Spring blues

Hello everyone.

I haven't been active on this forum lately, but I would like you to leave this thread up if it complies with the other posting rules. If this topic doesn't fit this subforum, feel free to move it elsewhere.

As the title suggests, I struggle with spring depression. At 27 years old, I am finally ready to admit this and start addressing it.

Unlike most people with seasonal issues who suffer during autumn, winter, or the holidays, I don't experience that. For me, this depression starts creeping in around February—as soon as the days get longer—then intensifies through mid-to-late April before tapering off by June.

Ever since the 5th grade, I’ve felt the changing weather and longer days starting to "suffocate" me. It creates this constant restlessness and kills my concentration while studying. The afternoons are the worst—from about 2:00 or 3:00 PM until dusk. Just endless restlessness. Depression mixed with anxiety. A sense of aimlessness. Emptiness. Sometimes even a sense of dread.

During this time of year, I often feel like spring is physically tearing me apart. Days were only tolerable if it was raining. Rarely did a spring day pass without me feeling like absolute shit. During my school years, I tried to drown out these horrible feelings by burying myself in work and obligations, though they remained present.

Over the last three years, this period has been more manageable than before (when I lived at home), and during this past year (2022), working helped me realize I handle spring better now than I did during my education. However, that mindset—that difficulty with this specific season—is still there. It remains hard, even if it has weakened slightly over the last three years.
I have always remained functional during this time, just 2-3 times less productive than I am during the winter.

My questions for you all are:
Do you experience similar issues? (I would prefer we focus specifically on spring moods rather than generalizing or discussing other seasons).
How do you cope?
What are the potential causes?
Is there any professional literature on this?
Have you managed to overcome, or attempted to overcome, this period?

Just today, seeing people relaxing and hanging out in Central Park served as a blunt reminder that this spring depression is here, and it is present.

Thank you in advance for your kind and constructive responses.

The springtime fatigue is absolutely draining me; I struggle with depression regardless of the season, though fortunately, my therapy keeps it under control.
Lately, my energy levels have plummeted again, leaving me feeling exhausted throughout the day, which I’ve realized is due to spring approaching. I felt perfectly fine during the winter, and now I find myself having to adjust all over again to this seasonal shift. 🙄

Typically, it takes me a few weeks to find my footing and stabilize. Since I am highly sensitive to weather changes, I feel even the slightest atmospheric shift, yet adapting to these major seasonal transitions always seems to take me much longer than most.

Essentially, this occurs because of the fluctuations in neurotransmitter levels within the brain; longer days mean more exposure to sunlight, requiring the brain to recalibrate to new conditions. Some individuals are simply far more sensitive to these shifts, reacting much more intensely than those who aren't.

I haven't quite discovered a permanent solution to these struggles yet, and it has been this way for years... 🤷

I don’t know, ever since the weather finally turned around, I’ve been feeling so much better. As soon as that constant rain, fog, and all that other crap cleared out, I can actually soak up some sun and enjoy these perfect temperatures.
Summer depression isn't even hitting me this year. You know that specific vibe where you just feel... isolated? Even if you aren't actively hanging out with anyone, you just know everyone else is off at the beach or traveling somewhere abroad, and it makes everything feel incredibly lonely, whether you're actually alone or not.

Springtime depression hits hard—mostly because after spending the entire winter cooped up indoors, you suddenly have every excuse to step outside. But once you actually do, you’re faced with a much higher probability of interacting with way too many people, which is absolute hell for anxious types like my sister, for instance. Then come the allergies—pollen, weeds, whatever kills you—and just when you think you've caught a break, you realize that if you've let yourself go at all, summer is looming and you need to get your act together. On top of that, there’s the financial stress; you need to plan a vacation, assuming you even saved enough over the last few months... When you pile all of that together, you get what people call "depression"—though I’d personally label it more of a "lite" version. It's all relatively simple to fix, really. You start exercising, find a local spot like Central Park for a walk, grab a book, or take the dog out for some extra entertainment. My issue is that neither my boyfriend nor my girlfriends seem to have any free time, so I've basically given up on going out altogether—even though I know the depression could be much worse, I'm hanging in there somehow.

