I've heard of the winter blues or seasonal depression in the winter. Is there such a thing a spring depression? I feel fine in the winter and summer, but every March or April for the past seven years I go through a period of depression. Is this just me or could there be another reason for my other seasonal spring depression?
I have had this happen to me every spring starting in late February going into April for the last 5 years and every year I wonder if I will come out of it. The way I feel is that I cannot concentrate, I have not energy, I have anxiety and can not sleep properly, not to mention you feel like you are in a fog and have no interest in anything. Why does this happen and can anyone help explain this.
I wonder if it has something to do with Vitamin D? I have had this for many, many years, maybe even all my adult life ... and possibly even in my childhood I just can't remember back that far!!! I also was diagnosed with low levels of Vitamin D in the past 2 years. So, this has me wondering, since people tend to be lower in Vitamin D in the winter time, maybe after a few months of winter, our bodies are all out of wack, and so it plays a # on our bodies and thus our minds, more then in other times of the year? Just a thought.
Wow, you have explained exactly what I have been going through ever since my husband died, 26 years ago. I suffer from chronic dibilitating depression. It is a very dark depression. I go through a transition of depression from fall to winter and then feel much safer in the winter and can hide myself and don't feel the pressure to get the yard done or much around the house. I wonder if I will ever be delivered from this. As February approaches, I feel more depression coming on and anxiety and panic. Somehow over the past 2 yrs. I have experianced agoraphobia and can not even go out of my house to get the mail, let alone going to my counselor each week. Of course, I have to make myself go to appointments or get groceries, but I have a lot of anxiety that makes me sick to my stomach as I am getting ready to get out. The entire month of March is hard for me as that is the month my husband died. I have never really gotten over it. I am experiencing much grief over the loss of my husband now and that is a good thing, though very painful. April continues to bring me further down especially when the sun comes out and it is starting to get warm enough to get outside and get the yard work done. Like this week, we have had 3 warm days in a row. I have been in the house crying because I can not get myself out there to start the yard work with the grass so long my puppy comes in so wet. My self esteem is very low during this time and I cry a lot trying to figure out what is wrong with me. Why can't I even go outside to get the mail or play in the back yard with my dog? Why do I feel like I need to take a nap everyday to have a couple of hours to stop my mind from thinking that I am screwed up. I could go on and on....is there any hope of being healed of all this?
I also have an increased amount and intensity of migraines and chronic headaches with the season change - pain does play a LOT on our mood. Although I've been through many depressions, those for which I was hospitalised long-term (I mean months) were always at their peak April/May. The exasperation from the headaches and their return with a vengeance makes it seem like there's no point going on if this pain'll always be there to suck all the enjoyment, motivation, energy, concentration, appreciation, etc. etc. from me...
This year has been much easier, I think I've just learnt to deal with it differently and accept that the pain is there, accept that (in my case) it'll never go away - for years I've been unsuccessfully working with some of the best specialists, to stop, or at least reduce, this constant headache I've had since I was 8 or 9 (I'm now 26). I've been giving myself to permission to slow down my pace drastically come spring-time, to let the migraines pass, miss out on my activities if need be, and take advantage of the moments where the pain isn't overwhelming. I keep myself busy at home, try not to over-do it... it's all a question of pacing. I know that come summer-time, I am more in control of the weather triggers in that I can reduce my exposure to extreme heat and sun, keep well hydrated, etc. In the spring, I can't control barometric pressure changes or mother nature's pre-menopausal symptoms. The fact that my medication is finally well-adjusted and works year-round to keep my mood more stable is also a big help.
Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on this long! I just hope that my road to recovery from spring depression, in part linked to increased migraines/headaches, can be of some help (or at least encouragement) to you...
I ahve been suffering form spring depression for the last 10 years. It starts around late march, it reaches its peak around April/ early MAy , then gradually disappears.
My shrinks disagrees.They are holding a convention on spring depression in MIlan this week.
Plus, T. S. Eliot described it very well:
THE WASTE LANDI. THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD April is the cruellest month, breedingLilacs out of the dead land, mixingMemory and desire, stirringDull roots with spring rain.Winter kept us warm, coveringEarth in forgetful snow, feedingA little life with dried tubers.
it is so wonderful to hear that i am not alone. i used to think it was spring fever.. i would always buy big items in the spring or hae my relationship breaks up in the spring. i never put it together until the last few years. the reason i bought large items was an attempt to make me feel good (never worked) and relationships, well we all know that if we dont love ourselves it makes it so hard to love others. anyhow im feeling it again this year - hopefully just knowing that others go through this as well may be just what i need to give me a little hope. i totally get it when others mentioned about feeling like they should go out and do things. thank u all for sharing. good luck and keep going.
I did a search on spring depression and stumbled across your post. I was just speaking with a co-worker about how I just realized that for years now, always shortly before the time change, I start feeling extremely fatigued and depressed. She says it's the same for her. After reading all the comments posted here in reply to your post, I think it's safe to say we are not alone. Maybe try something like what I am going to do to combat it...., go for walks, take a good multi vitamin with your first meal of the day and a Super B vitamin with dinner (Full vitamin B complex with vitamin C) and make sure you get enough sleep. Find time for a movie or a coffee once a week with a friend too. It's amazing how doing the opposite of what we feel like doing (withdrawing) can be just the ticket to a better mood. I'm going to start going for extra walks with my puppy:) Tomorrow I'm going with my daughter and one of my best friends to see 'Horton Hears a Who' in the theatres so that should help elevate my mood a bit.
Please post again 'Fallers' and let us know if you try anything that does the trick.
Just remember, you are not alone.
allergies can actually cause depression and anxiety and for those who suffer with depression allergies such as spring allergies to pollen can exacerate depression. some of you may not even be aware you have allergies. do some web research between the connection beteen spring allergies and depression. depression caused by allergies is not widely know most people are aware of typical symptoms, asthma, hey fever but scientist have actually have been doing research on this topic...spring allergies linked to depression. take heart and have faith you are not alone, if you seek allergy treatment it could help stem the flow and onset of the spring blues and depression. see a doctor to find out if you suffer from spring allergies. keep the faith, there is help.
I've gone through a depression every spring for the past few years as well! I've found a few web articles by psychologists saying you'd think seasonal depression would be worse over the winter months, but astonishingly there's an upsurge in reports of depression and suicide threats in the spring.
We're certainly not alone, though I've yet to find any sorces that give an explanation or offer help. Barometric pressure? Changes in the atmosphere? Allergies(even without any other allergy symptoms)? I'm in the process of researching it - I'll post again if I find anything out!
