NC vacation this weekend, feeling Hurricane Sandy

Have you ever heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder?

I wouldn't be surprised if I have it myself. It's a mood disorder when people feel depressed with the change in seasons. I don't know about you, but when the days are cold and dark, I'm a lot less happy than when the days are sunny.

Serotonin levels increase with exposure to the summer sun -- a major reason why moods tend to be more elevated during the summer, reports Medicine Net. According to some researchers, light therapy may help to alleviate symptoms of depression faster than antidepressant drugs.

If you need some sunlight (without the harmful UV rays) a nearby place which offers light therapy is Interactive Light Therapy at 23995 Novi Road Suite C103 in Novi. For more information, call 877-292-6121.

Light Therapy lamps can also be purchased at Walgreens starting at $99.99.

For those with a $20/month membership to Planet Fitness, they also offer Red Light therapy which, unlike the tanning beds, do not give off UV rays. This not only helps mild depression, but also helps reduce wrinkles and acne. I have used red light therapy, and I can tell you I'm a big fan.

With the affects of Hurricane Sandy hitting Michigan, I expect many people will feel a little depressed. The view looking out the window at work is gloomy, to say the least -- with grey clouds looking like they'll burst with rain at any moment and wind speeds expected to get up to 20 to 30 mph. So I would say fake sunlight is better than no sunlight, that's for sure. As for me, I will be going to Planet Fitness as soon I'm out of work this afternoon.