It is hypothesized that this may be the case, but more studies are needed in this regard. Seasonal depression seems to be associated more with light cycle variations, primarily.
depression!
mania
You have it backward I believe. When serotonin is lower, people have more risk to experience depression.
Depression. So all things that come with depression, and what not. A chemical imbalance = bad.
Depression is a common mental disorder that is partly due to a deficiency in serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in regulating mood, and low levels of serotonin have been associated with symptoms of depression.
Ecstasy is mostly know for increasing Serotonin levels in the synapse which it does the most. It also increases levels of dopamine, monoamine, and norepinephrine. Serotonin is associated with your mood/emotions, sleep and appetite. Antidepressant drugs ussually target and increase serotonin levels as people who are depressed have low serotonin levels. This is why ecstasy makes you happy and loving when you take it. Dopamine is what allows us to expierence pleasure or pain, This is why it is sometimes called the reward center of our brain. Low dopamine levels lead to addiction. As far as I know monomine and norpinephrine are closely related to serotonin and are also related to your mood and depression.
Hydroxyzine decreases serotonin levels as it a serotonin antagonist.
In low doses a synthetic form of THC has been found to act as an antidepressant by enhancing serotonin levels in the brain, but at high doses it can apparently worsen depression and other mental disorders.
L-tyrosine is an ideal supplement to help increase serotonin levels. As for food, any kinds that are abundant in vitamin B complex will help (eg. bananas). These will ideally help with depression symptoms, among other things.
Although brain chemical imbalances that cause depression are complex, researchers believe that a few main hormones are responsible for promoting feelings of well being. These hormones are norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. Another name for these hormones is monoamine transporters; that is they carry important messages along the neural pathway in the brain. Where an imbalance of these hormones occurs, a mood, energy or cognitive problem results. This is why these hormones are closely associated with depression. Norepinephrine Norepinephrine is produced by the adrenal glands and nerve cells to help us maintain energy and activity. Norepinephrine is also called noradrenalin and behaves similar to adrenalin, in that it is released in reaction to anger or emergency. As with serotonin related antidepressants, norepinephrine related medications do not increase levels of norepinephrine, but attempt to help the sympathetic nervous system to process it more efficiently. Dopamine Dopamine is associated with euphoria and our desire or motivation. Dopamine is also connected with the information pathway in the brain. A dopamine disorder or imbalance can cause memory and cognitive loss as well as difficulty with problem solving. Serotonin Serotonin may help us feel energetic, calm and assured. Most mood problems are associated with serotonin imbalances. Because the vast majority of depression sufferers may have low levels of serotonin, and because most medications seek to increase serotonin levels, serotonin is discussed here in more detail. Low levels of serotonin not only affect mood, but the ability to cope with strong emotions. Low serotonin may also inhibit sensitivity to possible consequences, which may explain why aggression, impulsive behavior and suicide are prolific in people with low serotonin levels. we are all subject to these hormones regardless of age.
Most of the time it depends on the person's serotonin levels which are the type of hormones that run in everyone's body. Women have less of these hormones and therefore are more susceptible to depression. :)
There still exist no known norms for serotonin levels, as these vary widely among individuals.