Thank you! When you feel this way year after year it's a good feeling to know that it's not just you. Those around you who have never felt this way think you are crazy and want you to just SNAP out of it!
I'm 42. I first became aware of my "spring fever" in high school. I dated the same guy for 5 years and he noticed the 'change' in me every spring. He began calling it spring fever and kind of left me alone to work through it or weather the storm. I don't recall going through it every year since then but I do know that some years it has been worse than others. If there are other sad/bad things going on, I can latch onto them and dissolve into a downward spiral where I even entertain thoughts of suicide. Right now, I just want to be alone. I think everbody dislikes me and I don't want to deal with people who don't understand. Yes, deep down I known it's not true but that's where I am right now.
Thank you Sled for your suggestions. Thank you all for sharing and letting me know that I'm am not alone.
I googled "depression in spring" and here I am. I thought maybe I was just crazy, but it seems to settle every year around this time. I've actually been put on SSRI's at this time of the year previous years ago, only to quit without telling my doctor because I REALLY didn't need them anymore after May... It's a strange thing... It sucks. My mood right now is a constant feeling of disgust and sadness from my head to my stomach to my toes... At least I'm aware now, so I can look to summer and fall, right!?
Good luck everyone... here we go again! ^_^
I found this website the same way you have, It feels like a weight off the shoulders just to not feel like such an odd ball.
I was thinking that it may be a good idea to ask a friend or family member to go on a weekly walk or something.
Usually I just want to curl up in bed and relax with a book and hot bath... trying to hang onto the winter comforts and then the guilt sets in.
Maybe actually getting out could help one adjust to the changes more easily and be able to see the beauty in Spring from a different light. Plus if you make a plan, you may be more likely to feel like you have to do it! And like exercise, it's not so bad once you go out and do it! It is the motivational factor that is such a drag.
I have a theory that very sensitive or empathetic people may be more prone to such depression. When it is winter time, all people in general tone down quite a bit. This is a safe place, as another blogger mentioned earlier. Things feel calm and quiet around you.
Once Spring comes about, the calm of winter heats up and there is (scientifically speaking) more energy all around you that is being expended. If you are sensitive to your surroundings, this sudden rush of energy can seem over bearing and oppressive. By the time summer rolls around, we may be able to adjust, things calm down a bit again-being that the extreme heatexhaust and slows things down.
I really wish you the best of luck this year. I agree with the previous bloggers use of a good multivitamin as well as boost of vitamin B, C and Magnesium (you should take 2x's as much Magnesium as calcium in order for it to be effective. A good ratio is 1000 Mag:500Cal) Also, chocolate is a dopamine booster! Just a piece will do.
Also! Sometime just embracing the sadness is more effective than trying to fight it (beyond nutrition). This takes the guilt out and leads to a more loving self acceptance.
I wish you the best of luck this year!
Sincerely,
Nksan
I couldn't find any information a year ago when I posted the original question. But after reading so many of your responses, I feel an odd comfort in knowing that I'm not alone in this yearly swing. Thanks to everyone that has opened up about their own struggles!
I've had bouts of it again this year, but it hasn't been as severe. I've found that I do better when I get more sunlight, so I try to sit by a window when its too cold to go out. I've also started getting up early in the morning to exercise, and I can tell a big difference on the days when I don't workout. I also have been leaning more on the words. I try to pick different friends each time so they don't get overloaded, but just knowing they care enough to listen is encouraging. my support system this year. When I start to feel blue I call a friend and just have a long talk. It has really helped me to talk about what's bothering me, even if its difficult to find
Just keep your heads up and know you aren't alone!
Yes, April is a tough one for me too. As many others have written here, I googled Spring Depression, and I am also "pleased" (if one could say so) to see I am not alone in this. As to why? It just dawned on me reading this that my mother died on March 3 way back when I was only three years old. I did not even know this until my brother passed away on March 2 this year and people commented how if he'd waited a few years more he would have had the same death date as our mother. (Interesting because he shares his BIRTHDAY with our late father and came down with the same kind of cancer at the very same point in his own life. But I digress.)
A couple of people mentioned the indoor comforts of winter or being kept indoors a lot as a child. I have Asperger syndrome and have never been a big outdoor-activity person, anyhow. But the older I get (I am 51 now), the more the bright glare of the sun burns my eyes and makes everything seem somehow kind of naked and exposed. I much prefer a diffuse light, such as on a partly-cloudy day or in the shade of trees. But at the same time, day after day of rainclouds or fog will depress me too...
Anyhow, once again I appreciate knowing I have some company in this particular malady of springtime depression.
I also am affected by this. I read somewhere that in the U.S. most suicides happen in the month of April. Most people get depressed in the winter due to lack of sunlight but I have not been able to find a cause for spring time depression in the 9 years it has been happening to me. I have been on medication for 5 years straight now and even my doctor is unable to give me answers for the spring time rut. For me April and May are the worst times each year. Summer and fall and winter go on fine as the years pass but it's almost like the 1st of April turns everything upside down. I am not suicidal but in these months I have cut all my hair off 5 of the 9 years I have been going through this. My mom read it is a way of self mutilation. I also cry over spilt milk and shut myself off from the world as much as I can. Also a lot of my friendships suffer or end completely. Know you are not alone and that you just kind of have to grin and bare it. You'll make it through just like you did last year=) Things will always get better, even if they have to get worse first.
I also am affected by this. I read somewhere that in the U.S. most suicides happen in the month of April. Most people get depressed in the winter due to lack of sunlight but I have not been able to find a cause for spring time depression in the 9 years it has been happening to me. I have been on medication for 5 years straight now and even my doctor is unable to give me answers for the spring time rut. For me April and May are the worst times each year. Summer and fall and winter go on fine as the years pass but it's almost like the 1st of April turns everything upside down. I am not suicidal but in these months I have cut all my hair off 5 of the 9 years I have been going through this. My mom read it is a way of self mutilation. I also cry over spilt milk and shut myself off from the world as much as I can. Also a lot of my friendships suffer or end completely. Know you are not alone and that you just kind of have to grin and bare it. You'll make it through just like you did last year=) Things will always get better, even if they have to get worse first.
