The expression “winter blues” is used to describe the feeling of lethargy, low energy, and low mood, which may affect some people as days become shorter, temperatures drop, and cloudy conditions spread during this time of year. But for some people, the matter is not limited to a transient state of apathy or distress; it may develop into a more profound problem.
A study conducted at the Cleveland Center for Medical Research in the United States, reported by the German News Agency, revealed that between 10 and 20 percent of Americans may notice a slight decline in their mood during the winter. When these symptoms become severe enough to affect daily activities, they may be an indication of a form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder.
Research indicates that there are several factors that may be responsible for this type of psychological disorder, including genetic factors, brain chemistry, and disruption of the body’s biological clock. Professor of Psychology at the University of Vermont, researcher Kelly Rohan, said in statements reported by the “HealthDay” website, which specializes in medical research, that these factors together may play a role in the emergence of this disorder.
Several studies have focused on two chemicals in the brain that may be linked to seasonal affective disorder: serotonin, which helps regulate mood, and melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. According to the US National Institute of Mental Health, changes in serotonin and melatonin levels in people with the disorder affect the body's natural circadian rhythm, making adaptation to changing daylight hours more difficult, and affecting sleep, mood, and behavior.
Seasonal affective disorder is associated with several symptoms, including feeling sad, empty, or hopeless most hours of the day, low energy, a constant feeling of fatigue, difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions, irritability, anxiety, or feelings of guilt and worthlessness, and changes in sleep, appetite, or body weight.
There is no specific blood test or imaging test to diagnose seasonal affective disorder, as the diagnosis depends on evaluating the symptoms and medical history, and verifying the recurrence of depressive episodes in the same season for at least two consecutive years.
Several methods are used to treat seasonal affective disorder, including light therapy, using special lamps to compensate for the lack of exposure to sunlight during the winter months, as well as psychological therapy, which helps people identify and modify negative behaviors, which contributes to improving dealing with the symptoms.
British writer M. John Harrison received the Booker Prize on Monday for his novel “The End of Everything,” which raises concerns about artificial intelligence in a satirical and dark form that depicts Britain in the post-apocalyptic stage.
Harrison, 81 years old, became the oldest winner of this award, which is worth 50,000 pounds ($67,000), which contributes to enhancing the winner’s sales and raising his status.
Harrison beat out writers shortlisted: Marlon James, Douglas Stewart, Elizabeth Strout, Luke Kennard and Rebecca Perry.
Jury chair Mary Beard said in a press conference that “The End of Everything” excelled “thanks to its brilliant and exceptional writing style, as well as to its enormous ambition.”
The novel, which is Harrison's thirteenth, deals with the story of Philip Tennent, who spends his time beachcombing, and his aunt Marnie, who suffers from dementia, on the stormy coast of England, which is subject to an invasion of mysterious objects known as "I-Getty." A mysterious disaster throws the two characters into a bleak, post-apocalyptic world where the European continent appears to have disappeared, while the emergence of i-Giti creatures that can mimic humans raises questions about interaction with artificial intelligence.
This 198-page novel evokes Britain’s exit from the European Union, the “Covid-19” pandemic, and the penetration of technology into daily life. The author previously stated that he was inspired by the financial crisis of 2008, and that he wanted to write a novel about “society’s inability to provide explanations.”
The award, which honors the best works of long fiction written by authors of any nationality in the English language and published during the past year, was awarded on Monday during a ceremony held in London.
Last year, British-Hungarian writer David Szalai won the award for his novel Flesh, a haunting story about a Hungarian immigrant in London.
In the Turkish village of Kayaköy you'll find a large school, narrow streets lined with houses straddling a steep valley, an ancient fountain, and churches, one of which offers stunning views over the Aegean Sea. However, for most of the past 100 years, there have been no residents.
Kayaköy, which is located in Mugla Province, southwestern Türkiye, is considered a “ghost village” abandoned by its residents and haunted by memories of the past. It looks like a memorial in which time has stopped, and a physical reminder of “dark” times in Türkiye’s history, according to what the American CNN network reported.
With hills dotted with crumbling buildings slowly swallowed by greenery, and endless views of lives gone by, the village is also a charming tourist destination that warrants a visit.
Tensions between Türkiye and Greece
About a century ago, Kayaköy, or “Livesi” as it was formerly known, was a vibrant village inhabited by at least 10,000 Greeks, many of whom were artisans who lived peacefully alongside Turkish farmers in the area. However, in the turmoil that accompanied Türkiye's emergence as an independent republic, their simple lives were torn apart.
According to CNN, tensions with neighboring Greece after the end of the Greek-Turkish war in 1922 led the two countries to expel people with ties to the other country.
For the village of Kayaköy, this meant a forced exchange of residents with the Turks who were living in Kavala, in what is now the Greek region of Macedonia and Thrace. But the Turks who came to the village did not feel happy in their new homeland, so they quickly left, leaving Kayaköy to collapse and become mere ruins.
Co-author of the Kayaköy Tourist Guide, Jane Acati, says that earthquakes and storms also played their role in destroying the village buildings, and that “perhaps one of the reasons for the abandonment of the village was the palpable sadness that hung over the place after the tragic events that took place in the 1920s.”
They didn't like the color blue
Among the few who remain in the village are the grandparents of Aysun Ekiz, whose family today runs a small restaurant near Kayaköy's main entrance, serving refreshments to tourists coming to wander around the village. The stories of those difficult years have been passed down through generations.
“The Greeks were screaming because they didn’t want to leave,” says Ekiz, who now sells handmade jewelry to visitors. Some even left their children to be taken care of by Turkish friends because they thought they would return. But they never came back.”
Ekiz points out that her ancestral family were shepherds and easily adapted to life on the outskirts of the village. She adds that the majority of people who moved to Kayaköy did not like to live there because the walls of the houses were painted blue, a color said to protect against scorpions or snakes.
She says that the Turks who moved to the village did not like this blue paint. Remnants of blue are still visible on the remaining walls of about 2,500 houses that make up Kayaköy, although few other decorative touches remain after decades of exposure to the elements.
However, what remains is still worth exploring as a glimpse into an ancient way of life on the cusp of the modern era. Day visitors pay a fee of 3 euros (a little more than $3) at a small kiosk on the main road before entering Kayaköy. From there, they can walk up and down its steep and uneven lanes and alleys.
