Hi everyone, I am new here! I have read through some of the posts on this and other forums and am totally stoked at the wealth of knowledge, wisdom and support... Right on! I am posting today because I suffer from a severe case of heliophobia. It started right after my father died which was a real shock to me. I became extremely depressed, which was later determined to be bipolar disorder... and now, two years later, I am much less depressed (or maybe it is underlying, could be the case) but am suffering from considerable anxiety that manifests itself in the form of PHOBIA. It is awful, I tell you. I live in a really sunny area, and I am totally phobic of the sun! I apply sunblock around 6-8 times a day, never take a hat off... and that would be okay if it helped with the anxiety, but it doesn't. It is to the point that I wear hats indoors and am ALWAYS thinking of avoiding rays. I am pretty pale, so I think some people wonder what is wrong with me, if I am sick. Sorry, but another complicating factor: my mom is very sick (liver damage) after taking anxiety medication for many years so I think I have developed a phobia in that regard, the only thing I will take (without more anxiety) are herbs, but have yet to find an effective one for me, 5HTP helped slightly. Yet, the hat stays. I know this sounds crazy, believe me, somedays I feel like I am going crazy. My friends and family laugh it off, or just kind of ignore it, they don't really now how to react, I guess. Anyone experienced anything similar and came through to the other side?? Peace, Danny