Durham has also recently (“recent” = last couple of decades) gotten quite posh compared to how it was when I was growing up there. Lots of neighborhood revitalization and great restaurant scene. Add bike lanes and they’d give Portland a run for their money.
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Birmingham is quite progressive and has a lot in common with Durham actually. It’s also proximate to some great hiking/outdoor stuff. That said…I don’t think OP needs to move to Alabama. Many other places in the mix would be stronger academic opportunities.
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Actually Alabama has several fine public universities, one of which leads the country in # of national merit scholars. It may not be the right place for OP but I would disagree with the statement.
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Though I will point out that Northern Arizona University (in Flagstaff) has snowflakes on a lot of their promotional literature, and for very good climate reasons.
Arizona isn’t all hot, just like California isn’t all sunny. It’s an example of why talking about states in this context falls apart pretty badly.
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I don’t know if Northern Arizona University is the kind of school the original poster is looking for, though.
I’ve been to Flagstaff in the winter and we did see about a foot of snow on the way out to California but a week later when we came back through it was all gone. Certainly more temperate than Phoenix in the summer though!
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So is Tucson.
Super interesting conversation, and @rosentsprungen I applaud you for being self-aware and honoring your health.
I’m just adding to this conversation that I would proceed with caution as it sounds like a self-diagnosis here, and you are not seeing a mental health professional for another month. Mental health issues often take a fair amount of time, trial and error (in treatment and in practioner), considering and re-considering to get our arms around them fully and find the best way to treat them going forward. And even once a solution is working, things can shift and thus re-evaluation is usually just part of the process. In other words, I personally am maybe more focussed on how and where you will be getting that very necessary support/treatment next year than I am on the weather. I haven’t quite figured out where you are geographical now (I imagine that was by design, or maybe I just missed it), but I have understood that you are not currently in a sunny spot. So wherever you DO think about going next august, I would absolutely consider very seriously where will you be able to continue your treatment, find practitioners, and where will you be able to have easy access to your current support network, in addition to this consideration of sunny days.
For example, are your parents your cheerleaders who are helping you navigate this mental health issue? If so, I would make SURE you will have some access to them, even if it’s in the form of a one hour flight home or five hour drive so that you could go spend a long weekend with them and feel supported. (or they could easily come to you). Assuming you are starting some therapy + medical oversight (so a therapist + psychiatrist) next month, I would think about where can you easily find a similar support system next fall, as the treatment will NOT be “done” by then. Things to think about: state regulations vary and some states allow Telehealth across state lines and some do not. Would you prefer to switch providers entirely to your college location? and if so, then I would focus on locations with a robust mental health provider network in town (NOTE: I would NOT “count” the resources available on the campus as being part of this network – campuses often have great short term, bandaid type of mental health support, but not a deep, long term treatment team to support students).
I would be remiss as someone involved in mental health advocacy if I didn’t mention that your ideation really does need to be considered here. There absolutely IS help for that, and I so deeply want you to get it. There are treatments and approaches out there, and sunny days can play a part in that, and I love that you are taking care of yourself by thinking about these things. I just want to make sure to pass the message that there ARE professionals who have solutions who will help you find the path forward. So a gentle nudge to make sure that you are seeking that main line of involvement, not just considering this one piece of the puzzle (sunny days).
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Excellent post.
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Just to bring this back to SAD, does anyone think if OP (or anyone for that matter) is well engaged in treatment (including medication), they don’t have to eliminate half the country from consideration?
I say this as a successful, professional, Northern New Englander who suffers from SAD (and other things). So does my S25. I think the data provided by @dfbdfb and a discussion with his provider/medication adjustment for November-December, utilization of winter terms abroad/national exchange/study abroad are other ways to manage this issue. My kid will look at Northeast schools (he does not want to be too far away) and will consider the impact of location on his issues as part of the consideration of “fit”.
Sometimes I bristle when folks suggest that someone with a MH condition defer college, etc. There may we be a different trajectory, timeline, or program (AND being stable in treatment is absolutely necessary), but these conditions are dynamic and life long. You can’t postpone living and there should be a way for all folks who live with a MH condition to achieve their academic, social, and professional goals at a college of their choosing.
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That would be a conversation to have with the medical provider, in my opinion.
This student isn’t seeing someone for almost a month. In my opinion, it could take more than one professional to tease out what is happening. This is very often the case with mental health issues. @MaineLonghorn perhaps you can tell me if this is accurate.
