Alex Hoffman
Mrs. Smith
AP Language
9 March 2010
Blame It on The Weather
Why is it that whenever it rains people tend to be more gloomy, depressed or less lively than normal? Or how does a highly humid climate warrant widespread frustration and hostility? Personally, the rain, extreme heat or high humidity will put a damper on my day no matter what the circumstance. The rain specifically makes me noticeably more irritable, short tempered and apathetic. Why does weather have such an influence on temperament?
The association between weather and its effects on mood is a widespread phenomenon. Rain generally warrants restlessness and a raise in depression whereas a pleasant day is often complemented by an upbeat, active and productive disposition. Additionally, high humidity and heat is commonly accompanied with lethargy, frustration and aggression. Similar to one’s environment, the weather has an impacting effect on an individual’s mood.
Of these most impacting climate conditions is a sunny, warm, pleasant day. Sunny days not only tend to foster more lively moods but have also shown to increase memory retention, productivity and activeness. Though the relationship between a pleasant day and a positive temperament differs from person to person, this noticeable change can be attributed to the rise in levels of the hormone serotonin. Over eighty percent of serotonin found in the human body is located in digestive tract, but the remaining minority is found in the pineal gland of the brain where it has “various functions, including the regulation of mood, appetite, sleep, muscle contraction, and some cognitive functions including memory and learning” (King M.W. 5).
The Essay on El Nino Weather Anomalies
Suggest why many countries find El Nino weather anomalies very challenging? The term ‘El Nino’ is used to describe a prolonged period of warmer than average conditions that occurs as a result of the warmer ocean waters of the Eastern Pacific. Higher up in the atmosphere the wind blows in the opposite direction; the result is a wind circulation system. ENSO occurs every 4-7 years and can last up to ...
Serotonin levels in your brain are boosted when stimulated by vitamin-D, which is received from direct exposure to sunshine. This rise in serotonin is important because it directly correlates one’s mood to one’s environment. Due to the sun and an intake of vitamin-D, people biologically tend to feel more upbeat, active and productive because of a temperate climate. On the flip side, people who tend to stay indoors or are not regularly exposed to sunlight are predisposed to the opposite effect.
While regular exposure to sunlight and vitamin-D may lead to an increase in serotonin levels of the brain, inadequate amounts of intake can have a converse effect. Those who spend copious amounts of time indoors, secluded away from the sun tend to have lowered moods with signs of increased lethargy and even depression. Eskimos for example, who live in utter darkness for weeks on end experience “loss of sexual drive, fatigue, loss of energy and severely depressed mood,”(T. Partonen & A. Magnusson 17).
This deficiency of sunlight causes a drop in serotonin levels, which has a considerable influence on mood. A more common example of this “syndrome” is the widespread phenomenon characterized as the rainy-day blues.
Why is it that the rain generally puts us down? Besides the fact that it forces everyone to stay indoors, rainy weather effects mood psychologically as well as biologically. In addition to a decline in serotonin levels, decreased exposure to light also disrupts the secretion of the hormone melatonin[1]. Due to little sunlight, inherent to rainy weather, large amounts of melatonin are released into the blood stream, which not only causes a decrease in energy and a drowsy mood but more importantly may throw off the body’s biologic clock. Although regulated principally by the cardiovascular and endocrine systems, the body’s biological clock, also known as a circadian rhythm, is greatly affected by melatonin secretion. Since melatonin levels increase proportionally to a decrease in environmental light, rainy and overcast days common of the winter months are intrinsically linked to abnormally high levels of melatonin during day. On a normal sunny day melatonin levels hit an all-time low at about noon and reach a peak at midnight, but when sunlight exposure is generally shorter during wintertime or blocked by rainy and overcast weather, melatonin levels are allowed to fluctuate at all times of the day. In addition to augmented melatonin concentration, lack of exposure to sunlight – which is intrinsically linked to a deficit in Vitamin-D, can also be characterized by a decrease in the earlier mentioned natural hormone serotonin. Such an increase in daily melatonin and decrease in serotonin levels, which can lead to moods of lethargy, apathy and depression, are also the primary causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
The Term Paper on Depression Mood Disorder
... to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Scientists believe fewer hours of sunlight may increase levels of melatonin, a brain hormone thought to induce ... a role in many body functions. It's thought to increase levels of serotonin and dopamine, but this hasn't been proved. Studies in ... dysthymia disorder according to the DSM 1 V are, depressed moods most days more times than not for at least 2 years, ...
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder that is characterized by “episodes of major depression that tend to recur at specific times of the year” (S. J. Lurie M.D., PH.D. et al. 8).
More colloquially referred to as winter blues, symptoms of SAD include depression, hopelessness, loss of energy, anxiety, social withdrawal, oversleeping, weight gain and difficulty concentrating”(Mayo Clinic 3).
