Preparing for winter SADness

In October, temperatures across China begin to drop. Do you experience a mood shift as it turns to winter?
10月，中国各地的气温开始下降。冬天来临的时候，你的情绪会有变化吗?

Many people do. For about one in 20 people in the northern half of the United States, cooling temperatures and shorter, darker days may signal the onset of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, a type of depression that typically arrives in the fall or winter, The New York Times reported.
许多人的情绪会随冬天到来而变化。据《纽约时报》报道，美国北部地区，大约每20个人中就有一个人的情绪受季节变更影响，气温变冷，白昼变得更短、天更阴暗，可能就预示着季节性情绪失调(SAD)的开始，这是一种通常在秋冬时节出现的抑郁症。

Not every mild blue feeling in winter is SAD. SAD symptoms make it difficult for people to function. It tends to start with an increased appetite for foods like French fries or ice cream, the eagerness to sleep longer hours, difficulty getting up in the morning and feeling wiped out at work, according to Wales Online.
不是每一种轻微的忧郁情绪都是季节性情绪失调，其症状会令人体机能难以正常运转。据《威尔士在线》报道，季节性情绪失调在一开始往往表现为食欲大增，想吃薯条或冰淇淋等食物，还会渴望睡更长时间，早晨起不来床，工作时疲惫不堪。

The exact cause of this disorder remains unknown. But the good news is that because SAD is tied to the changing seasons, “you can predict its onset and ward it off,” Michael Terman, a professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University, US, told The New York Times.
季节性情绪失调的确切病因尚不清楚。美国哥伦比亚大学临床心理学教授迈克尔·特曼在接受《纽约时报》采访时表示，由于季节性情绪失调与季节变化有关，“你可以及时预防。”

“There’s been a fair bit of research since about the 1980s supporting light therapy as being effective for seasonal kinds of depression,” psychotherapist Rakhi Chand told The Guardian. But she also advised using this type of therapy under the guidance of a professional.
心理治疗师瑞奇·昌德在接受《卫报》采访时表示:“20世纪80年代以来，有相当多的研究支持光疗法对季节性抑郁症有效。”但她也建议光疗法应在专业人士的指导下使用。

While light therapy is the first recommended treatment for SAD, getting outside regularly can offer other opportunities to soak in some light. “You might want to retreat like the hibernating bear, but don’t,” Norman E. Rosenthal, the psychiatrist whose research team identified and named the disorder in the 1980s, told The New York Times. “Walking outside even 20 or 30 minutes each day could make a huge difference,” he added. Therefore, outdoor activities like skiing or hiking are highly recommended.
虽然光疗法是治疗SAD的首推疗法，但经常到户外也可以提供其他沐浴阳光的机会。在20世纪80年代率研究团队发现并命名了SAD的精神病学家诺曼·E·罗森塔尔在接受《纽约时报》采访时表示:“你可能想要像冬眠的熊一样缩回去，但先别，”罗森塔尔补充说，“即使每天在户外散步20或30分钟，也会有很大帮助。”因此，强烈推荐用滑雪或徒步旅行等户外活动治疗SAD。

Also, instead of giving in to sugar cravings, it is important to choose foods that are known to boost one’s mood such as dark chocolate, nuts, oatmeal and berries, according to Egypt Today.
据《今日埃及》报道，与其沉溺于对糖分的渴望，不如选择一些能振奋情绪的食物，如黑巧克力、坚果、燕麦片和浆果。

Too nervous to enter winter? Remember, SAD is seasonal. If winter comes, can spring be too far behind?
因为太紧张而无法入冬?记住，SAD是季节性病症。冬天来了，春天还会远吗?

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高三757期