HI , I JUST CAME ACROSS THIS AND WOW, I,M NOT AS CRAZY AS I THOUGHT. IN FACT, SOMEWHERE ON THIS SITE I POSTED HOW I FEEL ABOUT SPRING OR ACTUALLY SUMMER. I JUST HATE..HATE..HOT WEATHER. WHILE EVERYONE ELSE I KNOW ARE HAPPY CAMPERS, BUYING NEW SWIMSUITS...SHORTS AND TANK TOPS.GOING TO TANNING BEDS TO GET A HEAD START ON THE PERFECT TAN....I DONT KNOW WHEN I STARTED TO HATE THIS TIME OF YEAR...BUT, I AM HAPPY TO KNOW THAT I,M NOT ALONE...I HAVE HAD SKIN CANCER REMOVED 4 TIMES, SO I KNOW I,M GOING TO STAY AWAY FROM THE SUN AS MUCH AS I CAN....GOD BLESS YOU ALL....JENNIFER
Yes, I agree about the "tyranny" of brightness and loudness which increase markedly in the spring, and one does tend to acclimate as the warm weather months progress. Everything does seem more in your face. And if you think a "regular" introvert feels discriminated against in our (yes, you are right) extrovert-oriented society...try being on the autism spectrum.
I did some research on the relationship between Allergy and Depression. I am really glad to find out that there is a significant number of studies performed in this particular subject. No wonder many people experience a sudden onset of depression in March and April where polen season it at its peak. If you like to find out more you can look it up on Google Scholar:
Changes in Allergy Symptoms and Depression Scores are Positively Correlated in Patients with Recurrent Mood Disorders Expose to Seasonal Peak in Aeroallergens, Teodor T. Postolache, etl. Scientific World Journal Author Manuscript; available in PMC 2008 January 14.
You can find other journal articles using the article above either using references given or cititations on the article.
like several of the previous posters, i found this after googling "spring depression". i go through this crap every year--painful, occassionally debilitating depression march through june which exhausts itself by the late summer, followed by a generally upbeat autumn.
Yes, depression in the spring does exist. I've been married to my husband for forty years. He used to take off in the spring to East Texas to help his father at the ranch. I was left alone to look out for myself. He would come back around October. I never knew what was wrong with him. I was always blaming myself for this and that. Then I learned it as not me. He just needed some time alone. Right now he is in East Texas. He told me he was going to visit his Dad at the grave. He had not gone to East Texas since his brother died in 1994. We were not allowed to attend the funeral because according to his step mother he was not dressed properly. His father died around 1996 and needless to say he did not attend the funeral. My husband left around June 5. It is now July 8 and he finally told me that he was suffering from depression. He is now 59 years old and he finally confesses to me that he has depression. On memorial weekend when I was with him he was extremely angry at me. He told me I was very mean and if I continued he was going to call the sheriff and have me removed from his property. I did not want to tell him that I had paid for the property. I knew something was wrong with him. He left in June 5 and I left him a message on his cell phone. If you feel bad check yourself in the hospital and left me know where you are. I normally do not take the time to add comments to anything on the computer but this just might help somebody. After my mother died, my sister claimed she went through a depression. I did not believe her because she was still going to work. When my mother was alive, I remember she was depressed around December and she went buying presents for her grown up children. My mother was really poor so really she just did jot have money to be buying presents. I mention my sister and my mother because I guess depression hits everybody differently. I have been feeling sad this month because I find myself not being able to do anything to help my husband. He is on 4 medications from the VA for his arthritis, anxiety panic disorder. To top if off last year he began suffering from erectile dysfunction and this is just about killing him. He said he checked himself at a hospital, got some electrolytes and is earting properly. He is working somewhere at a health farm in East Texas. After this experience, I think I need to join a support group because my husband depression is really bothering me. I have been walking every morning for about an hour. Yes my husband got some vardenafil (Levitra) from the VA. I love him dearly. But, there is just so much you can do with someone who is depressed. I have just left it all up to God. Most of the medications to treat depression cause depression. Two years ago he was put on Zoloft only to discover this medication made him think of suicide. It has only been in December of 2007 that he told the VA he was depressed. If yo read my comments, pray for my husband and my family and I'll do the same for you because depression is really bad. DO GET YOURSELF TO A DOCTOR. I'm glad my husband has sense enough to take medication. I just with he had let me know about his depression a lot sooner in my marriage because I just learned about his feelings about depression in December of 2007. I wouldn't have blamed myself for this and that. I just might write a book and have the profits of my book go to help people who are depressed to get help. Thank you. Just call me THE EMOTIONALLY PHYSICALLY AND TEMPORARILY UNAPRRECIATAED WIFE (I say temporarily because after one on his empisodes he would always thank me for remaining his wife and being behind him) BATTERED WIFE, Margie-Little Flower in El Paso, Texas
I am responding to my message. I just wanted everybody to know that life is just tough. On July 16, 2008 I found out my husband was back in town. He was found joy, peace, love, and a new style of life. He has found "Sunshine". He claims his dead father told him to "be happy". He told me he had made up his mind to die before December this year. That is the reason why he was not eating. However, he has now gotten his his health back. I'll leave you with this thought. He has found "Sunshine" , ANOTHER WOMAN. During his whole trip to East Texas he called me and told me he had depression. Then he called me again to let me know he was MANIAC DEPRESSIVE. Well, continue praying for him because with his erectile dysfunction, I don't know how long his new "Sunshine" is going to last and then he will be depressed again. I'm trying to analyze the whole situation about Maniac Depressive. I guess this is what this illness causes. Ups and downs. Highs and lows. Risky sex, spending sprees, etc. He claims he bought a Harley for this RENDEZVOUS. It is just terrible. I hope this is my last entry. Thank you. I just know that when he comes back, he'll probably say nothing happened, there was no woman, he just needed to get away etc. etc. I have been through this before. But this is the first time that he called me to let me know that he was depressed that's why I just fell so worry for him. I still do feel sorry for him. Is it depression or his life style of lying. Thank you. Margie from EL PASO.
Hi Margie,
I sympathise with you, but there is hope, and keep looking for answers, they are available. As far as I know, (I am no professional psychologist), but what you describe about your husband sounds familiar, like something the pro's call Borderline personality disorder, or something in that line. Sometimes it helps to know that the person's behaviour has a name, and there is information avalable, which makes it easier to cope with.
Good luck and keep looking out for the light.
(I truly respect you for your faithfulness toward your husband!)
