[FreeRadical]

IMHO, SAD is a bunch of BS manufactured to sell Lights, Drugs and Misery. (BTW: I've lived in AK for 7+ years, now.) I think there are maybe 5-10 people per bazillion that actually have some problem, the rest are just whiners, wimps and other malcontents. This article says 20-30% of the populace of Seattle has a problem with SAD. I'll bet that 95% of those SAD sacks fit most, if not damn near all, of this profile:

• little to no exercise
• little to no outdoor time
• little to no religion or faith
• too much caffeine
• too much pot or alcohol
• too little attention to blood sugar and other nutritional basics
• too much or too little sleep
• too many or too few lovers // ie generally screwy love life
• too little or too screwy of a family life, if any at all
• too much willingness to believe articles that start with "a recent study suggests"
• too eagerly gobble up zoloft, zanax, prozac, ambien and other new school "my pussy hurts" drugs // ie generally screwy, pharmacologically stunned brain chemistry
• etc etc

  Now, if I only didn't believe it morally wrong to pursue such govt teat foolishness, I'd seek a big fat federal grant to do the research and prove this common sense stuff. Wonder if these shameful, woe is me, screw ups would read a paragraph that begins "A Recent Study Proves You're Simply a Dumb Ass with Fairly Easily Solved, Mostly Self Induced Problems".

[Tax Government]

I'm probably not going to participate in an extended chain of posts on this subject right now, but...

The difference in sunlight levels between So.Cal. and Seattle IS significant enough, for a lot of people, to affect mood for a couple of years. Obviously, it's an individual thing. Also, if a person has asthma, then Seattle's cold and higher levels of air-borne fungus can cause a problem. In sidewalk cracks of Seattle and surrounding areas you'll notice black stuff -- that is fungus, the same thing that tries to grow in your bathroom tub. It gets in the air and can trigger bronchitis or asthma. I've met a number of people who've experienced problems, and attributed them to the fungus.

Moving to So.Cal. from Seattle, one may spend a few months getting the eyes acclimated to higher outdoor sunlight levels.

These reactions are mine and I believe reasonably typical; your mileage may vary.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Your description fits most of the populace of Seattle, though some do exercise and get outside. Other than that, there's a whole lotta self absorption goin' on round here. I think that's at the root of most of this new wave of psychobabble and miracle pill crap.