How to Maintain Sobriety as Daylight Hours Shrink

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AA meetings can do more for your recovery in November than they did in July. Daylight hours dwindle and those recovering from alcohol use disorder face a shift that ups the risk of going back to the liquor cabinet. Before those dark months arrive, build protection for the autumn season.

Less Sunlight Raises Recovery Risk

People with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the winter usually have reduced serotonin that can leave them prone to being in a bad mood or depressed. Sunlight and Vitamin D maintain normal serotonin levels, but shorter days keep that system from functioning as it should.

At the same time, people with winter SAD produce too much melatonin that makes them sleepy and oversleep.

Everything happens at the same time, which leads to social withdrawal. Folks who stop or skip AA meetings and spend evenings alone have higher chances of relapse.

Signs of Seasonal Pressure

Common symptoms of SAD are listed below:

• Constant sadness or anxiety

• Aches and irritability

• Loss of interest

• Fatigue and trouble concentrating

• Changes in sleep or appetite

• Thoughts of death or suicide

SAD differs from the holiday blues. The usual party-season strategies like skipping the open bar or having an exit plan don’t fully work.

SAD involves depressive episodes that arrive in a specific season for at least two consecutive years. It hits women more often than men, usually in young adulthood and is more common in northern regions where winter days are shortest. It might also run in families.

Build a Plan Before the Days Get Short

There are four treatments for SAD.

• Light therapy uses a 10,000-lux box for 30 to 45 minutes each morning.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy targets seasonal thought patterns and rebuilds activity schedules.

• Extended-release bupropion can help prevent seasonal depression in people with histories.

• Vitamin D evidence is mixed.

The free Sober App logs streaks that keep momentum going.

AA Meetings Fit

AA meetings counter two of the season’s biggest threats: lost structure and lost connection. Open meetings welcome all with no judgment and no questions asked.

AA offers chapters in almost every community in the USA. Simply start by browsing our directory that indexes groups by location and format.

You can also dial 800-948-8417 Sponsored to speak with an expert and explore local options. Call 988 or a suicide hotline if you’re in a crisis.

By Terri Beth Miller

By Peter Lee

Terri Beth Miller is a writer, editor, and educator with a PhD in English language and literature from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. In her role as Senior Managing Editor at Rehab Media Group, she is dedicated to the creation of high-quality content that informs, inspires, and empowers readers to build their best lives.

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Peter W.Y. Lee is a writer and historian of American history. His primary focus is on the Cold War era. His academic work examines the relationship between youth and popular culture and its impact on U.S. society during the twentieth century. 

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