That Summertime Sadness: Seasonal Affective Disorder After Winter
Most people who experience Seasonal Affective Disorder, aka seasonal depression or “the winter blues,” feel it in the colder weather months. And there’s a reason for that — freezing temps drive people indoors, which tends to mean less socializing. Not only that, but fewer hours of daylight typically leads to a dip in vitamin D levels like those often found in people with SAD. But seasonal depression can happen in any season of the year, including summer. While the “reverse-SADs” haven’t been studied nearly as extensively as its frosty counterpart, various sources report that anywhere from one to three in 10 people experiencing SAD may get that summertime sadness.
The difference between summer SAD and winter SAD
Summer SAD and winter SAD may share a name, but they deviate at a number of the symptoms. A groundbreaking 1987 study of 12 individuals with reverse seasonal affective disorder out of the National Institute for Mental Health revealed that the two afflictions can actually present very differently. While winter SAD sufferers tend to struggle with oversleeping, overeating, and lethargy, summer SAD sufferers face the opposite — insomnia, loss of appetite, and agitation. The exact causes aren’t known; some experts attribute the symptoms to heat or humidity, or the absence of one’s usual structured schedule (school’s out for summer!), or possibly allergies from pollen. Some even attribute it to the stress of social pressures from friends or family urging you to be excited about the summer season when the feeling just isn’t there. For some people, summer is a bummer.
Stick to a routine
Just because the causes aren’t exactly known doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to treat it. Whatever the season, try to stick to a routine as much as possible. See friends, exercise for those endorphins, and stay hydrated. If going outside makes you feel worse, seek cooler places — movie theaters, restaurants, swimming pools.
How The Talk Suite can help
For most people, a change in routine isn’t enough. If you are struggling, you can work with a psychotherapist at The Talk Suite to explore your feelings and address the root of the depression. Curiosity and remaining open to self-awareness is really the best antidote to depression. It is very likely that the particular timing of a depressive episode has roots in something deeper: does summer have a significance? Perhaps there is a connection between summer and negative messages we received from family about the way that our bodies looked in warmer-weather clothing. Perhaps summer meant losing touch with friends from the school year, and increased loneliness. Use this time as an opportunity to gain insight into where these feelings come from and focus on what you can learn from them. And remember, fall is right around the corner.