Summer SAD: Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder

Mari · 05-09-2012, 03:34 AM

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/13/he...ted=all&src=pm
Seasonal Depression Can Accompany Summer Sun

Quote:

People with the more common variety typically feel lethargic in the colder months, crave carbohydrates, gain weight and sleep excessively. Those afflicted during the summer often experience agitation, loss of appetite, insomnia and, in extreme cases, increased suicidal fantasies.

The cause may differ, as well. Seasonal depression in the winter seems linked to increases in the production of melatonin, a chemical that helps set the brain's daily rhythm, set off by the decrease in light.

But ''the seasonal trigger for the summer depression is less clear-cut,'' said Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, a Washington psychiatrist and the author of ''Winter Blues.'' ''Conventionally, the thought has been that they are more sensitive to the heat. The question of whether it's too much heat or too much light has yet to be resolved."

also
Tips for Summer Depression
School’s out. It’s hot. And you’re not having any fun.
http://www.webmd.com/depression/summ...ression?page=2

Quote:

Plan ahead. Cook says there’s one advantage to a summer depression: you know when it’s coming. June is right there on the calendar. So if you’re feeling OK in the spring, think about the specific aspects of your life that become difficult during the summer. What will help prevent summer depression? What’s the best way to take time off from work? Would signing up the kids for summer programs or camp help relieve your stress? You’ll feel a lot more in control heading into the summer if you have plans in place.

Sleep. Vacations, summer barbecues, the short nights – they can all encourage you to stay up later than usual. But not getting enough sleep is a common trigger for depression. So make a concerted effort to get to bed on time.

Keep up with your exercise. Many studies have found that regular physical activity can help keep depression at bay. So even if it’s getting too hot for your normal activities, find other ways to stay active and head off summer depression. Start earlier in the morning or later in the evening, when it’s not so hot. Consider fitness equipment for the cool basement. If an annual membership to a gym is too expensive, consider joining one for a couple of months just to get you through the summer.

Don’t overdo dieting and fitness. Don’t kick off the summer with a frenzy of dieting and exercise in order to fit into last year’s bathing suit. It’s bound to make you unhappy and anxious. Instead, exercise sensibly and eat moderately. If you try an insanely restrictive diet, you probably won’t be able to keep it up. And that “failure” will just leave you more demoralized and worsen your summer depression.

waves · 05-10-2012, 09:26 AM

Dear Mari

i haven't read the full articles (yet), but i just thought what you cited deserved a comment...

while some of the specific tips are directed at summer... (bathing suits etc) others are generally valid for anyone who has a specific risk period for depression, even if they don't have SAD or reverse SAD.

the overall concept is also valid if one is aware of seasons or simply specific times of the year when ones tends towards mania too...

the whole taking advantage of the fact that you know it's coming and thus being able to plan ahead means you can do things like:

... consider ramping up prophylactic medications
... consider requesting more frequent pdoc and/or therapy appointments
... take steps to ensure greater support (for depression)
... take steps for assistance with risk/impulse managment (for mania)

etc...

i am very careful about when Spring comes for instance. even though i was doing better by start of this Spring i waited to taper my antidepressant because Spring has always had a strong correlation for depression for me.

Summer has a weak correlation for mania for me... and with the imminent hypomania the calendar was just one more reason to taper the Zoloft (i think though that we did it too fast in this case... perhaps if my thyroid had been ok, i could have handled it who knows.)

i do not have SAD or reverse SAD overall, because Spring is the only season with a strong association. During other seasons I've had both types of episodes, and I do not get depressed every single Spring systematically, either. Since my dx though, i have certainly learned to monitor mood and tread on eggs by mid February... i know that often there's a big hole out there just waiting for me, so to speak!

~ waves ~

Mari · 05-10-2012, 11:27 AM

HI,

I do not think that I get SAD.
I do know that I am sensitive to the seasons. Since I was young I loved June the most.

I remember reading about how some people with severe SAD start slumping as early as August as a kind of "preparation" for Winter SAD.
I hate December.
Even though I live in a sunny place, I react to the angle of the sun's rays. I have observed that other folks who are sensitive also seem to respond negatively to the winter sun.

M

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