Hanna
hi margie,
i wish i had something encouraging to say, but in truth, i really don't. i spent the last seven years trying to make something workwith a man who is bipolar. your very first message made me think he was bipolar and not just depressed. the sudden hostility and "i'll call the sherriff" stuff sounded very familiar. the regular trips away, the anger directed toward you. you have just found out that he has another woman. i am willing to bet any amount of money that the further you dig into this, or the more he stops trying to hide it from you, you will find out there have been numerous infidelities and other deceptions.
the good news, however, is that he is taking medication. if he is committed to taking his meds and accepting responsibility for the dreadful behavior, maybe ya'll can fix the damage. but keep in mind that his illness is NOT an excuse to treat you badly. you still have the right to expect a certain amount of decency and respect from your husband. he may never really be capable of that. i KNOW he has a real, genuine illness, but be honest with yourself about what you are willing to put up with. don't be afraid to ask yourself, "would i put up with this treatment if he didn't have his illness as an excuse?"
i just hate the idea of another woman going through what i have been through, trying so hard to love someone who is really two different people, and you never know which one you will get on a given day, or when the one will turn into the other. if he doesn't remain on meds, his illness will get worse: more rapid and extreme changes and a higher chance of suicide.
good luck to you; i really hope you find the happiness and stability i am sure that you deserve. i certainly do hope your husband gets better.
in those allergic to tree pollen?
I have often wondered if the two have something to do with each other. I do fine all year long but around late April beginning of May I get horrible allergies and very depressed. Each year my allergies get worse and each year my depression seems to get worse. Makes you wonder if it's a chemical reaction to either allergy medication or our bodies reaction to our allergies.
Of course this would not be the case for people who don't have allergies. So maybe we are dealing with depression and than not feeling well because of allergies just makes the situation worse. How many of you have allergies this time of year??
I am so glad I found this page. I have fallen into the abyss every spring for at least the last 20 years, and it is starting again now. I was sitting at the computer with tears falling, and (like so many others) did a search for spring depression. I know I will still have to deal with this for the next 2-3 months, but I am so relieved to know I am not the only one. They may not have a name for it, but we are not just a bunch of whiners who have to "snap out of it". What we have is real. Good luck, everybody....
I feel relieved to see that other people suffer from this problem. Four years ago, I was hospitilized for severe anxiety and depression in March. Ever since then, I start having a lot of negative self-talk and brooding in mid-February, which culminates in a series of anxiety attacks and other problems in mid to late March. By the end of April I'm usually back to normal and I always feel great in the summer, fall, and winter.
I've often thought that my spring depression had to do with my schooling and career choice. I'm a teacher, and joined this profession right out of college. The school year runs from August to June, and I've wondered if I just get overwhelmed at work or school at this point of the year. Any theories?
I love the fall. It has always been my favourite time of year. Spring however, makes me very anxious. It's a season I just can't make the most of which leaves me feeling unproductive and useless. So much talk of renewal and "yay summer is on it's way!" I start to panic over what I'm going to wear. I feel exposed.
I don't have great memories of spring or early summer as a child. I just started to notice this pattern of spring depression in the last few years and it has been getting worse. I had the first rumblings of despair a few days ago. Objectively speaking, life is good but from my darkening perspective I'm a failure in every way. I spoke with a very close friend today about my feelings and she said "it's about that time of year isn't it." She is a family doc and suggested that perhaps there was a correlation between my seasonal depression and my mother leaving me as a child. Who knows? Maybe my mother had the same thing.
I've been training for triathlons for about 8 months and I'm hoping my training will help me this year. It's a great suggestion to book time with friends and to try to have some fun. I'll try to do that too.
I just went online tonight to do a search for Spring depression and there you all were. Thank you for sharing your pain. It's nice to know that I'm not alone after all.
Good luck!
I have a son who will be 15 in mid-April. Every year for at least the last 6 years, he has "issues." He begins to hate school. Doesn't like to do anything. All the classic symptoms.
We've had him allergy tested (negative), sleep tested (negative) and have seen counselors on several occasions. Nothing helps. He does snap out of it by June, but it's extremely disconcerting and disruptive.
He gets plenty of exercise--swims, runs, plays sports, etc. Doesn't help.
Does anyone have a suggestion? Diet? Vitamins? I would be extremely reluctant to put him on any kind of antidepressant. Has anyone every found a physician who has researched this problem?
This entire discussion is good for one huge thing, to let people know they are not alone. There is one factor that is not so great though. We are all lumped into one group. The issues that all teenagers go through could be a large part of what your son is going through. Add to that the potential for a seasonal disorder and you have a more difficult situation for your son.
Look at all of the pressure your son has: peers, his own perception of self, ever changing levels of responsibility, school, hormones, sleep debt, a need for independence and all the scary stuff that goes with it, sexuality, and a developing ability to use abstract thought that makes him question his beliefs. Damn. That is a heavy burden. Now add the seasonal stuff. If that is allergy related he will have headaches, constant pressure of the sinuses, sore throats from post nasal drip, more sleep debt due to sleep pattern disruption. I mean, yuck!
Activity, quality diet, fluids, fluids, fluids, naps, and a nice long car ride with an understanding adult to talk stuff out CASUALLY. That's the key. The sneak attack to communication. The kid picks the music, then you ask (after a short time has passed) "who is that?", "I don't mind (or do mind) them." Talk, talk, talk, about nothing much. Then ask a couple questions like "how are you feeling lately?", "How is school, swimming, karate?" Whatever. Start to draw them out. It doesn't have to go anywhere, just let them vent if they need to.
With my daughter it was going 45 minutes away for Starbuck's. The coffee and drive cost a lot, sort of, but the money has been well spent. These trips have also given her an outlet. The outlet reduces stress. The lines of communication are re-established in a parent-"adult" child manner but the support is clear. This reduces more stress. Hopefully the next step is the more acceptance of parental advice.
Of course, all of this is a guess without knowing specifics. Just remember that anytime we reduce negative stressors we are doing a great thing.
It seems so wierd to be depressed when everyone around me is thrilled with spring. This is about the fifth year I have been confronted by it. One thing I notice is that nature has a chance for rebirth and we do not...it doesn't seem fair! Also, as an artist I love the lines of the bare trees which will soon be covered in leaves. The older I get (58) the worse it seems to be....I have an April birthday. Maybe that has something to do with it. In any case I'm a bit reassured to know that I'm not crazy in addition to being down!?!?!?! Joan
Well, I have spring depression as well. I have gone through it for at least the past 35 springs. It started again last week. I have noticed a new pattern with my spring depression. It now comes in short bursts of deep, dark, bottomless depression that passes after a few hours. After this, I feel like I was hit by a truck, exhausted and spent. Right now I am just waiting for the next round.
