by Nadia Chung
Understanding the winter blues
Many of us experience mood
swings when the seasons change, especially when winter comes. We lack
motivation, feel sleepy, and
crave sweets. _(1)_
Noted before 1845, seasonal mood swings became
officially recognized in the late 1990s by the American Psychiatric Association
as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). _(2)_ However, the winter version is more common and nearly
non-existent in the
tropics. Thus, people often
compare it
to hibernation. A SAD patient even said that he wished he were a bear. _(3)_
One possible cause of SAD could be a sleep-related hormone called
melatonin (退黑激素). This
substance, which causes
symptoms of
depression, is produced at increased levels in the dark. _(4)_ This in turn leads to
lethargy and depression.
There are different ways to help patients who
suffer from SAD, including drugs like
Prozac (百憂解). The most
cost-effective and low-risk solution, though, is light
therapy. _(5)_ While there are no
definitive research findings that
link this therapy
with healing SAD, many people have
responded to this treatment. If you ever feel depressed during the winter, get some lights and trick yourself into feeling better.
說明:請依文意在所提供的 (A) 到 (F) 6 個選項中,選出最適當的 5 個選項。
(A)
That way, he could sleep through the
wintry season, and everything would be better.
(B)
Basically, this treatment
fools the body
into thinking
artificial light is summer sunlight.
(C) SAD
sufferers are usually
mentally stable throughout the year but become depressed in the winter or summer.
(D) Even so, he would be more active during the day, and everything would be under control.
(E) For about six percent of the population, it
goes beyond that, and they become deeply
depressed starting from autumn and
recovering only after the spring.
(F) When the days are shorter and darker, the production of this
hormone increases as our
internal clocks
react to the
fluctuations in
sunlight patterns during the change of seasons.
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