Seasonal Affective Disorder Is Impacting Fort Myers Residents
Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) is normally thought of as a wintertime thing. Less sunshine and shorter days is likely a cause that reduces serotonin, which helps regulate mood. Symptoms include irritability, feelings of despair, stress, anxiety, and a reduced sex drive during those winter months. However, a new study conducted by sleep specialists MattressNextDay has highlighted that some states and cities are more susceptible to the summer blues due to a range of weather and pollen factors – which is why the term ‘summer S.A.D.’ has been coined.
Florida is The US State Most Prone to Seasonal Affective Disorder This Summer
It’s already been a hot summer. Several Florida cities set heat records over the Memorial Day weekend. The National Weather Service posted these records:
And it got even hotter for some. Melbourne and Fort Pierce both hit 98 degrees on Monday. Not quite that hot, but here in Southwest Florida we saw temperatures around 94 degrees. It’s waaaay too early in summer to be this hot. And that’s been a trend.
The study states “With the most rainfall between May and September, at a huge 7.13 inches, Florida is officially the state that’s the most likely to suffer from S.A.D. Average temperatures sit at 81 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer (the third highest on our list), which, whilst nice and toasty, can intensify those feelings of anxiety and stress. “
And then add in our humidity. Florida’s average relative humidity is 74.5 percent. That pushes the heat index into the triple digits, making it completely miserable to be outside during the summer months. So where does Southwest Florida fit in on this study?
Seasonal Affective Disorder In Fort Myers
The study then looked to find the cities where people are most likely to suffer from S.A.D. Coming in at number 1 was Goodland, Kansas. Although it’s not nearly as hot there, Goodland gets hit with some pretty high pollen counts, forcing allergy sufferers to spend some summer days indoors. That in turn can lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder as you watch others enjoying summer.
Second on the list is Miami, Florida. As we noted earlier, Miami generally sees heat indexes top 100 degrees more than 50 days out of the year. And when it’s not hot – it’s raining. The 305 averages 60 inches of rain a year. That’s the average. In 202, Miami Airport measured 83 inches of rain, well above that average.
Fort Myers is third on the list.
Although we didn’t see nearly the amount of rain that Miami had last year, we still had plenty of hot days and high humidity, with lots and lots of sunshine. That was, until around Thanksgiving last year. It was cloudy EVERY SINGLE DAY. Remember that? Persistent clouds and rain went from the end of 2023 into 2024. That was a very unusual occurrence brought on by last year’s El Niño.
Another likely factor in Seasonal Affective Disorder In Fort Myers during the summer months is that we’re not yet 2 years removed from one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit our area. I still drive by houses with tarps on their roofs, not to mention a trip to Fort Myers Beach, which is a stark reminder of what happened to our area with Hurricane Ian. Those memories can be quite stressful. And now this:
Updated reports show that 2024 is expected to be an above active hurricane season, which has not been lost on the media. We report this over and over and over again, which brings about anxiety over what might come our way. Heat + humidity + anxiety = Seasonal Affective Disorder. And I didn’t even mention inflation and the election.
How to Cope With Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Webmd has some great ideas on how to cope with summer depression. Summertime fun can mess up your sleep schedule, especially if you have kids off school, so keep an eye on your sleep. Your exercise routine is important, too. How often have you passed on a workout because it was too hot, or it was raining? Gotta stay on it. But don’t overdo it.
There’s also the stress of planning and executing the family summer vacation. Don’t feel like you have to do too much, and don’t beat yourself up if everything doesn’t go as planned. Maybe a staycation would be a better idea. There’s a lot of things to do here in Southwest Florida that don’t include the stress of a long car ride.
Most importantly, if Seasonal Affective Disorder seems to be a regular occurrence for you every summer – talk to your doctor. There’s plenty of medications that can help, including the medications being sold at all those stores on 41 in Bonita Springs. The area known as “The Green Mile.”
You’re not alone. Seasonal Affective Disorder even hits those of us living in paradise.