Thomas Ruiz13 said:Springtime depression hits hard—mostly because after spending the entire winter cooped up indoors, you suddenly have every excuse to step outside. But once you actually do, you’re faced with a much higher probability of interacting with way too many people, which is absolute hell for anxious types like my sister, for instance. Then come the allergies—pollen, weeds, whatever kills you—and just when you think you've caught a break, you realize that if you've let yourself go at all, summer is looming and you need to get your act together. On top of that, there’s the financial stress; you need to plan a vacation, assuming you even saved enough over the last few months... When you pile all of that together, you get what people call "depression"—though I’d personally label it more of a "lite" version. It's all relatively simple to fix, really. You start exercising, find a local spot like Central Park for a walk, grab a book, or take the dog out for some extra entertainment. My issue is that neither my boyfriend nor my girlfriends seem to have any free time, so I've basically given up on going out altogether—even though I know the depression could be much worse, I'm hanging in there somehow.

It’s more about treating the symptoms than fixing the root cause, but man, it really helps.
Think of running as a total game-changer; even ten minutes in and those happy hormones start pumping! That buzz lasts for hours, and you don't even need to sprint—a light jog works wonders. Power walking is great too.
If running isn't your thing, cycling or swimming are solid bets. You still get that little boost, it's just a bit more subtle.

restlesssailor3 said:Hello everyone.

I haven't been active on this forum lately, but I would like you to leave this thread up if it complies with the other posting rules. If this topic doesn't fit this subforum, feel free to move it elsewhere.

As the title suggests, I struggle with spring depression. At 27 years old, I am finally ready to admit this and start addressing it.

Unlike most people with seasonal issues who suffer during autumn, winter, or the holidays, I don't experience that. For me, this depression starts creeping in around February—as soon as the days get longer—then intensifies through mid-to-late April before tapering off by June.

Ever since the 5th grade, I’ve felt the changing weather and longer days starting to "suffocate" me. It creates this constant restlessness and kills my concentration while studying. The afternoons are the worst—from about 2:00 or 3:00 PM until dusk. Just endless restlessness. Depression mixed with anxiety. A sense of aimlessness. Emptiness. Sometimes even a sense of dread.

During this time of year, I often feel like spring is physically tearing me apart. Days were only tolerable if it was raining. Rarely did a spring day pass without me feeling like absolute shit. During my school years, I tried to drown out these horrible feelings by burying myself in work and obligations, though they remained present.

Over the last three years, this period has been more manageable than before (when I lived at home), and during this past year (2022), working helped me realize I handle spring better now than I did during my education. However, that mindset—that difficulty with this specific season—is still there. It remains hard, even if it has weakened slightly over the last three years.
I have always remained functional during this time, just 2-3 times less productive than I am during the winter.

My questions for you all are:
Do you experience similar issues? (I would prefer we focus specifically on spring moods rather than generalizing or discussing other seasons).
How do you cope?
What are the potential causes?
Is there any professional literature on this?
Have you managed to overcome, or attempted to overcome, this period?

Just today, seeing people relaxing and hanging out in Central Park served as a blunt reminder that this spring depression is here, and it is present.

Thank you in advance for your kind and constructive responses.

I get it. I’m a fall and winter person through and through. Summer just brings this sense of dread. I can't stand the heat—it makes me feel completely useless. It’s even worse when you actually have to be out and about instead of hiding in an air-conditioned apartment or office all season. It wasn't always like this where I live. We used to have that nice, mild mountain climate, but lately, we've been getting hit with those brutal 95-degree days. I try to laugh off my little "condition." It isn't actual clinical depression or anything, just a recurring funk triggered by the rising mercury. My coworker claims it’s just seasonal fatigue from the sudden shifts in pressure and temperature, but honestly, I think everyone feels the hit at some point, even if they don't call it a sickness.

