If summer sun gets you down you may be suffering from reverse SAD - here's how to beat it
28.06.2022 - 11:01
/ ok.co.uk
Seasonal affective disorder, better known by its highly suitable acronym SAD, is a mental health condition that tends to hit in autumn/winter and is linked to a lack of sunlight. However, 35% of sufferers have summer depression. “Reverse SAD, or summer SAD, is similar in its symptoms and cycle,” explains clinical psychotherapist Tania Taylor.
“But the onset is felt in spring instead of autumn.Those with winter SAD feel inclined to overeat and gain weight, whereas summer SAD sufferers usually lose their appetite and lose weight unintentionally.” Telltale signs “Struggling with sleep and feeling lethargic and irritable in the heat can be signs of summer SAD,” says Tania, author of Sparkling Moments – 30 Days Of Amazing. Another sign is feeling socially anxious in a way you never do in the winter months. “If every spring/summer you feel low in mood and yet in autumn you start to come back out of your shell, it could be seasonal depression.
It can make you feel guilty and unworthy.” What causes it? Warmer weather often means more socialising. Great? Not if you have summer SAD. “These social pressures can feel difficult to manage,” says Dr Marianne Trent, a clinical psychologist and host of The Aspiring Psychologist podcast.
Body image can add to the anxiety, too. “Shedding longer clothing can lower the mood and change the way you interact with others,” says Dr Marianne. A health condition impacted by hotter weather can also make you more prone to reverse SAD.
“Hayfever sufferers can dread the warmer weather and feel unable to enjoy the quality of life they aspire to,” she adds. Genetics and a very low tolerance to the heat are other potential causes of summer SAD. And the condition may be sparked by the sun rising earlier
.
The website popstar.one is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can
send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.