The Black Country poet trying to beat Seasonal Affective Disorder

But imagine the changing of the clocks heralding a period of depression so bad that some days you cannot bear to open the curtains.

That is what sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder face every year.

It has been dubbed 'winter blues' but can be a serious condition that tears apart people's lives.

And when your job involves organising events, meeting people and speaking in public, it can have a debilitating effect on your life.

Brendan Hawthorne is Wednesbury's poet laureate, but has come to dread this time of year as he can feel what he calls the 'grinding' of depression as the nights get longer.

But Brendan is now trying to raise awareness of the condition and encourage others in the same situation to get help.

He has written a series of lengthy, emotional posts on his Facebook page describing the torment he faces with the changing of the seasons.

He said: "I can feel it coming on now the clocks have gone back and there's nothing I can do about it.

"I didn't believe it existed - I thought it was just people getting a bit down because it was getting colder and darker.

"But some days I can't even face opening the curtains, going out or talking to anyone. And it is difficult for people to understand what is happening and why I'm like this. I can just switch at the smallest thing when it isn't anyone's fault."

The symptoms for SAD sufferers become much stronger in autumn and winter - hence the condition being dubbed 'winter blues'.

But for someone like Brendan, it can seriously hamper his job and his ability to write.

Some days he is full of motivation and can be seen laughing and joking with colleagues and friends and public events and writers' groups.

The symptoms often begin in the autumn as the days start getting shorter and are typically most severe during December, January and February.

So Brendan has had to come to terms with the fact that he is locked in a cycle - though he he determined not to dread the winter months.

When he was diagnosed, he was offered medication to 'iron out the highs and lows' - but he refused.

The 54-year-old, of Wednesbury, said: "Because I'm a writer, the journey of emotions is all part of it, documenting the transition of my mood from one day to the next.

"So I wanted to make it a part of my life rather than taking tablets to get rid of these feelings."

But it means his wife, friends and family have also had to get used to it - and have to approach each day not knowing what mood Brendan will be in.

He uses a special lamp to fool his senses into thinking it is daytime, though that only has a limited impact.

Getting his thoughts down, and the positive reaction on the social media site from friends and followers, has been a more therapeutic process for him.

And having written a series of books, poems, plays and songs over the years, as well as being involved in literary events across the Black Country, he wants his condition to inspire some of his best work to come.