# Opposite of sad? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 29, 2013, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-sad/648691 "2013-01-29T04:01:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tollhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@Tollhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tollhouse)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-sad/648691/1 "2013-01-29T04:01:48Z")
It seems like most people tend to feel worse in winter months, sometimes starts around l ate fall. For some reason I always feel worse in the spring…ugh, something about march, April and it goes thru to July…rubs me the wrong way. I feel more tense, depressed, other symptoms I already have go over the top. Something that hardly bothers me in October, is overwhelming to me in march. I read that people who have episodes in the spring tend to have a worse prognosis than those who relapse in the fall. Most people like when it stays light out later, God, how I hate it. Is it chemical, or ? It can hit as early as mid February but typically starts around march, …yuk Time of year I feel at my best is typically August, sept, oct, nov… ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-sad/648691/2 "2013-01-29T04:06:28Z")
Same here, I despise spring, and I am in the Northeast. I am always more stressed and always get sick in spring. My favorite season is summer. Nice humidity (so I don’t have to worry about my dryness problems), better scenery, more to do, and more ice cream! 😃 I am just like you for spring. You are the first person I’ve met that feels the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Tollhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@Tollhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tollhouse)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-sad/648691/3 "2013-01-29T05:20:42Z")
Have you had this since u were young? ive heard a.couple other people also say spring has that affecton them…is yours from about march thru may? You said u feel better in summer. Mine lasts thru about july …once the very end of july early august rolls around I feel a bit better and from late august thru december I feel best, especialy august.thru november ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-sad/648691/4 "2013-01-29T12:18:19Z")
The summer “doldrums” get to me. The white hot heat, the humidity, and feeling that I should be outside enjoying myself instead of being indoors, and all the sleepless nights contribute to a depressed mood. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-sad/648691/5 "2013-01-29T12:26:44Z")
April is the cruelest month? I always wondered why Eliot would say that. This must be the explanation. I’m a SAD—umm, what is the term for it? SADist? No, that won’t work… Anyway, I never knew that anyone had the inverse of it. When I was 6, summer was my favorite season because school was out and I could play outside all day. As an adult, I definitely crave spring above all seasons. Especially since I moved south away from northern Ohio where Canada’s icy breath would delay the arrival of spring weather until mid-April or so. Here in Virginia it’s beautiful in early to mid-March and it’s the greatest pleasure I can find 'cause that’s when the SAD is all vanquished. Meanwhile, in winter, I soak up every bit of sunshine I can get like a woman dying of thirst finding a few drops of water. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-sad/648691/6 "2013-01-29T19:10:22Z")
I have hated summer since I was a kid. Now I know why. There is a summer seasonal affective disorder. It is uncommon but it exists. People with summer SAD exhibit the same symptoms as people with winter SAD. My college roommate got depressed every February. Could it be the culmination of winter SAD–you tolerate it for so long, then after a few months it hits like a mo-fo. ---
**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-sad/648691/7 "2013-01-29T19:21:50Z")
This is very interesting. I have always hated summer. Of course, I live in the desert, where summer is horrible and it’s too hot to walk the dog without burning his paws. I love the cool and the occasional rain of winter, but the warm spring just means that the annual heatstroke season is on its way, and it won’t cool off for another 9 or 10 months. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-sad/648691/8 "2013-01-29T20:17:34Z")
> [@Tollhouse](#): > > Have you had this since u were young? ive heard a.couple other people also say spring has that affecton them…is yours from about march thru may? You said u feel better in summer. Mine lasts thru about july …once the very end of july early august rolls around I feel a bit better and from late august thru december I feel best, especialy august.thru november One thing I suggest before I get to my answer. You will probably want to use better grammar and spelling on this board if you want people to take you seriously because proper use of language is prized here. People started bitching about me when I used bad grammar as well. It’s a custom on this Message board to use good grammar, correct spelling, and organize your thoughts well into paragraphs. You want to have good writing skills here. As for me, I don’t really care too much, but others do, so… That being said, it’s more of a thing I’ve observed over the years. I’ve noticed that usually my most unhappiest times occur in spring. And yes, it’s March through May, but it’s also into June. Basically, it’s until school gets out (yes I still attend school - I’m 15). So the only real reason I’m unhappy in June is because of school not being out, but if we were to take school out of the equation, then yes, I hate march through may. The temperatures move around like crazy, and they cause me to get allergies. I’m also, just more stressed out during spring. I don’t know why; I just don’t like it. I feel best from Late June - December. Then January starts getting bad, but February is okay. Then when March starts, I start getting unhappy. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_I\_Am](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Sam\_I\_Am](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_I_Am)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-sad/648691/9 "2013-01-29T22:29:57Z")
Are you left handed? > [@](#): > > Left- and right-handed patients with seasonal affective disorder were compared for seasonal patterns of depression and good spirits. Spring-summer depression and fall-winter good spirits were more evident among 9 left-handers. The reverse pattern was observed for the 9 right-handers. (not much more said at the link [Hand preference and spring-summer vs fall-winter seasonal affective disorder - PubMed](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12509190) ) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-sad/648691/10 "2013-01-30T06:01:42Z")
I’m right-handed, and I love both fall and spring, FWIW. Just winter and I don’t get along. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-sad/648691/11 "2013-01-30T12:33:49Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > I’m right-handed, and I love both fall and spring, FWIW. Just winter and I don’t get along. Actually, only September and October are OK. November is when the SAD kicks in, ugh. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-sad/648691/12 "2013-01-31T20:04:49Z")
> [@Sam\_I\_Am](#): > > Are you left handed? > > (not much more said at the link [Hand preference and spring-summer vs fall-winter seasonal affective disorder - PubMed](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12509190) ) In case you missed that, the opposite of Seasonal Affective Disorder is, well, Seasonal Affective Disorder. No one says you have to be sad in the winter months.