Feeling down or struggling to sleep? You could be suffering from little-known seasonal disorder
SUMMER is the best season – or so most people will tell you.
The sun is out, everyone is socialising or looking forward to their holiday. But for some reason, you’re just not feeling it.
For a minority of people, summer causes feelings of low mood, trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, and potentially weight loss.
If this sounds familiar, you may be experiencing a condition called seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
SAD is a condition that is more commonly known to affect people in the winter, when everything is a little more gloomy.
But for 10 per cent of people with the condition, they experience it in the reverse (summer SAD), according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Because it’s less common, the condition is rare and poorly researched.
There has been an 80 per cent increase in Google searches for “reverse seasonal affective disorder” in the past year, however, and a 450 per cent increase in “summer depression” in the past three months, according to Marie Claire UK.
It suggests Brits are either keen to find out more about the condition, or there is a spike in cases.
Professor Margareta Brown, founder of the Harley Street Wellbeing Clinic and a psychologist, told The Sun: “I think more people are becoming aware that there is a summer version of SAD.”
What is SAD?
SAD is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern, the NHS says.
Because the majority of people have it during the colder, darker months, it’s mostly known as “winter depression”.
The causes are not clear. But it is thought that a reduced exposure to sunlight in the winter may be important.
It could hinder the production of the hormones melatonin, which is important for regular sleep, and serotonin, also known as the “happy hormone”.
Changing light can also disrupt the circadian rhythm (the body clock), which can throw off various bodily functions such as appetite and mood.
Too much light in the summer is also thought to trigger these bodily responses.
Prof Brown said: “The abundance of light shuts off our melatonin production, which is needed to fall asleep.
“If there is too much light in your bedroom, or if you’re out late and then light wakes you up early, your sleep/wake cycle gets messed up, and then it’s harder to regulate mood.”
But there are a number of circumstantial factors that may contribute to a low mood in the summer.
These include financial strain, low body confidence or a lack of quiet time.
Prof Brown said the pressure to socialise in the summer months can have an effect on mood, while pushing yourself to do so can make it worse.
“We have a tendency to say yes to everything and every weekend can be busy,” she said.
Hay fever, humidity and hot weather – which can trigger other conditions such as asthma and eczema – can also make a person miserable.
What are the symptoms?
It’s important to note that SAD is not just feeling grumpy.
The NHS says: “The symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) are similar to those of normal depression, but they occur repetitively at a particular time of year.”
Signs of depression include a low mood, tearfulness and a feeling of despair.
You may withdraw socially or lose interest in everyday activities and hobbies, have a reduced sex drive and feel stressed or anxious.
For those with winter SAD, they might eat more and gain weight.
But in the summer, a person with the condition may lose their appetite, eat less and lose weight.
Symptoms can make work or relationships difficult to maintain.
It may just feel difficult to cope, at which point you should consider seeing your GP.
What can you do about it?
A GP can carry out an assessment to check your mental health and recommend potential treatment plans.
For those with winter SAD, this may look like light therapy or lifestyle measures that encourage seeking natural daylight.
Prof Brown said being conscious of light exposure is also important for summer SAD, for example limiting exposure in the evenings where possible.
But, because summer SAD hasn’t been thoroughly researched, an optimal treatment plan hasn’t been found yet, according to Medical News Today.
Lifestyle measures that may help include:
- Improving sleep, such as by drawing the curtains when it’s still light
- Using air-con or cold showers to help regulate heat and reduce irritability
- Reduce stress
- Eat a healthy diet
- Planning your social life to include time off