Blow away the blues

The rains bring on the blues. “O Lord, how do I cope with this spate within,” the poet moans, “since you refuse to call?” Sada rahat pavas ritu ham par (it’s always raining upon us) /jab se Shyam sidhare (after the Dark Lord’s departure).


But to the sceptic and to the scientist, this might smack of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) due to bad weather! Mercifully, their manual of disorders no longer regards this as a unique mood disorder by itself: it’s an indicator of the depression that comes and goes with the change of seasons. Some experts view SAD as an evolutionary relic of hibernations past.

Food was scarce for most of our ancestral prehistory and the tendency to stay put under the quilt in a blue funk during the winter months may have reduced our need for calories, thus helping in the survival of the species! But in an age that groans with excess calories, SAD may prove maladaptive; particularly if the staying put under the rug also entails making frequent trips to the refrigerator even it’s if only to get a taste of the ancestral chills! Seasonal mood variations have also been linked to light.

There are many more cases in the northern latitudes in conditions darkened by cloud cover reminiscent of the monsoon! Remedies include treatment with bright light. This reminds your columnist of a remarkable insight in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra: to combat depression and sorrow (dukha-dourmanasya), the sage recommends meditation upon the brilliance of inner light (vishoka va jyotismati) that is free from suffering. Some combine this with sound.