Does anyone feel weird when the weather gets warmer?

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I used to love summer. I loved the fact that you could go outside without bundling up and you didn't have to dress in layers and layers of clothes. I liked the fact that you could go to fun places with your friends.

Lately I haven't been feeling that way. I mean, I still do like warm, sunny weather but I feel like I have more of an obligation to go outside. I've become pretty agoraphobic and whenever I go outside and the light hits me I become depressed and frustrated. I miss the days of snowy, dull winter when you had an excuse to stay inside all day. In summer, people expect you to go outside and do things. It also brings back bad memories of 2 summers ago when my boyfriend broke up with me and last summer when he broke up with me again and I fell into a depression. I feel like I'm going through deja vu again and I feel panicky because everybody's always outside and it's so bright. It's so weird because I used to love summer, now it's like I can't wait until the fall again.

Does anyone have something like this?

Used to like summer? not ever. I hate it, and since the UK seems to average at 14-21 days of summer per year, I think that's quite a feat really. Really though, every time i'm in bright sunshine/I overheat(really bad body temp control, so I overheat easily in hot weather) I just drop into a very fed up, depressed and generally grouchy mood. I have a near constant headache outdoors in the summer, and when off school sometimes don't leave the house for several days, remaining in curtained rooms. As is predictable, my parents detest me staying indoors too much, but there really is nothing I'd like to be doing outdoors, except maybe horseriding. Which doesn't exactly happen a lot, without a horse :p

Anyway, I hate summer. Actually, I hate the sun, I like rainy summers. This summer is rainy, so I don't mind it. You are not alone with your autumn love.

I feel all strange when the weather is hot for the first day in the spring and when it's cold for the first time in autumn, but especially the first hot weather. I feel sluggish, confused, kind of dazed, and even a bit nauseated.

Even after I'm acclimated to it, I hate hot weather. Given a choice between too hot or too cold, I'll take cold any day.

Hi lostgirl. I though this was an interesting post when combined with the one here titled something like "children's senses as opposed to adults"-can't remember exactly. But they are talking about sensory attenuation (dulling of the senses) as a possible symptom of depression, or of growing older. You seem to be describing the opposite: a situation where your senses are becoming more sensitive in recent times. I've not heard about this for AS, but I guess it's possible? Maybe someone in the forum has experience of developing increased sensitivity to triggers over time? You mention the light being the trigger-does it still get you with good quality sunglasses on? Me personally, my sensitivities have remained pretty much constant for as long as I can remember-the bad ones which trigger my overloads at least. I can relate to the other thread's notion of decreasing sensitivity for positive things though, which is a drag...

But you also talk about your boyfriend breaking up with you, and this sounds important? I wonder if the sensory stimulation you are getting from the hot weather is constantly reminding you of these painful times (or, more likely, of happier times now passed-it's like the worst sort of nightmare there is, is the one when you dream something you really want to be true is true, then wake up to find that it is not....!). I know this has happened to me when I have experienced loss of a significant other, with whom (for whatever reasons) I associated with summer....the idea that you "should" be out doing stuff with everyone else when you just dont feel like it just made me feel guilty as well as depressed. Now I come to think about it, this has only happened to me with summer-I've never associated lost loves with autumn, spring or winter, which is weird (you'd think winter snow is at least as rich in sensory terms as a hot summer...?) so I've not struggled with thoughts of missing someone in these seasons. But it HAS happened in summer, (more than once, about more than one lost love), and what you describe was pretty much spot on for me: frustrated, anxious, depressed. And I normally LOVE summers and hot weather. The pressure was off in winter, as noone does anything much apart from stay-in anyway, so I didn't feel so much like a freak if I wanted to do this-and besides which, it seemed easier to be out and about, as the warmth of the sun didn't constantly remind me of good times passed-by.

If it is this, and it's still happening two summers after you split up, you might want to talk about it with someone, although there's no rule that somehow you "should" have dealt with your grief in any given amount of time: everyone is different, and it's your grief, and your decision as to when its stayed past its welcome. It sounds like you might be struggling and could do with a bit of emotional support. If it's any consolation, I love my summers again now, so I think, with the right support, you might feel differently about them again one day. Please bear in mind that I'm not an expert, and am only speaking from personal experience; yours might be totally different from mine...

I absolutely HATE the warmer weather.
Anything above 22 deg is unpleasant to me.
But my two brothers and my late dad don't feel the heat like I do.

19 deg c or 66 deg f is comfortable to me. I dont sweat enough to cool so I hate the summer.

