How seasonal affective disorder can impact you during summer

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - Many people have heard about the winter blues, but what about the summer blues?

Seasonal affective disorder, SAD, is most often seen in the colder months when there is a lack of light. However, it also shows up in the summer when people feel like they’re missing out on social activities or if there’s a change in their work schedule.

“I see that people have depression in the summertime because they are being left out. That loneliness doesn’t differentiate either. Loneliness can hit you when you’re young, and when you’re a child and you feel like you have no friends. It can hit you when you’re older and you feel like your friends are passing on. There’s no change to that,” said Lauren Laurent, director of intake with Physicians Behavioral Hospital.

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms may start off mild and become more severe as the season progresses. Symptoms specific to SAD can range from trouble sleeping to irritability. Laurent says if feelings like this persist, it’s very important to begin work with a counselor to get to the root of the issue.

“A lot of time there is a stigma in getting counseling... You want to work with someone you feel comfortable with and you begin to know them, so they can actually talk with you about the feelings that you are having and actually put them into perspective.”

Experts say social media can also play a part in how we perceive things, which can influence your thoughts.

“You begin to actually do what we might consider self harm. You begin to actually diminish yourself and say, ‘Well I am being left out because maybe I talk too much, or maybe I’m not fun enough, or maybe I said something wrong last time I was around my friends.’ You begin to actually change how you view yourself.”

Laurent says that even reaching out to your friends may be a good place to start.

“If I could say anything to anyone, it would be to reach out to your friends. Reach out to your friends during the summertime, reach out to your loved ones, make sure that you are checking in, because you might be the key to helping them get out of that depression for that season.”

Left untreated, those feelings can start affecting you daily.

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