This is seasonal affective disorder (SAD), A form of depression Usually associated with dark winter months, can also take over in summer.
Although its symptoms may differ from its winter counterpart — cold-weather SAD usually makes people lethargic, while summer SAD makes them more agitated — it’s a condition triggered by seasonal changes.
This makes it a particular concern amid extreme heat waves and rising temperatures in 2024. As hot as June in the US, Temperatures are expected to rise in the coming months. These spikes underscore the effects of climate change and how rising global temperatures are leading to hotter, longer, summers. That reality likely exacerbates summer SAD and makes it more common.
“The hot environment is only getting hotter,” Norman Rosenthal, the Georgetown University psychiatrist who first described SAD, told Vox. “So that’s going to make it more important than ever as a factor to be reckoned with in terms of mental health.”
Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce the effects of summertime SAD, which can include depression, low productivity, and wanting to be alone. It can make people feel overstimulated and in some cases increase the risk of suicide.
The key to combating summer SAD is understanding its triggers, including the influx of heat and light that comes with this part of the year. This means looking for shade, cooler areas, and more Here’s what you need to know about summer SAD and what to do to overcome it.
What is summer SAD? And why does SAD happen in the summer?
Similar to winter SAD, summer SAD is triggered by unique seasonal developments.
Just as a lack of light can affect a person’s mood in winter, an excess of it with heat and humidity can also affect a person in summer.
The researchers found that heat Can make people more tired, irritable and aggressive, and that additional light can do the same. Both of these variables can also interfere with people’s circadian rhythms and their sleep schedules, which can also have mental health implications.
“The heat wears you down, robs you of energy,” Rosenthal told Vox. “Light excites you.”
Kelly Rohan, a University of Vermont psychology professor who studies SAD, says that not much is known about why these traits specifically trigger seasonal depression, and more work is needed on this front more generally. Because summer SAD is less common than winter SAD, it has not yet been validated to the same degree. About 10 percent of people who experience SAD do so during the summer, Experts guess.
Rosenthal notes that people who experience summer SAD usually have a genetic predisposition toward depression that can be triggered by seasonal changes. Rohan added that seasonal allergies may also play a role because they make people feel uncomfortable during the summer and cause inflammation, which is associated with As well as depression.
Although people who experience SAD in winter and summer share feelings of withdrawal and depression, their other symptoms can be significantly different.
“In the summer, people feel excited,” says Rosenthal. “And even if they’re depressed, they’ve got this extra inner strength.”
The combination of energy and movement is associated with a higher risk of suicide. In the summer people may be more active and inclined to take action, for example, while in the winter people are less energetic and inclined to pursue it.
If you suspect you may have summer SAD, the best thing to do is talk to a doctor about the symptoms you’re experiencing. As a way to assess symptom patterns, Rosenthal recommends that people think back over the past few years and try to remember if they had negative mood swings earlier in the season.
How to deal with summer SAD
Again, it’s important to remember that seeing a medical professional is essential to addressing mental health concerns – and this guide is not a substitute.
Some of the recommendations that experts have made, however, are possible ways to prevent certain symptoms of SAD.
calm down
Cooling the body using equipment such as air conditioning and 15-minute cold showers is one way to reduce the negative effects of heat.
In a 1987 study, notes Rohan, one patient took multiple cold showers a day even while living in an air-conditioned home. This method helped improve their mood considerably, but it was difficult to maintain when they went outside and were exposed to heat shortly after studying.
If options like these aren’t accessible, other ideas for cooling off include visiting public spaces like libraries and museums and bodies of water like rivers and lakes.
Shaded areas, under trees and umbrellas, can also be helpful.
Dim the lights
Reducing light exposure by using devices such as blackout curtains can also help.
Dimming the lights in a room can be calming, says Rosenthal, allowing people to calm down a bit if they’re feeling agitated. “If you understand that temperature is a problem, light is a problem, you can adjust your environment to reduce this irritation,” he says.
Researchers have found the use of accessories such as blackout curtains Can help improve sleep quality, ensuring people feel better rested and less anxious.
Establish a routine
Feelings of anxiety and tension may be related to the extent to which extreme heat disrupts a person’s normal routine, including sleep, exercise, and other regular activities.
Setting up a consistent daily routine can help maintain a sense of stability and structure Despite these obstacles.
Talk to a doctor
Experts stress that treatments that are more widely used for depression — including antidepressant medications and cognitive behavioral therapy — also apply to SAD and can be used to treat it.
“All antidepressants currently used for general depression can also be used for summer depression,” Rosenthal wrote in his 2023 book, SAD defeated.
Rohan echoed these words. He is careful, however, that anything Antidepressants can interfere with the body’s ability to function It is important to control the temperature, and be aware of it when following this path.
