I love the spring time. One of the things I dislike about the long winter darkness is a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder. I have often wondered if there is a physiological point to this winter time blues. Some scientists purport this is called the “analytical rumination model of depression”. On this view, what we call depression is an evolved mechanism for forced, intensive introspection. Two researchers, psychiatrist Andy Thompson and evolutionary psychologist Paul Andrews, wrote in Psychological Review in 2009, that depression is a suite of body responses designed to promote rumination, which they see as a form of intensive problem-solving. There is no doubt that rumination is a classic depressive thought pattern. From my own experience this seems to be true. I find that I am a much more effective writer during winter time of the year. I had assumed that this was simply due to being less active and having more time to contemplate. If Thompson and Andrews research is correct, it may support the rationale that a form of seasonal depression actually helps increase cerebral rumination and introspective cognition. It is ironic that the time of year I am “less happy” may be more beneficial cerebrally. My wife simply calls this “Brian thinking too much”
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 03:43:47 +0000
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