How does summer affect you?

[Insomniac]

Well the summer is here again. oh joy. Roll on winter I say.

When I am anxious I feel hot and cold, etc. So when I feel hot I feel anxious. I am getting better at telling myself that its only the weather and not the beginning of panic. But when its hot and stifling I feel like I cant breathe, which makes me anxious, which tightens my chest. I am doing ok at getting hold of it at that point most of the time, thank goodness because I work in some hot classrooms.

Does anyone else get affected by the weather? Winter is fine with me because I'm cool. Its just the summer. Don't think I'll be jetting off to the Costa Del Sol any time soon..... :shades:

[Lindalou64]

i love the summer i get the winter blues but where we live when its real hot we have air condition,but when you walk outside it hits you hard and i find it very hard to breathe, i work hard in the summer cleaning vacation homes and most dont have them but i learned to wear like an ice cold rag around my neck and wear a bandana wet around my forhead...i was told by a tip from a friend if you work and sweat put cornstarch powder in a pouch and put it in ya pockets wow amazing i didnt sweat in my shorts, you all know what i mean when ya work and sweat espcially outside ,just a little tip...... do you all use fans and does anyone use air condioners???? i wont turn my on in this new house since its central air unless its a heat wave bill gets to high.....or take a warm shower and lay down with the fan right on ya..............Linda xxx
stay cool !!

[yorkylover]

I like the summer months.I always seem more cheerful when spring arrives.I do tend to get very tired when its to hot though.
I like winter in some ways as I like to snuggle up in front of the fire, but I find my moods go down alot in the winter months.I dont want to get out of bed in the winter months,where as in summer I have no problem.:wacko:
I do feel the cold alot so do prefer summer.I still have my electric blanket on now when I go to bed:blush:

[clickaway]

I can cope with the summer until it comes to the heatwaves and muggy nights as the discomfort really upsets my nervous system and my ability to breath well.

I find the bitter chill of winter bad news too - it seems I can't deal with extremes very well.

Give me the spring anytime! :)

[Brandy snap]

I hate humid weather. Pour with perspiration, feel I can't breathe. If I have to go anywhere I take a block of ice (the blue sort in a rectangle container you keep in the freezer which is liquid when not in freezer and you put in 'coolbags' to keep food cool.) I put my hands on it and it really helps cool me down. My fingers swell in the heat. I feel ill sunbathing unless I am on a breezy beach. I can't do the baking hot in the garden sort. I love the winter and frosty walks - feel really well! Brandy Snap xx

[eeyorelover]

I can't take extremes either way - I'd be fine if it were 70 degrees and sunny all the time. Seems cloudy days make me tired - hot days make me tired - cold days make me tired - see a pattern here - LOL
xxx
Sandy

[Dusty]

The sunny days are fab and make me feel sunny - my anxiety in the daytime is lower on average in the warmer weather.

however...

The nights can be worse - it's harder to sleep in the heat and the dawn breaks so early that twice in the last fortnight I have actually still been awake when the dawn chorus starts. I will definitly not be joining the RSPB - I feel like shooting the whole lot of them at those moments!!

[ksmith]

Hi Insomniac

I can't stand the heat and humidity and they don't like me much either. My hair falls lank and lifeless, my makeup slides off and summer clothes just don't suit me. I feel like I can't breath, have no energy and just tend to 'flop'. I know it sounds miserable but bring on the autumn already!!!

Kay x

[Alabasterlyn]

Does anyone else get affected by the weather? Winter is fine with me because I'm cool. Its just the summer. Don't think I'll be jetting off to the Costa Del Sol any time soon..... :shades:

I really don't like the Summer at all. I do like a bit of sunshine, but I hate the heat and the light nights.

In the Winter if we are cold it's always easy to warm up, but if we have a heatwave in the Summer it's almost impossible to cool down.

Today has been particularly humid and dull here in the south east and I have to say I've found it really hard. I managed to go out but had to come home really quickly as the humidity was making me feel anxious :ohmy:

[Gryphoenix]

Summer sucks. I love the winter.

I'm all anxious about getting heat stroke (I live in the south of the US, and it gets HAWT here) and I make sure to always bring a bottle of water with me so I don't get dehydrated. The humidity is the worst part.

It was nearly 100 degrees the other day and it took me a good half hour in the air conditioned restaurant we were in to finally feel back to 'normal' and the back of the car even with air condition was sweltering.


In the Winter if we are cold it's always easy to warm up, but if we have a heatwave in the Summer it's almost impossible to cool down.
Totally! I think that's what bothers me the most, it takes forever to cool down and that's what brings on the anxiety. XD

[ksmith]

Weather definately affects mood: it's official. According to the BBC the full moon tends to increase violence in and around Britain (particularly Brighton for some reason) and there are statistics to back this up. As such, it doesn't take too much of a leap of faith to believe that extreme heat does 'something' to us anxiety sufferers. See below:

I read something on another website which gives a medical reason for heightened anxiety levels during heatwaves, paraphrased below:
"high warmth increases the levels of nervous information generated and subsequent processing required by the hypothalamus, an organ that is already stressed out in sustained anxiety.