June cannot come fast enough.
Hi fellow spring depression people.
I've been going through this every spring for the last 13 or so years and am getting really sick of it. I would trade it for the flue, a cold or even some broken bones anyday. Mine starts late March early April usually when the snow is melting. It lasts for about 2 1/2 weeks. It seems to have started early this year. For 1 week I feel totally incapacitated. I'm useless. I use to go on group insurance every spring for a week at my old job. I would wait till I was dam near incapacitated then would call in sick. I wouldn't even have to wait the waiting period for insurance to kick in. My doctor had it as an on going disorder. I think I have a mild depression all year round but the spring is the ultimate lull. The sun only shines for me about once or twice a year if you know what I mean. It's like being plugged into some happy energy/motivation charger, something I haven't felt since I was younger. Something happened to me in 1991 and ever since then I can't make it through the day without a afternoon sleep and if I do I pay for it the next day. I find I'm better and more productive at night time. I lived in Vancouver Canada for 4 years. It rains all winter there and think I came back home to the prairies with SAD disease. Then this spring depression started a couple years later. I live in a part of Canada where it goes from +40 C in the summer to -40C in the winter I should be happy in the spring. I wish I got spring fever like wildlife does. I use to. The summer, fall and winter doesn't bother me. I've thought of all kinds of physiological reasons why this happens to me. The one I use to come up with is I'm not financially ready for summer. That's not the case now. I have a new boat sitting outside on my patio waiting to be used and other things on the go that should get me excited but they're not. I hope someone finds a cure for this and all other depression disorders with out any freaky drugs. I was going through a ugly divorce and my doctor had me on some happy pills for the day and another one for bed I took them for about 10 months. I threw them out 7 years ago when I met the girl of of my dreams. She was what I needed plus the the one pill affected my intimate time. I'm not depressed when we are together, it's when I'm alone.
I would hate to say thanks to you people for having what I have but this was therapeutic just finding out I'm not some kind of freak with a backwards seasonal depression disease.
Hi. Well here I am, too. I also googled spring depression and found this website. Every year beginning in March, I begin to get really depressed and exhausted. I'm on antidepressants, which work the rest of the year for me, but in the spring I just start to feel really down. I think I'll talk to my doctor about increasing the dosage on my Celexa, at least for the next month or so, and see if that helps at all. Fighting the urge to just give in to it, is difficult. But I will also try to get out and around other people, and see if that helps. I feel sympathy for all of us. It is tough to feel this way.
Hello,
I am writing in regards to your spring depression post! I have the same strange thing occur when the spring hits. I have read that there is a such thing as spring seasonal effective disorder that is not very common. I have a couple of theories. One is that it is possible that one may feel depressed because they are not able to get the gumtion to get up and go. They are still in winter hibernation mode, which is great when it is cold and dark. When it is sunny, it may become more depressing knowing that your body and mind would rather rest inside than play outside...yet you may also constantly think about how pathetic this makes you feel.
The other thing is, maybe it is the fact that everyone around you is more energetic and happy. If you are a fairly mellow and interverted individual this may feel almost oppressive or stunting. It is much easier to be calm and/orinterverted in the winter time. Once the summer rolls around, maybe we adjust to the change. It is just such a shock in the mean time.
Anyhow. these are just a few ideas. Maybe it will help to know you are not alone? I wish you the best of luck this spring. What do you think about the idea of making a pact with a friend to go on a weekly spring walk or something to help you get out of your shell? This may help to adjust to the weather.
As for an herbal remedy, I have heard that Saint Johns Wort and Lemon Balm make a good seasonal depression remedy.
I'm so glad i came upon this website and this post. i read through a couple of them and wanted to share that i go through the exact same thing. I'm only 16, but for the last 3 years, including this one, i get really stressed, overwhelmed, depressed. usually i start feeling this way at the end of february and in the spring months. like it passes about end of june/early july. and it's very frustrating because i always gain weight in the spring, never feel good about myself, and this is when i want to wear non winter clothes and feel happy and healthy and man the springtime really gets me.
Reading all your posts has been so helpful and affirming to me. I don't know how long I've gotten more depressed in the spring, but at least 10 years. It never made sense to me as I use a SAD light in the winter, so would assume that when there was more sunlight I would naturally feel better. Instead I feel worse - I like my winter routine and using the SAD light in the morning, then having the day go dark at 6:00 PM so it's cozy to be at home. And I like rainy cold weather on weekends so I feel like I'm allowed to be at home and do my inside workout routine and watch movies with my kids. In spring I feel like I "should" be enjoying time outdoors (as a counsellor I tell clients to stop "should-ing" all over themselves, though am still challenged in this area myself!) and I should be taking my kids lots of healthy wholesome outdoor places. It feels like obligation and strain. I tend to be okay by summer too.
I used to think more sunlight would help my depression so moved to a tropical zone. I found the constant sunshine and heat to be relentless, and craved a nice soft grey sky and cool rain. After a few years I moved back to the Vancouver area where the weather feels soothing.
I guess the fact that most other people seem to love the spring has made me feel worse about my own cringing overwhelmed feelings at this time of year, but I feel much better knowing that I'm not alone. Validated I guess. It somehow seems easier to make it through knowing I have company in this - so thank you to all of you who shared on this site. You've all helped.
PS. I just wanted to add that I have depression all year round, but it's managed fairly well with anti-depressants, healthy eating, daily exercise, and trying to balance work and family life so there's a little quiet time at the end of each day to read and be quiet. This spring depression just wipes me out in ways the depression doesn't the rest of the year.
I've gone through varying degrees of spring depression since I about 10 years old (43 now). Some years it's terrible and some years it's barely noticable. I found this thread of comments last year when I was going through it, and it helped reassure me that I wasn't some kind of freak, but I didn't have the guts to make a post. So, here I am again this year. This isn't the worst spring depression I've ever had, but it sort of came out of nowhere this time. In the past I could always feel it building up over a couple of weeks, so I kind of prepared myself. This year...on Friday I was my normal self...Saturday & Sunday I didn't feel like doing much, but put it down as being tired or lazy...Monday I felt exhausted and cranky. Yesterday, I was holding back tears from the moment I woke up and went in to work late. Today, there's no holding back the tears and I called off work.
Typing this is helping, so bear with me. A couple of times when it was pretty bad, I went to see a counselor, or a doctor, but I never really felt like they got it. They never believed it was something about the spring doing this to me. And the whole time I'm going through it, it's like there's this fierce battle going on in my head. The depressed side just wants to curl up and have the rest of the world go away. And the "normal" side of me is accusing the depressed side for giving in and angry at whatever outside force is the trigger for this. So on top of depressed, I feel conflicted and guilty.
