How to deal with depression in the summer

Topics mentioned: depression, self-care

About: Summer can be an overwhelming and difficult time of year for people struggling with depression. Honor shares her experience and what helps her cope.

For many of us who struggle with a mental illness, such as depression, the summertime can be a challenge. It can be a struggle to fit in with what’s expected of us during the summer months, which typically conjures up an image of joy, vacation, friendship, and warmth. However, having those ‘endless summer nights’ isn’t something everyone can enjoy.

Summer for me has always been an overwhelming time of year, and I haven’t always known how to deal with it by myself. When I was younger, the run-up to summer was something that I was intimidated by and it pushed me further into my shell.

I was heavily impacted by the magazines I’d see on the shelf in the shops, staring down at me with the ideal beach body or a new fad diet. At the age of 10 I was forced into a mind-set of having to look a certain way to be able to put on a bikini. Being exposed to influences like this at such a young age only heightened my depression at that time of year, resulting in me being more enclosed.

My family constantly urged me to go outside and do things with my friends that I just simply didn’t want to do. I remember one day during summer, a friend and I went to the local swimming pool. It was clear she was having so much fun and enjoying the warm weather. With a constant smile plastered on her face, she splashed around in the pool, clearly unaffected by something that kept me back.

At that age, I didn’t know what depression was and it just led to me being even more confused and upset as to why I couldn’t spend my summer relaxing like everyone else. As I sat back and watched my friend enjoy herself, it felt like there was a glass wall between me and the person I wanted to be.

Going into my teenage years, I carried on disliking summer and ended up spending a lot of my time in bed staring at the ceiling. I didn’t feel overly sad or upset, I just didn’t feel anything at all. I had no desire to go outside and be with my friends. When I eventually did go outside, at first all I saw were people enjoying themselves in the sun while I walked around with what felt like a little rain cloud over my head.

Having depression in the summer can feel incredibly isolating, but you are not alone in feeling that. There are ways to enjoy your summer without forcing yourself into something you’re not comfortable with.

Don’t let your mental illness control how you spend your summer. You don’t have to be happy just because your calendar says it’s August. Look at ways you can cope with your depression and never be afraid to seek help.