Disclaimer: This post—like all my content—is NOT intended for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment. It is for informational purposes only. The only place you can truly receive diagnosis and treatment is with a YOUR professional, qualified treatment provider following the proper assessment(s). Proceed with caution and use this post and all posts for information purposes ONLY.
Most people think of seasonal depression as something that happens in the colder months of the year. While that is a more prevalent presentation, it is not the only presentation. Because I, myself, live with depression during warm months, I thought it was a timely opportunity to share an understanding of seasonal depression-even in the spring and summer.
If you're living with seasonal depression, you also meet the criteria of major depressive disorder. Because I've discussed what depression looks like before, I'll only give a quick recap; sadness and similar feelings most of the time; lack of enjoyment; low motivation and energy; disturbed appetite and sleep; thoughts of death and suicide (help and support available by calling emergency services, calling a hotline such as National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 which is the USA number, or reaching out to local crisis resources are just some of the options).
What makes seasonal depression different from other depressive disorders is that it is only present during certain seasons, consistently. As mentioned earlier, most people tend to experience this during the winter due to the diminished sunlight, the reduction in outdoor activity, and colder temperatures. There are still those of us who find we get hit with depressive episodes during the weather's shift to warm temperatures.
I've realized over time that I'm one of these people. While there's a lot of understanding of why the colder, darker months of the year tend to bring on depression, it's harder to analyze seasonal depression during warmer, brighter months. Looking at myself for some answers, I can think of some of the factors involved in spring/summer seasonal depression.
It's Soooooo Hot
I've never been able to grasp how people could spend a day at the beach, baking in the sun and breathing in air hotter than a dragon's breath. Then again, I'm sure those same people can't understand how I enjoy brisk walks in crisp thirty-some degree weather. The conclusion: people with seasonal depression in the warm months have a sensitivity to warmer temperatures. On the flip side, I've often heard people with winter seasonal depression say they can't stand the cold, which must mean they experience the opposite.
Allergies
The second a groundhog sees his shadow my body reacts violently...against itself. My facial skin and scalp dry and flake, my eyes are itchy and painful at the same time, and I'm in for months of feeling like I'm developing strep throat. It can't just be me.
There are those of us out there with such uncomfortable allergies that we barely feel human, let alone ourselves. It definitely does a number on mood, motivation, confidence, and self-image. It's important to note, of course depression can just happen with no catalyst, but it can also develop related to circumstances both external and internal.
Too Much Sun
If the people dealing with seasonal depression in the winter worsen due, in part, to not having enough sun, the opposite must be true for the people like me. In theory, sun is good for us. Most people are supposed to get some sun exposure. But that doesn't mean we want more than 12 hours of daylight.
Having very pale skin and sensitivity to heat, I'm predisposed to hate the sun as it is. But I also find having too much daylight, even if I'm not out in it, throws my body off and makes it hard to relax in the evening. If you're weird like me and take a long time to fully wake up, even when you're up and going, you also hate how bright the sun shines and greets you on a summer morning when you'd rather the world be as dim as your brain activity.
Lack of Consistency
While the cooler months of the year can be hectic with a return to school, the rush of holidays, and event after event, they tend to have a great deal of structure and consistency. Not so as we move into the spring and summer. Vacations start happening as soon as spring break hits and don't stop until school's back in session in the fall. School is generally out for the summer time and barbecues pop up every weekend. That means a change in traffic flow (for those of us who work with clients like me, hairdressers, and automotive technicians) at work and on the roads, a change in contact with others, less regularity holding our days together, and, for those with kids, the pressure of finding childcare.
I, personally, feel bored in the spring and summer. I love the hustle and bustle of the holidays starting with Halloween all the way through St. Patrick's day. It gives me something to look forward to every month. I get to decorate and re-decorate, give gifts, cook special meals, and get creative. The spring and summer time feel aimless and it makes me melancholic.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Share your thoughts! Your feedback is welcome and valuable.