In some people this could be enough to cause ACTH levels to rise to a level high enough to cause a 'tipping point' whereby anxious feelings are increased to a level where they become symptomatic and then the mental/physical cycle starts from there"

Believe it or not, that's made me feel a bit happier. Any explanation is better than nothing when anxiety is increased!

From a very hot and sweaty and stressed out Kay x

[Magpie]

Those are some interesting facts Kay, I like it when there's an explanation too!

I'm like a packet of biscuits: store in a cool dry place.

I do agree that cold is easier to deal with than heat, but apart from the heat the thing I really can't deal with in summer is the light. Not only do the longer days mean I can only sleep with an eye mask, which is uncomfortable, but being outside when it's bright is very difficult, especially without sunglasses. My eyes are quite photosensitive and I get very disorientated and headachy when it's sunny.

A little bit of sunlight is nice though, I like warmish days in the autumn where there's less sweat and glare but enough sun to warm my bones :)

[Wenjoy]

I love the sunshine but the heat and humidity especially brings on a panic attack with me which is horrible - I hyperventilate and panic that I will faint and keel over !!! Wenjoy x

[Insomniac]

Thank you all for your replies. This has been really interesting. I suppose I do get a bit down if I can't go out in winter. But I'm much happier to wrap up and go out when its bright & chilly, than when its hot. I tend to stay inside because I feel so uncomfortable. I prefer Spring and Autumn, then Winter and last summer. I always look forward to it, but I hate the humidity.

My daughter and I both don't like the heat, so we had a slow stroll around the chilled section in sainsbury the other day when I went to buy ice lollies! We felt much better afterwards... :yesyes:

Interesting facts Kay. I see from my cats (who are crazy when its windy or storm coming) and from the children at the school where I work (who are also much more lively when its windy in the playground) that weather really does affect us. I too feel better when I have an explanation. I was reassured when I read the explanation of heartbeats, and the effects of adrenaline here on the forum, and your explanation helps me too. Its good to have some intellectual understanding, even if my body doesn't always listen, lol.
:wacko: :D

[sandlin]

I feel so much better in the summer when we have the light nights- i become more irrational when its dark. It just gets too humid here. at least when you go abroad you're not working etc so dont have to cope with it the same.


Linda xxx

[Nicola Cook]

I can really sympathise with all you who find the hot weather difficult. I spent a few hours in a sweltering classroom yesterday evening and spent most of the night panicing as a result. I think, like you, I feel that becoming hot is a trigger for an attack. I'm still feeling pretty anxious about it, but hopefully this will subside becauase I really enjoyed the class and want to go back. I'll definitely try wearing the ice cold rag, see if that helps.
Nicola

[Insomniac]

One thing which I do find useful is Magicool. You might have seen it advertised on tv. Being in the car can be difficult if its a hot day and you are stuck in traffic without air conditioning. Feeling hot and unable to escape the heat is not good!

Magicool can be sprayed on your skin and around the inside of the car to cool the air. When I was feeling particularly bad I took this on holiday to Butlins as I was dreading the car journey, and it really helped me feel more in control.

[scatty_cat]

Hi Insomniac

I HATE the summer - in fact I dread it. The heat just makes me feel so ill. I can't breathe properly especially when it gets humid, and this increases my anxiety and panics.

Where do you buy Magicool?

[honeybee]

hi... i absolutely love it IF i'm just in my garden and can escape from the heat... but i hate it if i im stuck in the hot sun... for example, i went to a beach the other day and it was boiling, i hadnt been to that particular one before and had to walk quite a distance until i got onto it, i was completely freaking out cos i just kept thinking "if i get sun stroke its gonna take ages to get back to the car"...

i've had sun stroke before and i'm terrified i'll get it again... plus my panic attacks started abroad when it was hot, my panic and anxiety levels went from zero to sky high in the space of 24 hours...

my fella's bioyfriend brought us tickets for a festival on 3rd,4th and 5th august and with all these people saying its gonna be a record breaking hot summer i keep getting REALLY anxious about it... i cant handle anything above 21*C...

[josephine]

Hi,

I do feel a little more edgy in the summer and although i do like the warmth, the heat makes me flush and that sets me off panicking.

Josephinex

[Insomniac]

Thank you again for all your replies. Its interesting to see how many of us feel anxious when its hot.

You can buy Magicool in Boots Chemist or other pharmacy, or I buy mine in Sainsburys. It does help. Thanks nic for that suggestion. :-)

[matt1981]

I like the summer.. the only thing is im a student so I get bored because I am not working atm but I love the weather it makes me feel good and I can get a tan lol