I know if I can just make myself start doing something it will ease up. The fact that I got out of bed and got on the computer is a glimmer of hope. Now I'm going to see if I can manage to do a load of laundry. Who else but you all would understand when wanting to do a load of laundry feels like scoring a touchdown?
YES!! I've had depression in April for the past few years. I've come to the belief that it is worsened by the rapidly increasing daylight (especially around the time change). I realized recently that the happiest times in my life have been on vacation in Hawaii. Hawaii is beautiful, for sure, but I now believe it's because of the tropical 12 hour daylight/12 hour night. I think the very bright daylight, followed by a 12 hour period of dark is the answer. So this year, I'm doing my best to be inside after 6:00pm. It's not always easy as I love to be in the garden at that time, but last week I was inside 3 days in a row at 6 and I actually felt my symptoms abate. For the last couple days it wasn't possible and I felt worse. I usually feel bad until the end of June. Well, what happens at the end of June? The days begin getting shorter. I would love to hear from anyone who is willing to try this. Get plenty of sunlight, then inside by 6:00 and a good long sleep at night.
I too have found my entire life that depression worsens for me in the spring. It seems to worsen for a lot of other men too: look at the number of infamous shootings that have occurred in springtime in this country, like Columbine in Colorado 10 yrs ago and the Virginia Tech shootings from 2007. There have been many hypotheses in the medical literature as to why there is a general worsening of depression in the spring and increased rates of suicide (see National Library of Medicine's PubMed section for scientific studies).
Some say that there is a correlation between increased depression and low levels of testesterone; other say our circadian rhythyms are disturbed by the much brighter light of spring. Whatever the cause, for me it always involves much poorer sleep.
For the last 35 years, I've been depressed in the spring. I've never understood it. I've lived in Michigan my whole life, I HATE winter, I LOVE spring. It starts around the end of February, and peaks in mid-April, early May. Then it gets better.
But I wait so impatiently for spring every year, for that first daffodil, for the forsythia to turn yellow, I can't understand why I'm always so sad.
I've thought maybe that the winter blues just accumulate and accumulate until they finally break me, just at the end of the winter. But maybe it's because I think I SHOULD feel better because spring is here, and I don't.
I've always survived it so far, but some springs are so awful, that I don't think I'm going to make it.
This is a bad one, it seems pointless to fight it.
YOur comments definitely struck a chord with me. I couldn't have said it better myself.
The idea that spring is here. All is well, we should be happy. I love the flowers but hate the misery that comes into my head with it. This year has been more acute for me too.
I am glad each day that passes will bring me closer to relief.
On another vein, the correlation between suicides, murder-suicides, mass murders (like Tech and Columbine) all have spring in common. It can be a very mean time of year for looking so pretty.
Best wishes to all
I'm no doctor. But I'm also no idiot and I have had this long enough to descipher what my body is doing. I keep a journal and every year it begins about the same time. For me it begins to build in late April and lasts until the end of June. And the older I get the worse it gets. By the middle of June I am worried that I'm going insane and often sit in a dark room reminding myself that it's going to go away in a few weeks. I often read (my bible) durring this time to get my thoughts off of myself. At age 42 I'm figuring out that it is a combination of alergies, testostorine and the amount of daylight I experience. When summer soltice hits in June, it's like a clock in my head goes off and life becomes good all over. I have alergies year round but they really seem to agravate the depression in the late spring. And if I'm hormonal at all, I'm a total mess. A very good friend of myne was the same way. He was a very popular meteorologist with a big smile and great sense of humor. He killed himself a two years ago in April. I'm determined NOT to follow his path. It's just a phisical thing and I know my life is good. Lots of people live with much worse conditions and I can cope with this one.
I am truly amazed to read that so many people suffer their worst depressions during spring. Like so many, I thought I was "the only one." I have had a depressive disorder since I was a child (I'm now 46). I could never understand why, when nature is renewing itself as the season of spring, and everyone seems to want to "do things"- I feel like I'm dying - in fact, cannot seem to stop focusing on death and loss. My mind is mired in it and my body feels like I am "curling in" on myself...even moving my eyes is an effort.
While reading the posts here, it popped into my mind that the two times I was hospitalized for depression in the past was once in April, the next time in late March. Both times in spring!
Strangely, I take delight in gardening - the flowers blooming and the trees and wild animals flourishing - yet the longer days of sun and warm weather are sheer torture to me. I feel "exposed", unprotected, overstimulated, trapped, no safe, dark, friendly place to recharge in.
I finally decided, 3 days ago, to bump up my ssri - at least for a week or 2 - and see how I feel. Last night was my first more normal night of sleep, pleasant and insightful dreams, and real rest since "spring sprung." It seems, so far, that the increase in antidepressant is offering some relief. I think of times in history when people didn't have any such thing as an antidepressant and I wonder how they survived the torture of depression. Ugh.
Anyway, best to all; clearly, none of us are alone in this.
Mr Spazm,
You be careful. I've been dealing with this for a while. I'm a stubborn guy so I just get angry and "suck it up." It's kind of stupid but it works for me. For now.
When a close friend takes his life though, well, I think it puts another similarly affected friend at risk. Keep going with those journals and read that bible if you are a true believer, but, if you keep hunkering down you need to talk to a pro. Just for solid support if nothing else.
My guess is that most people experience depression more often than they admit. The sunniest dispositions experience the lows more acutely. People misinterpret this though. We put a backward spin on it: "They were so happy and even they couldn't handle it. What hope is there for me?" That isn't taking into account how precipitous their drop is. Sunny people fall farther than the average Joe so the pain has to be worse for them.
