Seasonal Affective Disorder Summary

While reading the article Biological and Psychological Mechanisms of Seasonal Affective Disorder: A Review and Integration some ideas remained on my head waking up my curiosity about this topic. The first idea was related to the biological mechanism that characterized seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The description regarding the delayed and release of melatonin in concordance with the changes in the dawn and the dusk times seemed fascinating because it suggested how much are we connected to changes in the physical environment. The increase in melatonin secretion and the inability of the retina to processes photo information during the winter as it does in the summer, all of it suggested how the body is preparing to sleep and rest during the cold months; the same way bears hibernate in the winter. What would be the case if these people would not need to comply with social obligations, such as going to work, and they would be able to sleep as much as their body asked them, would this be as problematic? This is a hypothetical and maybe innocent reflection. However, this symptomatology expresses how much we are the biological animal and the influence of nature on us.

It is amusing how genes behave differently depending on the season. Moreover, the notion of a “thrifty gene” indicates evolution smartly plays a role in keeping us alive. However, the current social-economic situation allows us to feed ourselves, making no need for “saving resources” possible future starving situations. Therefore, our body retain fatter, and we gain weight, but as we do not actually required, it becomes a burden for our biology, producing the biological mechanism that translate into the need to sleep