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[britmom]

I have just read this, and it makes perfect sense to me. I always feel worse during the summer. It's just as described: agitated, depressed, feeling very energetic and then crashing dow. Now it's October and the nights are drawing in I feel so much better, and more stable (mood-wise). Curiously, this suggests a link with bipolar (interesting as I have just receieved a provisional diagnosis of bipolar II.) Is it just freaky old me who feels like this, or can anyone else identify?

[biomancer]

Britmom, I was hoping someone else might have replied by now, as I'm probably not much help.  I've got a mild case of classic SAD, so for me it's all about getting enough sunlight. 

However, knowing what I feel like in the dregs of February means that I can at least wrap my head around what you're feeling in the middle of July.  My treatment is in the form of a full-spectrum lamp and daytime excursions to simply be in the daylight; I imagine that you probably need your bedroom to have completely light-blocking blinds/curtains to provide you with enough "night."

[wegie]

Britmom, is there any chance of you moving further south? Summers up in your neck of the woods are brutal if you don't like too much daylight, or would the increased light during the autumn and winter be too much? Also, has your GP or therapist had anything to say about this? Would there be any combination of anti-depressants that might help?

WH has classic SAD . . . and keeps on getting job interviews in Edinburgh (yes, he's a masochist ;-), but as I've lived up there and we already own the lightbox, we know how to combat the problem. 

[britmom]

You're spot on, Wegie. During late July/August, it doesn't get completely dark at all and I hate it. I have thick curtains in the bedroom, but they still don't keep the sun out completely. I always thought I was a freak for feeling down in the summer so it's interesting to read that reverse SAD is actually recognised. I get all excited and happy when the nights start drawing in at this time of the year and love getting up on a morning in the dark. See, even I think that sounds freaky....  I only realised yesterday that this could be due to a genuine reason/condition. I'll mention in to my psychiatrist at my next appointment. As for the chances of getting a job down south--perhaps in a few years, when the economy picks up (if there are any Universities left, of course...)

[wegie]

Thinking a bit further, might it be a vitamin or hormone-based problem? Sortof the reverse to that experienced by certain ethnic minority groups? It might be worth getting your vitamin D and thyroid levels checked. 

[bald_cypress]

I didn't realize it could be a medical condition. I don't particularly like the summer because of the darn sun and of course--the heat.

I live at a higher altitude with clear blue skies and a huge view of the horizon, so the sun truly bothers me. It's not bothersome enough to see a doc about, however,  but it's interesting that one can have reverse SAD to too much sunlight.

Do you wear those eye things (?--brain not yet functioning) to cover your eyes while sleeping?

My elation at the cooler days, darkness going away later in the AM and arriving earlier in the PM--best part of the year.

Best wishes with your treatment, and thank you for the education on reverse SAD.

[detritivore]

Wow, thank you for posting this article.  This has been plaguing me for years - towards the end of spring I'm seized with a kind of mania, extreme anxiety and depression.  Summer is a horrible time for me, I either feel angry all the time or deeply sad.  Fall and Winter are my favorite months, I feel alive and alert and myself.  How interesting, I'm comforted to know there are others.  I'm quite sure mine is light related, as well as hormone related, but beyond that I really couldn't say. 

[scotia]

I have thick curtains in the bedroom, but they still don't keep the sun out completely. I always thought I was a freak for feeling down in the summer so it's interesting to read that reverse SAD is actually recognised.

Like WH I need a lightbox to get through the winter, but I am also a light sleeper and can suffer insomnia problems in the summer, and sleeping in a room that is not dark has always been a problem. When I lived in Edinburgh I had both a roller blind designed to completely block the light, and curtains with the light-blocking linings (there is a technical name for the fabric, but I cannot recall it at the moment) - thick curtains alone were not effective. The blind was made specifically for the window to ensure a good fit.

[wegie]

When I lived in Edinburgh I had both a roller blind designed to completely block the light, and curtains with the light-blocking linings (there is a technical name for the fabric, but I cannot recall it at the moment)

Blackout linings. Should be available from any decent curtain shop.

[scotia]

When I lived in Edinburgh I had both a roller blind designed to completely block the light, and curtains with the light-blocking linings (there is a technical name for the fabric, but I cannot recall it at the moment)

Blackout linings. Should be available from any decent curtain shop.
[/quote

Thank you - that's the one. John Lewis supplied mine.

[punchnpie]

I'm just seeing this thread for the first time. I wonder if I have the same thing. I dread summer. Forget the heat, there's always air conditioning, it's the bright light all the time that bugs me.

I lived in Seattle and loved the cloudiness. There's so much negative talk about the Seattle weather, I was concerned how I would be affected until I moved there and found out I loved it. Cloudy, gray, and overcast, that's for me! What people usually don't know is that Seattle as beautiful summers; sometimes you go for months without rain. For those who like this kind of thing, there are lovely, sunny days with good temps. I'm sure most people would find it ideal, but I found it nerve wracking and just too bright after the gray winter.

Now that I've moved to another climate, I still love cloudy days, though I must admit that having sun when it's -20 is not a bad thing. On the other hand, bright sun and 80 degrees is too much for me.

[promovenda]

Hi Britmom and everyone else - I'm just seeing this thread but identify very much. I don't get totally incapacitated by the light and heat but they often seem overwhelming and I find myself hiding from them in summer months. It's very hard for me to sleep, too. It's hard for people to identify with me on this - most people are longing for summer. Sometimes I wondered if it was also psychological - summer met being home without clear goals but with a dysfunctional family, whereas autumn brought the respite and enjoyment of school.

Already beginning to worry about this summer.

[chaosbydesign]

I understand. I don't like summer at all. I don't know how much being in my lab full time is going to improve things this summer (because I am generally better when I have a lot to focus on), but summer always increases my anxiety/mania. I don't like the light, or the heat, or most things other people associate with summer and seem to love. I *much* prefer winter clothes, for example, and it takes me for freaking ever to find a summer outfit in the mornings that is cool enough to prevent me from passing out in the heat (which is, of course, a new thing for me -- former ChaosCity did not get much in the way of heat) that I am also comfortable wearing (i.e. no tiny tank tops and shorts).