I don't know about that. I'm a rabid Alaska fan and never found the myths quite real. This whole 24 hours darkness thing, and such, simply isn't real unless you're very far removed from civilization (ie: Anchorage, Seward, etc.)

It's more a very short complete darkness and a lot of stunning twilighty night skies. Having been then through every season, I didn't find that aspect troubling at all. It's akin to Vegas and Reno, in reverse. . But I digress on that.

I do know, for certain, it's unsafe for women in Alaska, especially a woman or women living alone. Crimes against women in Alaska are the very reasons I personally do not live there.

Rape is 14% of all violent crimes in Alaska. And 57.7% of all women in Alaska encounter IPV (Intimate Partner Violence.)

I attribute the violence in Alaska to Alaska being on its own. The vastness, the drugs, the alcoholism, the hard life. Alaska is a rugged place. Scenically as well as lifestyle. It's mostly blue collar, and hard work. Fishing, crabbing, mining, etc. #shrugs It's just a country of its own, sort of.

Yet again, Alaska has the highest number of women murdered by men, in America, for the 7th year running. There are definite "Wild West" things happening up there.

[alaskapublic.org]

@SeaGreenEyez Still, SAD is a real malady and a lot of people suffer from it. It may not be a direct cause of violence but could be just another ingredient.

@JackPedigo I think it's long past time to all agree that mental illness/mental disorders and NO real mental health care system in America, leaves us all vulnerable to very treatable, yet untreated ailments.

I just read that 33% of children aged 8-14 suffer from anxiety. These are people who've not even yet become familiar with the world at large. (Thankfully. Imagine watching the world go to shit every day as you're preparing to not die in a school shooting.)

(I used to think my first panic attack happened at age 14. One particularly bad panic attack during shut-down, I had a flash memory of an event at age 7, which in hindsight, was definitely a panic attack. I'm totally ignorant to depression, so I personally can attempt to understand things such as SAD, but I can't sympathize. Sometimes I wish I had depressive issues. Maybe I could be deemed disabled and not be forced to deal with anything outside my own front door. Isn't that a gross thought? Wishing to be deemed exempt from all things America.)

@SeaGreenEyez I totally agree but it is not limited to N America (which includes Canada). It is a global issue. Of course in most 'civilized' countries mental health treatment is easier to get than here. Our sense of 'freedom' has become overblown and we are paying the price with not just our lives but those of our children.

Over my long history of relationships only one (my last, late one) was without childhood trauma (she later became traumatized by her 1st husband). The childhood base is critical and, unfortunately, when dating, I often ask about childhood memories. It's scary how many have been traumatized and they carry that with them (33% might be a low number). I think most of the ills, in the world, have started during childhood.

Growing up we had an ideal childhood in that there were no strict rules, our parents had no addictions nor were overbearing. We felt secure, cared for and free to do as we pleased (as long as we didn't get into serious trouble -which we didn't). I have low BP and previously was prone to going into shock. That often lead to panic attacks and the period of the pandemic was especially hard. What can we do? For me it is simply realizing how well off I am compared to so many others. Diet, exercise and avoiding news during stressful times (like right now) can help a lot.

@JackPedigo Indeed. I too have low blood pressure. It is wicked awful when my heart rate is 150 sustained due to panic. Tachycardia. It's scary. In 2015 they stopped my heart. That was wild. It took two tries and they got a 6 second full-stop. It did not "reset." They decided I had serious anxiety. Really? Like I hadn't been diagnosed in 1995. They decided I wasn't pill seeking. Gave me a Xanax. Problem solved. I'm still insensed I was subjected to a full heart stop to determine it wasn't meth. The urine test should've be enough "evidence." Welcome to mental health care in America. #smh

I was raised in an odd environment. Overbearing/controlling/unhappy mother that was a free-loving-pot-smoking-hippie. Strange combination. I believe, in hindsight, she had undiagnosed issues, regardless, my step father was, by my standards, heaven sent. So for all the dysfunctional, he stabilized things for me from age 10 until he could take no more of her, 24 years later.

I don't consider my DNA "trauma." it was two people who should've never had a child. The chemistry left me with GABA issues and my nurture was in a household with an OCD person. It just is what it was. Thankfully, I got my bio-father's knack for resilience. Much like you, I've not got but one man in my past that didn't have something going on. And it was usually something no good. But alas, here we are.

@SeaGreenEyez That is dangerously high. There should be rules on being a parent but, then again, freedom reigns. If ever there were any rules limiting a family people would scream bloody murder. My late partner said, at one time in Iran, one got a tax deduction on the first child, none on the second and had to pay for a third. The rates went up the more kids were born.

So, it seems, pandemics are not the only major illness we have to deal with and child abuse, from people in authority and/or parents is another. My brother married a woman from Viet Nam. She had two young daughters at the time and never thought someone would want someone with children. Her father had abandoned the family when she was young. Then the mother disappeared and she was brought up by an older brother. The war came and she was in Saigon surrounded by violence. She managed to escape and later married another Vietnamese man living in Hawaii. Problems only got worse and they split. Then my brother came along and brought peace to the daughters but the mother never changed. She seem to delight in tormenting the girls. He once told me she loved to burn bridges and tries to do that with him but he won't let her. Unfortunately, he developed tongue cancer and eventually died. I'm sure the stress from living with her only made the cancer worse. This problem is universal and sooo sad.

My 1st wife was/is bi-polar and ended up having affairs. She divorced me, married one of her lovers (literally a drunken sailor - Lt. Commander) and moved to the US. Under false pretexts she took our daughter. The couple had another daughter so my daughter was low person on the totem pole. She was resilient from the day she was born but did have some real problems. She tells people she lived the Cinderella life and is still waiting for prince charming.

I guess I'm lucky in that I discovered the gym while in the military. I start with aerobics on the Nordic Trac and get my heart rate to 130. The trainer told me, if the heart is healthy this high rate will actually strengthen the muscle. I'm also lucky in having three committed relationships. Long story but the last one showed me what a real relationship should be like. I learned a lot and learned one can't appreciate what one has until they've lost it. My living situation is also lucky so can't really complain.
Thanks for sharing.

My son was an avid duck/geese hunter. If his homework got done, he was allowed to head to the river before classes. It wasn't at all uncommon for many trucks in that school parking lot to contain shotguns and shells and loads of decoys, wet camo clothes.

One morning I glanced up to see him coming in the driveway, during class time. He appeared in my office, a look of shock, grief, horror and disbelief on his face. Columbine was happening. That changed EVERYTHING.