Anyway, just force yourself to form supports for this time of year to work in conjunction with your journal, bible, and understanding that it will end in June only to come back next year.
my boyfriend (24) goes through this every year. we have been dating for 5 years and it seems every year around this time he goes in a downward spiral. he doesnt know what is causing this. he makes excuses for why he is going through this. his job, our our relationship is the yearly blamer but this year our new house it (bought it in dec.). and then a couple months later he is back to his old self. i keep telling him that he doesnt have to live like this. there is help, he just has to talk to a professional. he pushes me away during this time saying i shouldnt have to go through this. that its not fair to me how he is acting and how he treats me. i keep telling him that i love him and i am not going to leave him. even if it would be better for us to break up i will still be there for him if he needs me. i just dont know what to do. how do i help him? it breaks my heart to see him go thru this. he is a wonderful person who is traped in his own mind this time of year. there has got to be some help . what can i do????
so he broke up with me again. he says that i dont deserve to be put thru this year after year, there is a better guy out there for me. he doesnt know what is making him feel like this but he feels by pushing away the closest thing to him away so he can be alone will help. he told me he still loves me but he needs to figure out what is doing this to him. and he assumes it must be our relationship. he has lost wieght, he has no desire to do things he used to, he told me he doesnt feel alive. i have tried to tell him about this reverse sad, but he says there is no way i am depressed i would know if i was depressed. im really worried about him. i dont know what to do.
I have just had a visit to the doctor, who on checking my records commented that I had visited her with the same complaint for the last 2 years, which got me to thinking that there was a pattern to my sadness, I don't usually suffer depression, but on reflection I get really down and melancholy at this time of year, it is similar to the overwhelming feelings I had when I was pregnant (I had ante-natal depression) I had this even though the pregnancy was planned and I was thrilled with the news initially. since then every Spring, October for me, I feel just dreadful, so lost and unable to deal with the most basic of day to day events. I was amazed when i read that this is a real thing and not just me, I have hope now, I'm not going crazy, I am going to look for a support group, or start one, we'll see. P.s. do most people suffer the headaches as well even though headaches are not usually an issue?
This is really interesting. I take anti-depressants all year round, but I'm starting to notice a pattern in that whenever I've had to have my dosage raised or the depression has reached a crisis point it's always been around February/March/April time. It's taken me a few years to notice this pattern. I sometimes wonder if it's caused by a 'crash down' in my mood following a period when my mood goes up much too high too fast with the start of spring and the bright sunny weather.
Thank you all for your stories. Knowing one is not alone and not crazy is a big part of the battle. I feel saner for having read these. May we all find a safe way to overcome this and begin to enjoy life again.
I live in the southern hemisphere and also suffer depression starting usually around September and reaching a peak well into summer and this has been going on now for 9 years. I get manic episodes at any other time though. It is interesting to see that so many people suffer from this as increased rates of depression are usually reported in autumn and winter. I have been hospitalised for depression a few times, but never in midwinter.
I just talked to my acupuncturist about this. She explained it to me like so: Spring is a time of start and stop. The warm weather comes, then the cold comes, then it gets warm again. How many times do we see flowers bloom only to die back in the cold? So, it makes sense that humans feel this too. There is a sort of frustration attached to this never-quite-getting-started-for-real Spring, and it's often manifested as a depression w/ high anxiety. It made sense for me. Maybe it will for you guys too.
Wow. How much better do I feel now? I am a generally well adjusted adult male (39), yet every year, for as long as I can remember, I despise the Spring Time. It hits, like clockwork, around Daylight Savings Time (pun purely intentional). While I feel horrible that there seem to be so many people out there who feel as I do, there is, at the same time, a certain comfort in it.
I'm writing to offer my own particular insights and observations. Like many other posters, I prefer the fall/winter months, looking forward to football and sweatshirts and even the holidays. I have always flourished in the winter, emotionally and physically, just as most others have so in the summer. I like the longer nights and generally prefer the activity that winter affords. It is a time where solitude is accepted. I am not an anti-social person and my career is people oriented but I still prefer the quiet time of winter.
Ever since childhood, spring/summer has been associated with feelings of anxiety and pressure. I preferred spending sunny days alone and inside, yet come evening I was the first one to show up for flashlight tag or hide and seek. And this remains unchanged in adulthood, having chosen an occupation where I work at night. To this day, I hate working in the yard when its sunny but enjoy sitting out on porch at night. Will not dream of going to the beach in the daytime, yet will walk in the sand at night anytime.
Every year with the coming of spring I begin to feel as if I have fallen down a well as I know that the time once again approaches where the days get longer and everyone wants to migrate toward sun and daylight activities except me, I feel so completely out of my element. I think, for me, it has something to do with the sun because I don't mind the stormy spring/summer days (rather prefer them) and I don't like sunny winter days much better than the summer ones. While I eventually adjust somewhat and can at least function, and occasionally, in limited doses, enjoy some outdoor sunny activity, I feel like I am a guest somewhere and I always look forward to going home to October and beyond. But there are other times where I feel an unexplainable despair and impending doom while those around me are proclaiming that it's the most beautiful day in history.
Thank you all for posting and giving me the knowledge to attack this. Knowledge is power. We cannot begin to fight things like this until we identify them. Best to all.
HI I AM SO GLAD I FOUND THIS INFO ON SPRING DEPRESSION. I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT FELT THIS. IT STARTS FOR ME USUALLY IN MID MARCH AND MOST OF THE TIME IT GOES TO THE END OF JUNE. IT SHOULD BE A TIME OF RENEWAL BUT IT IS A BAD TIME FOR ME. I TOO LOVE THE FALL AND WINTER. I FEEL IN THE SUMMER EVERYONE IS HAVING A GOOD TIME BUT ME. I HAVE TRIED TO LOOK BACK TO SEE IF SOMETHING IN MY PAST TRIGGERS THIS EVERY YEAR. IT COULD BE THAT MY EX FILED FOR DIVORCE THE 1ST TIME IN MARCH AND THE 2ND TIME IN JUNE. NOW ON TOP OF IT ALL MY MOTHER JUST PASSED AWAY IN MARCH. I TRY TO KEEP BUSY AND FORCE MYSELF TO BE WITH PEOPLE. I HAVE TAKEN ANTIDEPRESSANTS FOR 10 YEARS AND IT DOES NOT HELP MUCH IN THE SPRING. I KNOW I WILL BE GOOD AGAIN ON JUNE 21ST WHEN THE DAYS START GETTING SHORTER AGAIN.
Hello, I also get spring depression. I find that nobody I have talked to about it takes it seriously, and this is the first time I've read that other people get it too. I've got it badly at the moment. TS Eliot was right, April is the cruellest month! I find it really harsh and want to hide away. It's worse when it's bright sunshine or bright cloud. I feel OK if its' raining!
Hello, I also get spring depression. I find that nobody I have talked to about it takes it seriously, and this is the first time I've read that other people get it too. I've got it badly at the moment. TS Eliot was right, April is the cruellest month! I find it really harsh and want to hide away. It's worse when it's bright sunshine or bright cloud. I feel OK if its' raining!
