Jon's Writer's Journal - October 6, 2023 (Day's Reflections of a Scribe)

In a bid to raise awareness about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and offer a glimpse into their personal struggles, acclaimed author Jon Cronshaw has made their short stories available as audiobooks on their YouTube channel.

SAD, a type of depression that typically recurs seasonally, most often in autumn and winter but sometimes in spring or summer, is characterised by symptoms such as persistent sadness or low mood, oversleeping or insomnia, intense fatigue, cravings for carbohydrates, social withdrawal, difficulty concentrating, feelings of worthlessness, loss of interest in activities, and thoughts of self-harm in severe cases. In summer-onset (reverse) SAD, symptoms are similar but may also include irritability, agitation, and insomnia due to heat and prolonged daylight.

Cronshaw, who has been open about their battle with SAD, expresses gratitude for their viewers' support and encourages them to share the YouTube channel with others. The author's struggle with SAD has affected their productivity and mental well-being, but despite this, they have managed to make progress in their work.

The audiobooks are being created using ElevenLabs' Text-to-Speech engine, providing an innovative and accessible format for Cronshaw's fans. The first episode of 'Punks Versus Zombies', an exhilarating project for the author, is now available. The author is also excited for readers to hear the first episode and invites viewers to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more content.

In addition to the audiobooks, Cronshaw is also working on a new chapter for the book 'Guild of Assassins', which will go live on their Substack this Sunday. The URL for the author's Substack is joncronshawauthor.substack.com.

Cronshaw emphasises the importance of early intervention for SAD, especially if symptoms persist across multiple seasons or worsen over time, to prevent severe episodes and promote emotional stability. Effective treatments include light therapy, psychotherapy, medications, lifestyle changes, and for reverse SAD, coping strategies such as staying in cooler environments and using blackout curtains to improve sleep quality.

As Cronshaw continues to battle SAD, they remain committed to creating engaging content for their audience. The audiobooks of their short stories are being uploaded to YouTube for free, making them accessible to a wider audience. Subscribing to the author's YouTube channel supports Cronshaw in their work and allows fans to stay updated on their latest projects.

Jon Cronshaw, a renowned author dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), has released their short stories as audiobooks on their YouTube channel, offering a unique blend of personal struggles and fictional narratives in genres such as fantasy novels, speculative fiction, and sci-fi.
In these audiobooks, Cronshaw's stories are brought to life using ElevenLabs' Text-to-Speech engine, reaching a broader audience and providing entertainment for those interested in lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, relationships, travel, and sports.
Apart from the audiobooks, Cronshaw is also working on extending their book 'Guild of Assassins', which will be shared on their Substack joncronshawauthor.substack.com.
On the Substack, Cronshaw discusses SAD in detail, shedding light on effective treatments like light therapy, psychotherapy, medications, and lifestyle changes, emphasizing the importance of early intervention to combat symptoms persisting across seasons or worsening over time.
Being open about their battles with SAD, Cronshaw encourages their viewers to support them by subscribing to their YouTube channel for updates on new content, including upcoming books and audiobooks.
Cronshaw's fight against SAD doesn't prevent them from creating engaging content, as seen in the exhilarating project 'Punks Versus Zombies', now available as an audiobook on their YouTube channel, allowing fans to immerse themselves in a world of fantasy and entertainment.