Seasonal Affective Disorder - Essay Example

In the essay, the controversy of nature and nurture, the person-environment fit, proof and correlations, various types of the same pathology, and various forms of therapy are discussed aptly. Less Sun, More Depression for people with SAD Less Sun, More Depression for people with SAD, written by Elizabeth Landau talks about a life story of SAD patient of 16 years. He is called Douglas Cootey, who reveals the challenges of living with diseases (Landau, 1). He was unproductive during the winter season, since he spent most of the time sleeping (Landau, 3).

Initially, he did not realize that he had SAD, until he noticed the symptoms such as having depression, and desiring for sunlight. It is true that he accepted his condition and made apt strategies after knowing that he was infected with SAD. In the article, more women suffer from the diseases compared to men. “Although seasonal affective disorder commonly begins in young adulthood, it's uncommon in people younger than 20. Some studies show that it's diagnosed more often in women, but that men may have more severe symptoms” (Landau, 5).

The women between 20 to 40 years of age face the risk of having the diseases. At the present moment, specific reasons of the disease are not yet known, but it is believed that some biological factors might cause it. Interestingly, some individuals feel the effects such as irritability, agitation and poor appetite at the beginning of summer time. Cootey has by now adapted to lifestyle and is planning to train how to ski and ice skim during winter. I believe in that the say “change your thinking, change your life”, assists him to overcome the challenges of living with SAD (Landau, 2).

The nature aspect is demonstrated since a large proportion of individuals are likely infected with the diseases if one of their family members has it, especially the parents. The research on the genetic transfer of the diseases has found contradicting information on the issue. Nurture aspect is experienced since it is possible for the environment to trigger diseases to individuals who are genetically predisposed to SAD. This occurs when the person is extremely affected by the changing climate conditions.

The person-environment fit also affects the rate at which a person is infected by the diseases. “Some evidence suggests that seasonal affective disorder is more common among people who live in higher latitudes — or farther from the equator.” (Landau, 5). It is believed that individuals living in the Northern location are more liable to develop the diseases in their system than individuals living in south. Research proofs that people living away from the equator get SAD easily (Landau, 2).

In the recent research, various types of the same pathology show that genetic mutation in the eye can cause SAD. A person suffering from SAD will be less sensitive to the light, therefore, assisting him/her to be independent to light. A biology professor from the University of Virginia, Ignacio Provencio explains melanopsin can be used to detect colors in SAD patients. Consequently, a doctor can determine whether he/she is susceptible to the diseases. Moreover, the information received from the result correlates with the prediction of whether SAD patients can be healed through light therapy (Landau, 6).

Doctors can, therefore, determine the best healing process of an individual. In the