In this place where the clouds roll in and stay for months at a time, obscuring the sunlight and driving people indoors, you hear a lot about something called Seasonal Affective Disorder -- SAD. for short. It's really nothing more than weather-induced depression, accompanied like most any depression is with ennui and lethargy. I've never had it, and it doesn't sound like a lot of fun, but I think there are probably worse things that we don't hear a lot about. I'm thinking of skin problems caused by lack of sunlight.
I've had what I think is psoriasis for several months now, and I'm almost certain it's caused by vitamin D deficiency. Our bodies synthesize D, so essential to optimum health, from sunlight, so I imagine there are significant numbers of people living in this region who experience skin problems commonly associated with that particular deficiency.
I also think I'd rather have SAD than hot, itchy, flaky red spots all over my body, if I had to choose.
At first I was treating this crud with a topical remedy, but the affected areas just waned, then waxed again. So I've been taking a D supplement for the past week, and the eruptions are finally starting to fade away -- slowly.
Even better, the sun has been coming out a little more often lately, and today on my way home from the store I parked the car at Sandel Park, took off my jacket and pulled my long sleeves up to the elbows, and took a stroll around the margin of this lovely place which occupies about two city blocks. I walked past a young man who was walking a baby in a stroller. I saw a young couple shooting hoops on the basketball court, and paused to drink in a few rays at the empty wading pool. A cognitively incapacitated adult was having the time of his life going very high on one of the park swings, and an overweight lady was walking her overweight dog -- good for both of them.
Most importantly, I got a few minutes worth of sunshine on my face and arms. Spring is not too far off now, so I'm not itching to move out of this area -- yet. But I'm all but certain I'll be spending next winter in a warmer climate. I wonder what post-meltdown rents are like in Arizona.
2 comments:
You know, my husband never sees the sun. He does get the red spots, and we don't know what to do about the spots. He also gets depressed. I told him he needs sun, but he doesn't like the outdoors and gets very extreme sunburns and is very high risk for skin cancer. I think I will drag him out by his toes.
Jessie, I'm no doctor, but I think he needs vitamin D.
You might want to ask a doc.
Good to see you here, by the way.
DB
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