It’s official: summertime in Canada. It was a warm, busy weekend, soccer tournaments, yard work and Canada Day celebrations squeezed into the mix as well.
Our relatives in Sweden sent greetings on June 21. They were caught up in all the excitement of the Summer Solstice. It is the country’s biggest celebration with dances around the maypole, wearing flower crowns and feasting on pickled herring and strawberry cake.
So why did I feel so tired, overwhelmed and a bit down? After all, isn’t this what we’re all supposed to look forward to? My calendar is almost full already with friends and family coming to town for summer vacation. There’s a dizzying array of activities to take in and enjoy here in Kelowna for the next two months.
It just so happened that I was stuck in traffic this week, sweltering hot in my vehicle. The air conditioning broke down a few days ago and I’m struggling to keep my sanity! I was half listening to the radio, when I heard: “Seasonal Affected Disorder can be just as difficult for some people in the summer as it is in winter.” Ok – this program now has my full attention!
The host interviewed Dr. Norman Rosenthal, Psychiatrist, Author, and Scientist. He was discussing reverse seasonal affective disorder, summertime seasonal affective disorder, or summer-onset SAD. Many people endorse the regular winter pattern of depression, but a significant minority complained that they felt worse in the spring and summer, year after year.
Summer SAD can result in the following conditions: sleeping less, feeling overactivated and agitated, having decreased appetite, more depression, being bothered by heat and/or light. Since the world is getting warmer and climate change is impacting our environment, Summer SAD may become increasingly common and important from a public health perspective.
For myself personally, I think there’s a thread of PTSD that runs through my anxiety over summer. My accident happened at the end of May. I experienced confusion, intense pain, overwhelming anxiety, all while the days got warmer and longer. That complex association between trauma and summer seems to have lingered deep in my psyche.
While I enjoy a lot of special events in the summer, I have found I really need to gauge my energy level before committing to anything. There’s no end to invitations: neighborhood barbecues, pool time, or concerts in the park. The expectation is: it’s summer – get out there and do it all before it’s over. Honestly…I’m one of those people that looks forward to it being over and returning to the comforting routines of September.
