This message is from: Jean Ernest <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi To Peg and Jean.
Since you both are prodding me :-) Here's a report on SAD in Fairbanks!: I have several friends who seem to be affected. I myself deal with the darkness by keeping the house well lit, ie. all of the lights on, bright! It helps that I am not working now and get outside every day in the daylight hours, short as they are. I actually think Fairbanks is better off than Anchorage or even Seattle, as we have so much clear "sunny" weather in the winter, and even the nights can be bright with moonlight and even the Aurora reflecting on the snow. My house is situated on a hill, and the picture window in the living room faces souith and gets flooded with the horizontal sunlight for 2-3 hours a day, even in the shortest days (The sun rises and sets in the south.) Anchorage is much more overcast and cloudy and obviously Seattle also. (How many days/year of sun do you get in the Western Washington area? Having said that, yes SAD is a problem for a lot of people here. And lighting is a solution. Also a good trip to Mexico, Hawaii , etc. sure helps about January! The schools have a long Christmas vacation and many families head south over the holidays. It seems that St. John's Wort herb really does help some people. too. Since I retired 12 years ago and got my Fjords I seem to have more energy and wake up earlier in the morning eager to feed them and see them and I do have the outdoor activity in the middle of the day. This year I joined the Fairbanks Athletic club, which is quite large with an olympic size swimming pool, and I think a good proportion of Fairbanks people exercise there! The Military bases have their own big fitness centers, and Tanning beds are a big thing up here. I don't believe in tanning myself, but a lot of people find it really helps them deal with the long dark winters (And gets them tan to go to Mexico or Hawaii) There are certainly a lot more incidents of spousal abuse in the winter, and drinking is a problem. (Alaska has the highest per capita consumption of Alcohol in the country!) One of the big segments of the population here that have Depression problems is of course the Miltary wives. Once we get through January, (If we can make it through December !! what's the rest of that song?) the winter outdoor activities take over with Dog sled races, skiiing, snow mobiling etc. March is the most GLORIOUS month here, sunny and clear, beautiful snow, warm enough to enjoy it, and I often get a tan in March (on my face and hands) Back to the Fjords (have I been off topic?) My wonderful fuzzy fjord friends keep me amused even during the coldest days as I can watch them from my picture window (the corral is only 100 feet away) as they play and run and buck and interact. I have learned so much about horse behavior from just watching. As a retired wildlife biologist, it has become a passion! Jean in Fairbanks, Alaska, where I had moose in the yard and hay barn today and my poor old dog got trampled! (She's going to be OK, just very sore and stiff for a while.) I'm also a psychotherapist, but in response to your question to Jean Ernest about darkness and depression, I'm stepping "out of the closet'" and revealing my profession in front of God and everybody. [Sorry, sometimes I get a little dramatic...] > >Anyhow, our friends in Anchorage, who are health professionals also, tell us that depression, especially Seasonal Affective Disorder, is a widespread problem. I know that one of the ways they deal with it is <SNIP> I'll be interested in Jean Ernest's response. Cheers, Peg [Blackstone] Knutsen > > ****************************************************************** Jean Ernest Fairbanks, Alaska [EMAIL PROTECTED]
