<p>I know you guys can't solve my problems, but I need some advice. Anyway, I have bad depression stuff going on, and it got much worse in the winter, so I blamed it on the winter and became determined to go somewhere warm for university. Anyway, I recently won a huge Canadian scholarship so I'd have to reject them in order to take a year off and apply to American universities that are in warm places. I'm currently going to take the year to do some more courses and stuff, but there are really, really good universities around here. i'm just scared of the depression returning, but i feel so stressed b/c everyone's moving on and i'm stuck in high school.</p>
<p>any advice would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Sorry, but depression is much more than weather. You should talk to your doctor, but you should not make a huge decision like this based on the seasons of the Earth. You are going to have to confront cold, cloudy weather at some point in your life, or live in a jungle; I live in Texas and it is even cloudy and cold here about three months of the year.</p>
<p>Some people buy really bright lights and shine them on themselves for maybe an hour a day to cheer up. Worked for my grandpa</p>
<p>Made the decision to stay in Canada, guys. I'm really scared, though, but I'll be fine.</p>
<p>Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>The light bulb suggestion sounds silly, but there are full-spectrum daylight bulbs that simulate a long summer day. There is a real problem called something like Seasonal Affective Disorder. You might google it and see what people do to help themselves. I think the bulbs do help, and they're fairly inexpensive. Good luck!</p>
<p>You need to turn to the best people equipped to give you the optimal advice. First get a full medical workup to determine whether the depression was due to something like a hormonal or other problem. If no cause of the depression was found, see a psychiatrist to assess you for medication and also see a licensed psychologist or social worker to get therapy from. The best treatment for clinical depression usually is medication plus therapy.</p>
<p>It would be a big mistake to make a decision such as choosing a college without getting help first for your depression.</p>
<p>Depression is a medical problem. It's not a matter of being "messed up" any more than being diabetic or having high blood pressure is a matter of being "messed up."</p>