Patients that have developed SAD generally suffer from depressive symptoms in the darker and shorter days of the winter months due to abnormally offset fluctuations of both hormones melatonin and serotonin. Although only about “5% Americans suffer from extreme SAD, about half of non-depressed people manifest some degree of SAD symptoms during northern winters,” said Tor Wager of the Department of Psychology at Columbia University. Low exposure to sunlight is invariably linked to low levels of serotonin, therefore it is no surprise that studies relating meteorological conditions and SAD, ran by Lambert, Reid, Kaye, Jennings, and Esler in 2002, showed that patients with chronic or mild SAD who received daily doses of light therapy had observably higher moods characterized with lifted activeness, heightened cognition and shorter or even alleviated episodes of depression. Light therapy sessions emerged as the principal means of suppression of melatonin’s depressive effects on SAD patients because when exposed to semi-natural light the body can produce more mood-lifting serotonin and decrease levels of light sensitive melatonin. In addition to light therapy sessions (commonly held in the morning) SAD patients are also prescribed a small amount of a melatonin supplement before bed in order to better normalize the sleep/wake cycle. Among the most afflicted of SAD sufferers, depending on metrological and seasonal conditions, can develop such extreme episodes of depression and hopelessness are required to take strong doses of anti-depressants used for more extreme mood syndromes such as “bi-polar disorder, Psychotic major depression and Dysthymia” (S. J. Lurie M.D., PH.D. et al. 4).
The Term Paper on Heat Pump
Outdoor components of a residential air-source heat pump A heat pump is a machine or device that transfers thermal energy from one location, called the “source,” which is at a lower temperature, to another location called the “sink” or “heat sink”, which is at a higher temperature. Thus, heat pumps moves thermal energy opposite to the direction that it normally ...
Although SAD is predominantly experienced in the wintertime due to shorter and darker days, a small group of patients suffer from similar symptoms but in the late spring and early summer months instead.
Spring and summer SAD, also known as the “summertime blues” or reverse seasonal affective disorder is very similar to that of its wintertime relative but is caused by overexposure to sunlight and a raise in temperature. Those affected in the summer time by SAD show symptoms of “agitation, heat sensitivity, loss of appetite, insomnia and, in extreme cases, increased suicidal fantasies” (Sara Ivry 1).
Of the already small percentage of 5% of Americans who suffer from winter SAD, only about 1% suffer from its summertime cousin. Of these one percent is 39-year-old Oakland artist Violet Adair, who during the summer months tries to limit her outdoor time to less than “30 minutes a day,” says Violet. Like Violet, many other patients of summertime SAD tend to keep themselves well away from the high temperatures, secluding themselves indoors with a roaring air conditioner and as many portable fans as possible. Warmer weather, inherent to summertime, is invariably linked to observably lower moods within patients that suffer from reverse SAD but also has an impacting effect on the moods of individuals without any kind of seasonal mood disorders.
For ages heat has been associated with aggression. Heat and high humidity common during late spring and summertime have throughout history caused a discernible rise in patterns of frustration, malaise, lethargy, hostility and aggressive tendencies. Many studies have pinpointed these conclusions to a fairly simple explanation: “that people get cranky when uncomfortable,” said Craig A. Anderson of the Department of Psychology at Iowa University. Specifically, high humidity, which is commonly associated with oppressive heat and thick, clammy air, causes extreme lethargy and restlessness. Generally, comfortable humidity levels are around 40% during the summer but when those numbers climb to over 60%, not only does it have a negative affect on an individuals mood but also warrants “higher violent crime rates and automobile crashes” (Craig A. Anderson 32).
The Essay on Heat Transfer
Practice Problems Set – 1 MEC301: Heat Transfer Q.1 The slab shown in the figure is embedded on five sides in insulation materials. The sixth side is exposed to an ambient temperature through a heat transfer coefficient. Heat is generated in the slab at the rate of 1.0 kW/m3. The thermal conductivity of the slab is 0.2 W/m-K. (a) Solve for the temperature distribution in the slab, noting any ...
Similarly, a sharp rise in heat during the summer months in attribution to other factors such as humidity and geographic location tend to accompany a rise in violent crime rates. It seems that as the inclination for violence increases proportionally to an increase in uncomfortably hot weather, this tendency overrides more reasonable deliberation. In addition to an increase in violent crimes during times of highly uncomfortable heat and humidity, this undesirable weather also has been shown to also increase numbers of “murder(s), harassment(s) in the workplace, assault(s), hate crime(s) and fight(s) in jails and schools” (Anderson, C.A. et al. 37).
On a psychological level, being uncomfortable or “cranky…colors the way people see things,” says Anderson. For example, insults can be taken the wrong way or misunderstandings can be blown out of proportion; both instances can lead to violent retaliation. What starts as an unthinking insult, when escalated by high heat and discomfort, can lead to push, a black eye, broken bones or worse.