I feel so glad to know I'm not alone. I just need to hear something sad or depressing and I take it on as my own...but only during the early spring. I don't experience this every year but when I do it's debilitating and I can't move forward. This happens late Feb into March and April. I noticed a pattern and this year decided to research. Thank you everyone for responding, trying to explain this to others is frustrating. I've also noticed that in late fall I tend to have veritgo...vertigo stinks but I'd take that over the 'Black Dog' of depression any day.
I found this topic really interesting and I believe my case might help understanding it.
I realised two years ago I had depression starting around february for quite some years and at the time it was quit a shock.
For me there is absolutely no explanation, not a single issue I can detected, my mood just suddenly turns unbearable and I don't know how long it lasts, I always forget about it once it's past (it could be three weeks, three months, no idea).
The thing I find weird/interesting is that I come from the south hemisphere, the seasons are the opposite there. Tough I'm at the opposite season, I have the same depression people here have described here.
And what's worse: last year I went as an exchange student to Europe. If it was season related, I should be quite ok at about now, but guess what, it just started all over again this precise february. =/
It didn't started during the severe winter, which for me was quite exceptional. I had never before faced so few daylight and so cold days, it was really tough, and yet I went through it all ok. Now that it's gone, there is more daylight and beareable temperatures, this damn depression just started the same as before.
I can't help but think it's something related to metabolism, tough how I don't have the faintest idea how.
Many living things in this world respond to length of daylight hours & darkness hours. It's how plants know when to grow, when to bloom or change colors, when the last frost is likely to be, etc. It's how some animals know to prepare themselves for hibernation, when to fly south for the winter, and so on. I think all living things are created to respond to these seasons, and sunrise or moonrise. As humans, of course, we don't really hibernate or instinctively move thousands of miles when seasons change. But our brains still respond by establishing a circadian rhythm among other things. Maybe yours is a different form of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
Are there other things that change in your life as the days begin to lenghten? Is it typical that your job duties increase or decrease (as with tax preparation or the fashion industry) -- anything that might increase your level of anxiety and or depression? Is it the anniversary of a loss? These events often correspond to levels of depression. It's a very interesting dilemma. I am always feeling my best in the morning and then as the day progresses, so does my depression. I feel my worst about 6-9pm. Why? I've often wondered.
It's amazing that there are other people who are suffering from spring depression. Yes, I do believe that spring depression exists. I'm healthy 43 years old male and I've been suffering from spring depression for last 5-6 years. I noticed that some years are much worse than others. I do believe that it's driven by my hormonal changes and weather.
I feel much worse when weather change drastically. For example, I feel great during cold winter and warm summer months but this year we had unusually warm winter, and I wasn't feeling right. Rapid weather changes just make me miserable. The worst is March and April when cold winter days become warm. I live in NYC, so we practically don't have long springs. One day can be 50F and next day is 75F. Quite honestly I hate it. If the air pressure and weather are steady and normal (clod winter days, hot summer days) I feel great. I really don't like this transition period, but I'm prepared for it and I treat this as a part of my life now. I still feel great during summer and winter and I can't wait to go back to composing music, surf fishing or skiing. I sympathize with all of you who are suffering. I do believe that passions help, so be optimistic and remember, things can only get BETTER, the summer is coming!
Peter the fisherman
As a poet, I think of spring depression as an interesting thread in the tapestry of my life. It's a time to pamper myself, sit quietly and listen...wash my wounded spirit with cleansing tears. To everything there is a season, a time for laughter, a time for tears...In our culture people are expected to be 'up' all the time and yet we love and admire the work of great artists who suffered from mood swings. Can we ever learn to relax and let these very human conditions break over us and dissapate naturally. Stand back and observe instead of trying to control. There is beauty to be found in all things...even black days illuminate the brightness of the sun. I think of my sadness in the spring as birthpangs. It hurts and it causes some fear, but in the end it brings forth new life.
I am glad I found this page. Now I know I am not alone with my spring depression inside. Unaccountable languor, anxiety, shyness, weariness are my retinue in these springtime weeks. I agree that I feel myself "safer" in the winter.
It's interesting, is spring depression world-wide, or maybe it is characteristic of the northern part of the world only? I live in Northern Europe.
Love Yourself,
I really think there must be something about that spring depression. I have experienced it since I was 12. I am 19 now, and I realized last year, that every April/May, i think too much about my life and I have deep thoughts that are always negative. Never really thought it was because of spring depression, but I broke up with my exboyfriend two times (april and may) the last two years. We had problems during the first year in spring too. I just want to be alone, and i have so many thoughts in my head that having a boyfriend during that periode has become too stressful for me. I have a new boyfriend now, and I am feeling the same again. I don't know if I can trust my thoughts. I am always happy in every other season, so this is quite strange. Maybe it's because I am so happy every other season that i feel so dark in the spring, maybe it's just a coinsidence, but it sure is strange.
I have suffered for arounf 15 years now. The end of March and early April I feel low,emotional and confused slightly. Men dont usually reveal their feelings about this subject but with so many who have the same condition it almost seems a natural ailment. I know it will pass soon and after reading this blog im going to take vitamin D to see the results.....
Frankly, it's a relief there are others who deal with this....I've lived in Houston, TX for over twenty years and the weather is on a yo-yo - I love fall and winter; I'm out tramping with the dogs, I can work all day, eat like a farmer without gaining weight, and sleep solidly at night - winter sun I can handle without a hat - my social life is normal, my activity levels are normal. When I moved to Alaska, I had no problem with the low light, love snow sports, hiked trails with the dogs, and worked several part-time jobs through the fall and winter without a hitch.
What depresses me is the move to spring and especially towards the end of summer; I can't sleep through the night but feel drowsy all day, so I feel sleep-deprived, have to force myself to eat, summer sun gives me migraines and I have to cover up due to inevitable sunburn. The worst is feeling like I've got syrup running through my veins. I consistently end up with low thyroid readings by the time I hit August. Alaska summers were just as tough because there's 23 hours of light.
I have no problem with cold/wet or cold/dry and I can sort of handle hot/dry.
I've read that combination of heat and humidity can negatively affect thyroid and dopamine levels; the only thing that alleviates my spring/summer issues is ice packs, A/C, an ionizer, a dehumidifier, and trying to do online school and online work at night. Frankly, I'm tempted to move to Seattle...
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when i realized i got depressed in the spring for th epast eight years i didnt understand why.... since im overwight the spring just reminds me how i failed to get physilcally fit and noy its time for skimpier clothing due to the heat...