alphaomega

Disclaimer - I dont think this qualifies as medical advise because its just a plug for the sun

Researching the puzzle that is my life is its own kinda high for me. I love learning about what I am going through and being newly sober, I cant seem to get enough knowledge into my now healing brain. So I wanted to share.

I always noticed that my REAL forays into sobriety tend to pop up in late spring early summer. There is something about the sun shining and the days getting longer that empowers my will to take care of myself. I have SAD, and when the days grow short and cloudy and dreary, I have to fight harder to not drink than in the summer. I realized recently that this is when I typically go back to active alcoholism.

Researching Vit D - I read that rats deprived of it (along with being kept in the dark) brains will react more to an addictive substance. And immediately a light bulb went off.

Apparently the brain likes to feel good, and sunshine and fresh air makes that happen, and when we can't have that, we will seek out that relief and whats easier than a drink, a pill, some weed ? It is being discovered that even oral Vit D can help.

Have a beautiful day you gorgeous people you ! I'm headed to the yard

tomls

thanks for the heads up!

advbike

I agree with this. I also suffered from SAD when I lived in the rainy Pacific Northwest and began to become depressed in the fall when the days became shorter and the sun stopped climbing above the giant fir trees in my backyard. Once I retired I began spending winters in the tropics and the difference was AMAZING. That's also when I got sober for several years. So I think you're onto something there. Now I live in the desert southwest and my biggest problem is trying to avoid getting too much sun. Here it will kill you, lol.

BTW, have you been tested for Vit D levels AO? When I was in the PNW I had to take a supplement, no need here in the desert.

Boondock

I know what you mean I'm originally from Florida but I've lived a few years in both Ashville NC and Western MA. I used to just call it cabin fever when the winter came along. Living back in Florida for years there's a risk of an overdose of vitamin D so sun screen and hats are very important as it is a health hazard down here...lol

Introvrtd1

I agree…And as strange as this may sound, I’m more prone to drink on the sunny days of summer when the daylight hours are long and plenty of sunshine penetrates the soul. 😇

The short dark days of winter certainly understandable to drink the blues away but I was seeking an enhanced high in addition to the already dopamine producing affects of vitamin D. Ugh…

Dropsie

Interesting to read this as I recently had a severe Vit D shortage, like zero, and I dont drink. Apparently, its not good. Took a lot orally and will be retested. Doctor seemed a tad concerned it was soooo low.

Steely

That's no good Dropsie. Hope you get it up again soon. ☀️

Dee74

Get well soon Dropsie

and yeah the sun rocks

Rar

I agree, Alpha. I am fortunate to have been able to relocate from the upper (frequently dreary) northeast to Florida where most days are sunny. Sometimes I just go outside and stand there for a few minutes- it’s like I’m recharging my solar cells. 😎

alphaomega

My husband cant hold onto Vit D either. Periodically he takes high doses (doctor monitored) to raise his levels.

He also struggles with opiate addiction that began after a back injury. Apparently the opiate receptors are especially sensitive to low levels of Vit D. And they are finding you get a far more intense "pleasure response" if you are low. Which is super interesting because opiates are the one drug I never really cared for. When I was prescribed over the years for various pain related reasons, I never ever abused them.

But I do keep my D levels optimal.

Arent we some fascinating creatures ?!?!

XO AO

Aellyce

All this is interesting and, agree, important. Never got my vit D levels tested, but I have something like an inverse SAD... fall/winter are typically my peak seasons in terms of mood, and spring/early summer is the time when I tend to experience higher anxiety and depressive spells. I personally don't really feel they relate much to when I struggle with staying sober, sometimes it's even the opposite for me, because I rarely want to drink when I feel bad physically or emotionally (part of also why I was never inclined to "treat" my hangovers with drinking more, it's more picking up when I feel better, ready for a binge again). I do notice the difference in the general daily challenges now though that I had a few sober months last fall/winter and am back on it now. Last winter when I was sober for ~3 months, I didn't even register mood fluctuations much other than some occasional irritability and moderate anxiety, now I have some pretty 'low' days when I hardly feel up to doing anything and somewhat physically meh as well, but even if I don't accomplish normal productive things, I force myself to at least keep two things each day: my meditation practice and a SMART Recovery meeting/doing some exercise or reading involving SMART-related tools. In the last nearly 3 week, that is. Interesting, because I can really feel the habit formation with these now - look forward to them each day (especially the meditation as I found something I love for guidance) and feel slightly uncomfortable if something seems to interfere. I never felt this way last year when I was sober, perhaps because my life was generally much more hectic and stressful back then.

It would be interesting to know my vitamin/nutrient levels though, and how they correlate to these seasonal fluctuations and mood patterns. It's likely a bit late now for me to get tested as my 'low' typically starts to get better around late June (so just about now) and stays better in the rest of the summer, but I think I'll ask my doctor to do a comprehensive test maybe in Sept/Oct, then again a couple times next year. I don't take any vitamin/nutrient supplements other than a daily multi, but did experiment with lots of non-prescription things that are supposed to affect mood throughout the years, on my own. Some seemed to help for a while, others did nothing, and a few caused unwanted side effects... but it's hard to truly know how much of that was genuine effect and not placebo/distorted perception. Most often I was also drinking while running these "experiments", so of course rarely got a chance to really know what can balance my normal physiology. I'm very interested in medically understanding my normal physiology better though, but it only makes sense if I stay sober long enough for it to make sense. All that will probably be affected with hormonal changes as well in the coming years as I approach menopause, so I may want to test hormones as well when I see my doctors. In any case, for me these seasonal or whatever fluctuations tend to be quite subtle if I don't drink heavily, so never really considered medical treatments for mood (other than I probably should have once several years ago, when I had had a serious, quite debilitating depressive episode), but monitoring makes a lot of sense to me if I ever really want to find meaningful associations. I think sometimes we project a lot and imagine things (at least I do), so better to have more objective sources of information .

In any case, one curious pattern I've noticed long-term, before alcohol ever became a problem (that started for me in my early-mid 30s), and now again when I stay sober for a few weeks, is an almost rigid, very short-term fluctuation. One good day, then worse/bad, good again etc etc, going seemingly forever. Single days. It even manifests in my motivation and productivity patterns. I honestly have no clue what's behind this. I don't sense it much when I drink as that boldly interferes with everything, but quite clear when I'm abstinent.