Some People with Seasonal Affective Disorders Move to Florida

Published by nora | Filed under Buyer / Seller Tips, Miscellaneous, Real Estate

If you visit forums where people with seasonal affective disorders and other forms of depression get in touch and support each other, you’ll see that a number of them are considering plans to move to Florida.

They’re encouraged by testimonies from some people with SAD that they’re feeling better in Florida, where there are lots of sunshine and where the winters are not so gloomy and brutally cold. Some of those who moved to Florida said their dark moods haven’t completely gone away, but they’ve become stronger in managing their moods. They also said their quality of life has improved in Florida.

Seasonal affective disorder refers to depression that occurs during fall and winter. This is why sometimes this condition is called winter blues. Symptoms include unhappiness, irritability, lack of energy, loss of interest in work and other activities, lack of focus, sluggish movement, increased sleep and increased appetite. There are also feelings of hopelessness and anxiety.

SAD symptoms usually start during late fall and disappear when the fresh clear days of spring and sunny days of summer come. In a number of SAD sufferers, the timing of depression is the opposite. They feel depressed during spring and summer.
The exact causes of SAD are not known, but studies say that the following are associated to SAD:

• Light
• Hormones
• Body temperature
• Genetics
• Biological clock or Circadian rhythm
• Melatonin level
• Serotonin level

Some people develop feelings of depression when their internal clock is disrupted by the lack of sunlight during fall and winter. The body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm is the mechanism that tells our bodies when to sleep or wake up.

Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that affects mood. Researchers have observed that lack of sunlight can reduce the level of this chemical, leading to dark moods. Similarly, the hormone called melatonin, which also affects mood and sleep, strays from its balanced level when the seasons change, particularly from the brighter seasons to the gloomy seasons.

It’s for the above reasons that a number of people with seasonal affective disorder move to Florida, as Florida is known for its lots of sunshine, beautiful beaches, clear lakes and warm climate.

Florida benefits from its relatively shorter distance from the equator, the part of the earth which receives the most sunlight. It also benefits from its nearness to the Gulf Stream, a warm stream in the Pacific Ocean. When easterly winds pass through this stream, these winds become warm, bringing this warmth across Florida’s peninsula.

If you’re considering moving to Florida, check out Tampa. Explore Tampa homes with help from Tampa4u.com.