A Look at Seasonal Affective Disorder

S.A.D. or seasonal affective disorder is a “down mood” or “the blues” more commonly associated with winter. Although S.A.D. is more common in the winter, it does affect some people in the summer months as well. Summer S.A.D. seems to be more prevalent in women than men. If you are feeling depressed or down despite the reappearance of the sun, some simple changes to your routines may be enough to overcome summertime S.A.D.

One of the main causes of summertime S.A.D. is the fact that continuos exposure to high humidity and temperaitures are very draining. Individuals who feel drained on continous basis, begin doing less of thier normal activities. This leads to restlessness, agitation and eventually depression. For many people the arrival of the summer is cause for celebration. Some people feel it is the best time of the year. For others the start of the warm season brings depression with it. Added to this is a sense that they “should” be feeling good at this time of year. This can leave the person feeling both depressed and confused. They want to know why they do not respond to the warm weather the way other people do. It may be as simple as the fact that certain individuals are more senitive to the heat than others. So the first thing to do when summer S.A.D. becomes a concern is to try changes to your environment.

Staying as cool as possible, as often as possible, is enough to short circuit symptoms in some people.
If you find yourself bothered by blue feelings, make a concerted effort to stay cool as much of the day as possible. If you can be in an air conditioned environment twenty four hours a day, do so. If you are sensitive to this condition, it is not an extravagence. If you must be outside, anything you can do to keep your head cool will be a plus. Cool showers, cold drinks and swimming during the day will lower the body’s core temperature, indulge in them as often as possible.

Keeping temperatures low at night is especially important, regardless of how time you can spend in a cool environment during the day. This is because when people become depressed thier body temperatures often rise while they are sleeping. This can cause a person to wake frequently. The disturbed sleeping pattern then adds to the drained feeling, until the person feels tired even upon waking. Another day of heat and humidity saps the individual even more. It becomes a vicious cycle. Eventually a person feels exhausted, snappish and irritable all the time. Sleep deprivation alone can cause serious problems.

If you, or someone you know is being affected by S.A.D., it’s advisable to try as many of the environmental changes as possible. See if a change in surroundings is enough to bring symptoms under control. Many
people simply do not make the connection between the weather and how they are feeling. It is possible to wake during the night and not be cognizant of it.

If changes in your surroundings are not possible or if you try them and still find yourself feeling depressed, consider talking to your doctor. S.A.D. is a recognized condititon that can be helped with antidepressants. We do not know exactly why some people are more sensitive to certain seasons. Whatever the reason, there is no need to just endure it. If the symptoms are severe enough to affect your daily functioning, do not be afraid to ask if you might get relief from medication. Since anti-depressants also lower body temperature, for some individuals they provide complete relief from “the summer blues.”