Mental Health, Treatment

Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder

A well-known winter phenomenon, seasonal affective disorder strikes some people in summer. As depression and headache disorders tend to occur together, it’s important to watch out for symptoms. Particularly in summer, when it’s easy to mistake depression symptoms with the sapping properties of heat.

In winter, people with SAD tend to sleep more, have less energy,
gain weight and crave carbohydrate. Summer SAD sufferers usually sleep less, lose weight and have anxiety.

Because summer SAD doesn’t appear to be light-related, as it is in winter, the treatments that are effective for winter SAD don’t work for summer sufferers. Antidepressants and “lifestyle changes” are recommended instead. Examples include swimming in cold water every day, avoiding daylight and heat, and listening to a rain-sounds CD.

The New York Times has another informative article: Seasonal Depression Can Accompany Summer Sun. Mayo Clinic explains SAD’s symptoms, causes and treatments.