冬天是否会让你郁郁寡欢？由于缺少阳光，很多人得心情都因此受到了影响。什么是 “季节性情绪失调（SAD）”？有哪些方法能帮助我们熬过寒冷阴郁得冬季？
词汇：mental health 心理健康
It’s the middle of winter, and the prospect of warm sunny days is a long way off. For some of us, it’s the most depressing time of year, where daylight is limited and the weather is often miserable – this is when the winter blues set in. So what can be done to lift our spirits?
The shorter days and longer nights can make us feel down, and that can cause us to eat more and exercise less. Some fear loneliness and isolation during the long dark months. Those people who suffer this seasonal mood swing more seriously are described as having seasonal affective disorder – or SAD for short. It’s a type of depression with a seasonal pattern caused by a lack of light and is thought to affect the part of the brain that rules sleep, appetite, mood and activity levels.
Jenny Scott-Thompson is one person who was diagnosed with SAD. She told the BBC: “I struggled with periods of exhaustion and misery that seemed out of proportion to what was going on in my life.” She was prescribed light therapy, which involved sitting in front of a light box. As well as going outside during daylight hours, this is believed to help anyone who is affected by the winter gloom.
Although having more light is an obvious cure, antidepressants can help those with more severe depression by artificially elevating the amount of serotonin in the brain. But this isn’t suitable for everyone, and many of us can try to just alter our mindset. Clinical psychologist Laura Keyes says, “it can be helpful to think about how to adaptyour eating and exercise patterns to the change of season, just as this happens in nature with plants and animals adapting.”
It might sound easier said than done, but accepting winter and thinking positively may energise us. Writing for the BBC Social website, Esther De La Ford asks “What if we explored what this phase of winter has to offer us, instead of grieving those things that it is taking away?” She suggests we use this time for rest, reflection, slowing down, stillness and renewal. Maybe this might stop us longing for summer?
词汇表depressing 令人消沉得，压抑得
the winter blues 冬季忧郁
lift someone’s spirits 提高兴致，振奋精神
down 情绪低落得
loneliness 孤独
mood swing 情绪波动
seasonal affective disorder 季节性情绪失调，俗称 “冬季忧郁症”
depression 抑郁症
diagnosed 被诊断
exhaustion 筋疲力尽
light therapy 光照疗法
antidepressant 抗抑郁药
serotonin 血清素
mindset 心态，思维模式
adapt 改变以适应变化
easier said than done 说时容易做时难
energise 使精力充沛
grieve 伤心，难过