Throughout time, weather’s effects on mood have been observed and even incorporated into cultures by means of literature, poetry and even idiomatic expressions. Spanning back to Elizabethan England, William Shakespeare used the weather as metaphorical device to accentuate the involved emotions of his many complex characters. In Cicero, the main character links the weather and disposition when he says, “The minds of men do in the weather share, Dark or serene as the day’s foul or fair.” In Romeo and Juliet Benvolio says to Mercutio, “I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire:/ the day is hot, the Capulets abroad,/ and, if we meet, we shall not ‘scape a brawl,/ for now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring” (3:1 1-4) making the age long correlation between heat and raised levels of aggression. The relationship between weather and mood can interestingly also be found in common idioms used in everyday casual speech such as feeling “under the weather” or when someone “brightens up your day.” Feeling under the weather which translates to feeling ill, lethargic or uncomfortable directly relates gloomy and overcast weather to mood characterized by lack of energy, depression or discomfort. Conversely, when you “brighten up somebody’s day,” which is associated with a pleasant, sunny, warm day, that individual’s mood becomes joyous, cheerful and blissful. More common everyday idioms include, to “ hit hard weather,” being “under a cloud,” or having a “rainy day.” Even though scientific research has just begun to explain the effects that weather has on mood, its noticeable implications on an individual’s disposition have become generally accepted throughout time as proven by its common occurrence in literature and colloquial expressions.
The Essay on Boyhood Days Life Time Memories
The poem "Fern Hill" by Dylan Thomas explores childhood memories and the melancholy reality of lost youth. "Fern Hill" compels the reader to come back over and over again to seek more insight into the joy and pleasure of a time of innocence lost. The figurative speech causes the reader to seek the elusive youth and boyhood days of the character and encourages the reader to mourn and celebrate with ...
Besides cultural interpretations of weather’s multiple effects on mood through literature and idioms, the relationship between meteorological conditions and temperament can better by explained and attributed to biological and psychological roots. With rain and cold, dark weather comes boosted mood dampening hormones. On the other hand, a pleasant day accompanied by regular exposure to sunlight and relatively low humidity has a tendency to positively influence mood due to an increase in serotonin levels. In more extreme cases, dark, rainy days can even lead to the depressive mood syndrome Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which annually effects about 5% of all Americans. Though varying from person to person, the correlation between weather and mood is indeed very real. So next time you find yourself with the rainy day blues, feeling too drowsy to work, too depressed to go out and too apathetic to do anything about just blame it on the weather.
Works Cited
Anderson, Craig A. “Heat and Violence.” Current Directions in Psychological Science 10.1 (2001): 32-38. Print.
Barnston, A. G. “The Effect of Weather on Mood, Productivity, and Frequency of Emotional Crisis in a Temperate Continental Climate.” The International Journal of Biometeorology 32.6 (1988): 134-43. Print.
The Essay on Posttraumatic stress disorder: Causes & Effects in Soldiers
Post traumatic stress disorder has many effects on people in everyday life; such as the effects in family, friends, and even their career. Post traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is quite common in today’s military. The reason for this can somewhat be explained in the definition of ptsd: The type of anxiety disorder that comes from an event in which you’ve seen or ...
Canadian Medical Association. “The Meteorology of the Human Body.” CMAJ 180.8 (2009): 809-10. Print.
Dennisen, Jaap A.M., Lars Penke, Marcel A.G. Van Aken, and Ligaya Butilid. “The Effects of Weather on Daily Mood: A Multilevel Approach.” Emotion 8.5 (2008): 662-67. Print.
Golden, Robert N., Bradley N. Gaynes, David R. Ecstrom, Robert M. Hammer, and Et Al. “The Efficacy of Light Therapy in the Treatment of Mood Disorders: A Review and Meta-Analysis of the Evidence.” The American Journal of Psychiatry 162.24 (2005): 655-61. Print.
Ivry, Sara. “Seasonal Depression Can Accompany Summer Sun.” The New York Times [New York] 13 Aug. 2002: F6-F8. The New York Times. The New York Times, 13 Aug. 2002. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. .
Keller, Mathew C., Oscar Ybarra, Tor Wagner, and Ann Connway. “A Warm Heart and a Clear Head The Contingent Effects of Weather on Mood and Cognition.” American Psychological Society 16.9 (2005): 724-33. Print.
King, M. W. “Serotonin.” The Medical Biochemistry Page. Indiana University School of Medicine, 2 Nov. 2009. Web. 1 Mar. 2010. .
Laurie, Stephen J., Barbara Gawinski M.D., and Et Al. “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” American Family Physician 74.9 (2006): 1521-523. Print.
Mayo Clinic. “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research 34.9 (2009): 1-4. MayoClinic.com. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. .
Rosenthall, Norman E. “Issues for DSM-V: Seasonal Affective Disorder and Seasonality.”
The American Journal of Psychiatry 166.8 (2009): 852-53. Print.
Shur, Leo. “Seasons and the Brain.” The Lancet 358.9298 (2001): 2092. Print.
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[1] Melatonin- a. located in the pineal gland of the brain, the hormone is secreted in response to darkness, which resets the brain’s central clock (circadian rhythm) and helps the light/dark cycle reset the sleep/wake cycle and other daily rhythms. b. The change in season can disrupt the balance of the natural hormone melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.
