Natural Light Keeping the Blues Away! (January Update on my Mood)

This blog needs an update.  I've gotten sidetracked lately.

About a month ago, I started using a new light by my desk to help improve my mood.  It seems to be working.  I had some bouts of depression before getting the light, but since using it every day, my depression has stayed away almost entirely.

Of course, this is a subjective experience that could be attributed to other things, but the results seem good to me.  I'm still having some of the same stressors, still not getting much outdoor light, and yet my mood is improved.

I am using a Verilux Original Natural Spectrum Deluxe Clamp Lamp.  It's not a special mood light, but I believe the bulb it uses is the same one that is in some of the mood lights.  I use it throughout the day. It sits above my head but off to the side some, and is attached to my computer desk. This way I just do my normal computer work and get the light at the same time.

To sum up, this is what I've been doing to try to keep my mood stable:

- Lithium Orotate, 20 mg a day total (half in the morning, half in the evening)
- Zinc 25mg, taken in the morning

At lunch time, I take chromium to help with my blood sugar levels, plus a multivitamin and vitamin C. These may be helping my mood too.

I used to try to walk every day but I haven't been doing that lately because of foot pain.

I have had an excellent January mood wise. My mood has been pretty stable and I've been productive, except for about 3 days out of this week because I had some cold virus making me dizzy :(

I am also taking Manganese 10mg but this is to prevent tinnitus and I don't think it has any effect on mood - but who knows :)  I guess the good mood could be from that instead, although I started taking that in mid-December, and shortly thereafter my mood was down. So I don't think that's helping my mood unless it just takes a long time to start working.

Whatever I'm doing, it's working!  I have been thinking very positively lately, but not noticeable hypomanic. My thinking seems correct.

I am up in the middle of the night but I think that's because of having a cold virus. I've been getting tired in the evening and sleeping in the evening, then waking up in the middle of the night for awhile, and then going back to sleep.

I also should mention that I am taking piracetam and phenibut occasionally. The piracetam to help with brain function. The phenibut to help with sleep.

The Piracetam helps with many mental functions, but the most measurable one is how fast I can recall the answers when I watch Jeopardy!  I definitely get more answers correct when I take it.