Yes, I think it definitely has something to do with the memory of when my boyfriend broke up with me. Also, I just moved back to Ontario from Alberta one year ago and there's a lot of humidity here which I can't stand that I have to get used to again. I'm definitely getting better about the whole break-up thing but it just takes awhile. I think if it wasn't so humid, I'd be a bit happier. Now that summer is slowly sinking in I'm feeling a bit more comfortable with it, it's just the humidity that's bugging me.

It's interesting though, I definitely have more respect for winter than I did before.

I love the summer. This sunny, warm weather has definately lifted my mood an awful lot, even though I still have a lot of s**t going on in my life at the moment. I feel that the summer weather is kind of a cure for my depression, and the only cure too. I LOVE summer!! !

The only, ONLY snag about summer is the hot nights - I cannot get to sleep on hot nights. My room gets stuffy, but I don't like to leave windows open because a) my room is downstairs and I get paranoid of weirdos doing wicked things like throwing a lit firework into my room or something (yes, it does happen in the world, even the UK), and b) having open windows invites wasps and spiders, and I would love wasps if only they didn't sting, and I hate spiders full stop. Also I don't enjoy being in bed as much when it's a warm, dry night outside. I find it cosier being in bed when it's windy or raining or thundering or cold outside.

But I find I can get up earlier on summer mornings.

Since I had my youngest child, I have been unable to bear hot weather. I get nauseous, break out in a red rash on my face, get water blisters all over my torso, and my sweat won't cool me off (even though there seems to be a sufficient amount to cool the whole town!). I have to stay indoors for most of the summer, with only short outings to places I know to be air conditioned. This has continued consistently for the past 7 summers, and shows every sign of continuing to be a pain in the keister this summer, too. I wish I could get out and go camping and hiking and rafting like I used to do. I miss being active and hate the weight that came along with the inactivity. My doctor has tested everything she can think of and sent me to most of the specialists at the local teaching hospital (affiliated with a medical school), and cannot find any reason for this. I suspect it will be my cross to bear from now on, unless some wonderful discovery is made that will release me from "prison" during the months of June, July, August, and September. My only other course of possible action is to move somewhere that the summers are cooler--but can't because of family obligations. Sigh.

Judith

That sounds terrible, Judith, I tan quite easily with an SPF 8, have you tried using SPF 50 or a head scarf on hot days? It could be that you are dehydrating quickly.

I love the summer, I love going out and laying in the sun, I find it relaxing and it definitely makes me feel more active and happy. Some people have seasonal affective disorder which means different weather can really affect their mood.

Now that summer is actually here I find that I'm enjoying it again and I'm happier. I'm just worried about the humidity that will be here by the end of June.

I am sorry your BF broke up with you. When depressed I get agoraphobic myself. I actually like summer. The sun makes me happy but I don't like going out when depressed.

Yeah, I found out that recently I've becoming less and less agoraphobic. I think it was just the transition from cold weather to warm weather and all of a sudden I felt obligated to go outside everyday but I'm more used to it now.

Oh, and thanks about the whole boyfriend thing. I've been doing a lot better these past few months.

[quote="Wolfheart"]That sounds terrible, Judith, I tan quite easily with an SPF 8, have you tried using SPF 50 or a head scarf on hot days? It could be that you are dehydrating quickly.

I love the summer, I love going out and laying in the sun, I find it relaxing and it definitely makes me feel more active and happy. Some people have seasonal affective disorder which means different weather can really affect their mood.[/quote]

I can be out on sunny days if the temperature is less than 75 degrees F with no problems whatsoever. But let that temperature get over 80 degrees, and I am literally melted. My husband and I are exploring some options that will enable me to enjoy some of the outdoor activities I used to love so much, like camping. We're looking into campsites that have sufficient elevation and tree cover to be cool enough for me. Rafting might be ok if I go further north, but I can live without that if I have to. Backpacking, I may have to live without. If we can at least go camping every few weekends, I would be content with that. It would be great to get away from home for a day or two in the woods.

Oddly enough, for someone who is 1/8 Native American, I don't tan very easily. I go straight from pale brown skin to burnt to a crisp. Then I have the world's most awful allergic reaction to the radiation. You'd have to see it to believe it. My husband turns red, but no pain, then goes to brown. All of my kids tan beautifully, thank heavens!

Judith

I don't like very warm temperatures when I am just walking around. My ideal temperature is about 60- 70 degrees normally, usually during the summer this involves rain. But I do not like to swim when it is bellow 80 degrees.

I tend to be depressed during the spring when the weather startes getting warmer. I really hated it because everything was all bright and sunny but I didn't feel that way. The time change also contributes to it as well.

I mean, I've heard of people getting depressed in the winter, but never the spring and summer which I often get.