Moving to warmer climate for depression

[Davebrady]

Hi everyone, I'm considering moving south for the winter to escape the winter. My biggest concern is moving away from my parents who I'm very close with. It would only be a seasonal change but I'm still worried about how I would adapt. Has anyone moved to warmer weather and experienced a break in their depression as a result?

[Blueruth]

I could never move back to a cold climate! Light makes a difference. Fresh air, plants. For other people it is city and culture. Place is everything. Whatever makes you feel good.

[Davebrady in reply to Blueruth]

thank you for your response! I feel like winter is aging me in dog years. Lol. I guess the depression will follow me wherever I go but at least I won't have seasonal depression on top of the regular flavored depression. Lol

[Blueruth in reply to Davebrady]

maybe but you might be surprised at the things you will miss. I tried a month without mountains…no go. Humans are designed to migrate so try it!

[emmi331 in reply to Blueruth]

I understand that! I love spending a week at the beach, but I always look forward to returning to my beautiful Blue Ridge mountains!

[Davebrady in reply to emmi331]

seems anywhere I go after 4-5 years I get the itch to exit. Tough to get comfortable for me anywhere. Onwards and upwards I suppose. Ha

[Davebrady in reply to Blueruth]

I miss familiarity but I'm also bored to death by it. Ugh! Lol

[Hidden]

I live in Michigan and the winters here are dreary. I would love to be able to go to Florida in January.

[Davebrady in reply to Hidden]

NH here. Winter is the worst!

[Blueruth in reply to Davebrady]

oh and I know NH well! March is the WORST! Of the people I knew there that moved most of us landed in CO. Warmer climate, bigger mountains but still have seasons.

[desertraindrops]

Where I live the sun shines pretty much all year round. I have lived in places that were definitely cold in the winter, but not severely so. My depression has never changed with the moves. But everyone is different. Some people have a harder time in certain weather. Do you have friends or family in this warmer location?

[Davebrady in reply to desertraindrops]

Thank you for your response! Winter is aging me in dog years. Lol. I feel a bit better when I'm outside and able to move. I'm in the northeast in the US so it can get very cold here. My friend lives in Florida but unfortunately no family down there. I'm trying to talk my parents into buying something down there so we can be together in the winter.

[desertraindrops]

Aging you in dog years, lol! I feel the same way about the heat! Okay so your winters are bitterly cold. I get excited when I can wear a sweater, AND a coat at the same time. Basically if I can see my breath while outside, it's a great day! So you have a friend to stay with in Florida. Does this person understand your struggles, and is supportive?

[Davebrady in reply to desertraindrops]

it's mind blowing to me that some people prefer the winter! Lol. We are such a confusing species. Ha. I wouldn't be staying with this friend but he lives in the area so I would have that to look forward to. It's a friend that I have known forever. However, he's unaware of my mental health. He's in the military so we only see each other a couple of times a year right now. He will be retiring sooner than later.

[Frankie24]

I moved south for 13 years. I am bipolar and was very manic at the time. Eventually the depression hit. but it seemed to be not as low with the nice weather all the time. I also have seasonal affective disorder which makes my mood swings worse in fall and winter.

[Davebrady in reply to Frankie24]

sorry to hear about your struggles. I'm glad to hear that the change of scenery has helped you some. This information has given me some hope that a change will be beneficial for me as well.

[Isinatra]

I didn’t experience it personally, but my dad did and as children, we had to bear the brunt. We lived in Massachusetts for three years and he became major depressed during the winters. Being unable to move about outside for long periods of time coupled with the earlier dark days was too much. We moved to Florida and he blossomed. That sounds pretty positive……

[Davebrady in reply to Isinatra]

Thank you for sharing this with me. I'm sorry you had to watch your dad struggle during that period. It's such a brutal condition for everyone involved. The cold, short days of winter are difficult for many people. I'm hopeful that a change will allow me to blossom as well.

[Isinatra in reply to Davebrady]

I’m sure it will…😉

[Pinkatt]

I absolutely relate to this too. I live in the UK and it would be a dream to spent time in a nicer climate in the winter... my main worry in the long-term would be how do I make that work with children? I don't have any now but in the future I want a family of my own. How can we move to warmer country for perhaps 1-2 months and make that still work with their schooling? I could try and homeschool them for those months but I bet most schools would be very against that disruption to their learning?! No idea how it could work

[Davebrady in reply to Pinkatt]

I am not sure how that would work. I don't have children either and will not be having them. I don't want to pass along the mental illness genes to my offspring. I wish you the best in your journey.

[Jstbcuz]

if your young and have a chance to move to a warmer, sunnier climate, DO IT! If i had to do over. I would have moved south right after high school. Instead i choose to stay in Iowa. I had an abusive childhood. A father who hated us 3 children and beat my mom. She is still with him after 66 years. Now i find myself taking care of them in their elder years and i resent it. He is still nasty to my mom. She should have got iut when she could. Im a care taker at heart and over many years have taken care of a lot of sweet hearts. My siblings help a little but not much and my parents constantly call me. I dont feel like i owe them anything. But i still make sure they are ok daily. We missed our vacation this year to myrtle beach because of their health. Like i said I would have moved south right after high school. Of course my mom would of hated it but at least I would have loved it. Winter depresses me and tugs at my anxiety. I am hoping to be a snow bird in 10 years and go south for the winters.

[Davebrady in reply to Jstbcuz]

thank you for the words of encouragement. I am sorry to hear about your family situation. I hope you find the happiness that you deserve, wherever that may be.

[jrgallagh]

Good Luck.

I used to live in N.C. but have been in Texas since 1976.

[Davebrady in reply to jrgallagh]

Thank you. NC would be an improvement from NH. Ha

[kenster1]

wish I could say the same nearest I`ll get to a warmer climate is standing beside my hot oven.