Look, I’m no doctor, but in my experience, moving your body actually helps when you're dealing with real depression. I saw it firsthand with my mom. She’s battling Alzheimer’s and deals with some pretty heavy depressive episodes because of it. Whenever I visit, we go for a walk—just until she gets tired, since she isn't exactly a spring chicken anymore. But I notice a shift every single time. She feels better after the walk, she gets brighter, and I can tell by our phone calls later that the mood stuck. People shouldn't just dismiss advice about physical activity. If you aren't the type to hit the gym or run marathons, fine. Just take the stairs down instead of the elevator. Walk a couple of blocks to the subway station instead of jumping straight on the bus. Anything is better than sitting still. Of course, people struggling with severe clinical depression are likely under medical care already. But if they aren't? They need to talk to a doctor. Sometimes you need medication, sure, but sometimes you just need a kind word or a little bit of hope to get through the day.

Of course it exists—honestly, it might actually be the absolute worst flavor of seasonal depression. Everything in nature starts waking up and revving its engine, which creates this massive, unspoken pressure to suddenly feel amazing, get out there, and join everyone else in whatever trendy outdoor activity is happening that week. If you don’t fit that specific mold? It’s exhausting. Personally, I find the long days and the heat just draining; I honestly much prefer the winter—it’s just more comfortable, you know? Plus, spring has this annoying way of dragging everything out into the sunlight that people tried to bury during the colder months. Some studies suggest that suicide rates actually peak in correlation with pollen concentrations in the air. April is truly the most brutal month.

I don’t know if it’s just seasonal depression hitting me hard, but I feel absolutely miserable. I’ve been dealing with COVID lately, and now I just feel completely drained and pathetic.
The sun is blazing outside, my head is pounding like crazy, and honestly, I just want to crawl into a dark corner and hide... I know I need to find a way out of this funk, but I seriously have no clue where to start.

restlesssailor3 said:Hello everyone.

I haven't been active on this forum lately, but I would like you to leave this thread up if it complies with the other posting rules. If this topic doesn't fit this subforum, feel free to move it elsewhere.

As the title suggests, I struggle with spring depression. At 27 years old, I am finally ready to admit this and start addressing it.

Unlike most people with seasonal issues who suffer during autumn, winter, or the holidays, I don't experience that. For me, this depression starts creeping in around February—as soon as the days get longer—then intensifies through mid-to-late April before tapering off by June.

Ever since the 5th grade, I’ve felt the changing weather and longer days starting to "suffocate" me. It creates this constant restlessness and kills my concentration while studying. The afternoons are the worst—from about 2:00 or 3:00 PM until dusk. Just endless restlessness. Depression mixed with anxiety. A sense of aimlessness. Emptiness. Sometimes even a sense of dread.

During this time of year, I often feel like spring is physically tearing me apart. Days were only tolerable if it was raining. Rarely did a spring day pass without me feeling like absolute shit. During my school years, I tried to drown out these horrible feelings by burying myself in work and obligations, though they remained present.

Over the last three years, this period has been more manageable than before (when I lived at home), and during this past year (2022), working helped me realize I handle spring better now than I did during my education. However, that mindset—that difficulty with this specific season—is still there. It remains hard, even if it has weakened slightly over the last three years.
I have always remained functional during this time, just 2-3 times less productive than I am during the winter.

My questions for you all are:
Do you experience similar issues? (I would prefer we focus specifically on spring moods rather than generalizing or discussing other seasons).
How do you cope?
What are the potential causes?
Is there any professional literature on this?
Have you managed to overcome, or attempted to overcome, this period?

Just today, seeing people relaxing and hanging out in Central Park served as a blunt reminder that this spring depression is here, and it is present.

Thank you in advance for your kind and constructive responses.

"April is the cruelest month, breeding
George from dead soil, mixing
Memory and desire, mixing
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter provided warmth, covering
The earth in forgetful snow, feeding
On little life from dried tubers.

Something like that... T. S. Eliot knew it long ago...