Seasonal Affective Disorder and alcoholism & a question from a possible sponsor

[irisblue]

A potential new sponsor asked me if I experienced SAD, & yeah the time change, the darkness of late fall & winter do impact my mood. I am much more likely to hibernate, then drink, or want to & all the joys of white knuckling.
There are many articles on line.(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14671737/).
I'm also going to ask the Dr to draw Vit D levels, since I have been low in the past.

This woman is smart.

[TygrBright]

1. I feel as though Vitamin D has been very helpful to me with my seasonal mood issues.

It is a subtle difference that takes a long time to accumulate, and may be as much due to a kind of placebo effect (me believing I'm doing something that will help) as any actual pharmacodynamics. But over the years my seasonal mood disorder HAS moderated and vitamin D is one of the regular interventions I use.

Another thing that was enormously helpful for me was to purchase an alarm clock with a 'wake light' that begins slowly lightening the room about half an hour before the alarm sounds. That has made waking up much less painful and difficult during the long hours of darkeness and helped me maintain a more regular (and I hope) healthy sleep schedule.

Good luck, and don't forget that 'good' (i.e. healthy) effects and changes take a lot longer to normalize in your brain than the chemically-induced ones - persistence will pay off.

helpfully,
Bright

[CrispyQ]

2. I just finished a novel that took place in Alaska.

Eight months of little to no sun. Nope. I couldn't do that. The few months of constant sun wouldn't be enough to sustain me through the darkness.

Have you looked into light therapy lamps? I have no idea if they're effective, only that they exist. Also, maybe deck your house out with all sorts of other types of lighting. Christmas lights. Lava lamps. Whimsical lamps. LED lamps that change colors.

Just over two weeks until the shortest day of the year. Good luck!

[irisblue]

3. I have, her questions prompted me to start an online search for those lamps

[bif]

4. A friend of mine has had great luck with the lamps.