Yesterday marked the end of mental health awareness month. This time of year can be a difficult time for some people. Most people associate seasonal affective disorder (SAD) with winter blues. But seasonal affective disorder can apply to other seasons as well. Today I will talk about summer seasonal affective disorder or summer depression.

Summer depression is a less well-known version of seasonal affective disorder. It affects fewer people than winter depression and it’s much less studied. Summer depression usually starts in late spring or early summer - right around this time. Symptoms include depression, insomnia, anxiety or agitation, low appetite and sometimes weight loss. In contrast, winter depression symptoms include depression, increased sleep, increased appetite, carb cravings and weight gain. With typical summer depression cases, the symptoms resolve when the season changes.

Issues with the biological clock and melatonin have been blamed for this condition. However, there are few reliable studies explaining the biology behind summer depression.

Many people feel that summer makes them more aware of their negative emotions. Summer is a time with more socialization and more events. People are getting out more and doing more. When you don’t feel like doing any of those things, seeing everyone around you doing them can make the sadness feel even worse.

So, if you find that you’re struggling with your mood every summer, this may be one condition to keep in mind. Naturopathic medicine has a lot to offer in the area of mood disorders. If you would like to learn more, book an appointment or free 15-minute consult today.