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Not addressing your first question, but want to say a huge YES to your last section! The idea that a mental health challenge always means stepping out of all areas of life is incredibly short-sighted. Obviously, health issues DO sometimes require a life-pause to get treatment. This is true for physical health and mental health. (Underlining the notion that mental health IS health…). But, just as a physical health challenge often means moving forward with life and integrating the treatment with “normal life,” mental health means that, too, in many cases, especially once treatment is stabilized. So I, too, bristle at the knee-jerk response of some (not necessarily here on this post, but I mean in general) to suggest that mental health challenges mean: sit home and do nothing until it’s “fixed.” Because guess what – things aren’t often “fixed,” in both physical and mental health.
So, yes, health is always a priority, and sometimes we just need to put a pause on “regular life” to address it.
But also: long term health challenges are often managed while we pursue our wonderful, hard, messy lives. :).
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I agree for sure that mental health issues shouldn’t prevent someone from living the life they want and going after their dreams.
SAD is quite unique in the mental health arena since the prevention/ treatment is sunlight and location dependent. In a sense it is behaves like an allergy - if someone is highly allergic to hay, they would be wise to avoid living in a hay growing region. Yes, they could spend their life taking heavy duty allergy medication if that’s what they wanted, but life would be easier in a different place.
It’s the same with SAD - If someone has SAD they should avoid Seattle, Portland, and Cleveland (for example) unless they have an extremely strong reason to be there (e.g if that’s where their family and support network is, it might counteract somewhat).
Yes, you can treat around it, but if the main trigger is always there you will be fighting much harder than you would need to elsewhere.
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I want to re-emphasize getting your thyroid checked. Low thyroid can cause many symptoms that are the same as SAD — depression, fatigue, sleepiness, anxiety, even suicidal ideation in bad cases. It’s an easy blood draw you can get done almost anywhere. Your primary care provider should be able to work you in for labs. Also get your Vitamin D levels checked because that can also play a role in depression and is worse in winter.
Definitely get mental health support ASAP too but rule out the physical causes.
In answer to the New England question I think that’s just individual. I could never live there. Winter gets me bad enough where I am in the Southeast and my immediate and extended family is all here. But I’m sure someone who grew up there or in a similar climate is better equipped to cope with it whether they have SAD or not. If your fam and friends are all there that is a huge support.
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As I wrote before, seasonal depression in colder months is also typical for many folks with bipolar disorder. I have no idea how medications might address SAD without any other mental health factors, but hope they can be helpful and open up options, along with light therapy. Then again, some people make decisions based on climate at all stages of life for all kinds of reasons. I just hope professional help clarifies things and is of some help.
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“So I, too, bristle at the knee-jerk response of some (not necessarily here on this post, but I mean in general) to suggest that mental health challenges mean: sit home and do nothing until it’s “fixed.” Because guess what – things aren’t often “fixed,” in both physical and mental health.”
We are talking to a HS kid who is experiencing/has experienced suicidal ideation. Things aren’t always “fixed” but I think the parents here are trying to gently point out that college isn’t going anywhere. The world won’t run out of colleges in climates more conducive to the OPs challenges than those in Boston.
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@blossom – not quite sure if I might be being misunderstood (I’m guessing maybe yes since you quote the above line of mine as if it were even a tiny bit suggesting “oh hey you all are taking this too seriously…”?), but just to be super clear just in case I wasn’t clear in my posts above: I am indeed “one of those parents here” who IS “gently pointing out:” ideation is something very important to listen to and address with a robust mental health approach, not just a sunnier climate. (So – if anything my post was saying that the focus on sunny days in this thread is probably NOT robust enough of an approach, not the other way around).
My parents are reluctantly supportive, I come from a culture that really values stoicism so they’re really hoping there’s something “physically wrong” with me however I have been diagnosed with SADD (tentatively) by my GP. The health system that I’m in at the moment has said if I go to college out-of-state they will allow me to keep seeing them until I graduate, which is nice.
Boston weather is basically the exact same (if not slightly better) than weather where I am so, yeah, I’m being very careful about it but my parents still want me to apply to BC (not sure why but the campus looks really cool).
Aside from parents, I have a pretty robust support system and previously (briefly) went to a therapist who gave me some great supports.
Thank you so much for your concern! I’m involved with a lot of mental health work myself so it’s heartwarming to see your message.
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However, check if you can retain or obtain insurance that has that health system in network.
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You should double check. Psychologists are usually not allowed to practice across state borders and you should line up someone you like who is local wherever you end up going (and make sure they take your current insurance).
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Psychologists often can practice in different states if they have signed onto the PSYPACT. It is active in 39 states.
Counselors and therapists who may be LCSW or have other state licensure qualifications need to be licensed in the state their patient resides in even if they do tele-health. This is why many college students have to find a new therapist if they go to school out of state, or find a therapist who is licensed in both their home state and their college state.
Sounds like you are seeing a General Practitioner MD. MDs can have a reciprocal licensure agreements too. I’m sure someone on here is an MD and can tell you more about it, but it’s something to bear in mind.
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