnivals | Main | Deceptive Metaphor of the Biological Clock »
Are you SAD?
Category: Rhythmic Human
Posted on: August 10, 2007 2:39 PM, by Coturnix
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Comments
SAD was essentially what drove me from Wausau. Lovely city, even in winter; lovely countryside. The subzero you get used to as well.
But I could not take having a mere eight hours of daylight in winter. Get up in the dark, go to work in the dar, go home in the dark.
Posted by: Warren | August 10, 2007 2:50 PM
As it happens, I did move to New Mexico recently, but not because of SAD. I posted about the LED device because I think it is a neat thing.
Posted by: Joseph j7uy5 | August 10, 2007 3:31 PM
I'm in Ithaca, and to make things worse, I'm originally from the tropics. During winter I'm totally dependent on the LED device, productivity drops, and my caffeine intake skyrockets. I HAVE to get out of the frozen wastelands for at least 2 weeks to either back home or Florida- somewhere with a decent beach- or I totally go bonkers. A couple of more years and I'm saying goodbye to these high latitudes (unless US politics get SO nasty I start looking at Canada with loving eyes).
Posted by: Brigit | August 10, 2007 5:15 PM
I was about to send you an email on summer SAD, Coturnix. I think Im managing to get SAD in the middle of the summer! Its 104 degrees every day (+ humidity)-- the second the sun comes up, its hell. So I run Arnie before the sun comes up and dont leave the house for errands until the sun goes down.
Its incredibly depressing, the sun out until 9 pm, but you cant enjoy it :( And I hate hot weather-- give me 20 degrees over 104 any day.
Posted by: ERV | August 10, 2007 5:26 PM
Yes, there are people with summer SAD, which is much less understood and may have more to do with heat than light.
Posted by: coturnix | August 10, 2007 5:46 PM
I've known for years that I have winter SAD. I've also known for years that I get incredibly grouchy in July (and for part of August when we have weather like this week!). I only found out about summer SAD this year - and that I'm not the only one who feels this way.
Posted by: M Light | August 10, 2007 6:07 PM
Out here in San Francisco, I get fall crispness deprivation disorder. Whenever the weather here happens to approximate early fall in the north east I feel this infusion of, I don't, alertness and lucidity that's dampened somewhat when I realize it will feel that way only for a little while.
Posted by: MrTimbo | August 10, 2007 6:23 PM
We've had so much rain - almost 2 months with rain every day - in South Central Texas that I recently complained of SAD. It felt like February.
Now, finally, we've had a whole week of blue skies and temps in the mid-90's.
Posted by: Beverly Nuckols | August 10, 2007 9:16 PM
SAD is odd. I generally only feel it in November here in Michigan, when it sleets every day all day and the wind drives it into your eyes and up your nose. I can deal with the snows of December and January and the driving, subzero winds of February, March, and April.
When I lived in STL, it was opposite. People got all moody when it was 100 degrees and humid in the summer, but were cheerful when it was winter because at least we could breath.
Posted by: Toaster Sunshine | August 10, 2007 11:32 PM
I'm with ERV. During June and July I'm close to going around the bend. The. God. Damned. Sun. Never. Goes. Away.
By mid-August if I hear someone praising yet another cloudless day, I'm ready to kill them.
Posted by: cfrost | August 11, 2007 4:53 AM
Wow, I was just being silly, but Summer SAD 'symptoms' sum up my mood right now (except for the suicidal thing). I get really irritated, dont eat, cant sleep, and the only thing that 'helps' is sleeping with the air conditioner on full.
Weird! Eh I think I just hate heat, though :)
Posted by: ERV | August 11, 2007 3:46 PM
My 'SAD' hit about mid-March. I've had DSPS all my life but only recently learned its name. It's always been hard (impossible) to wake up at a 'decent' hour. And about mid-March everyone, including doctors, have always told me that things will get better now, now that the days are longer. So with that expectation, when things did not get better, I got SAD. I can now ignore, even laugh at, those predictions. Cured of SAD, but not of DSPS.
Posted by: nbm | August 12, 2007 3:34 PM