Latest / Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast / Summertime Sadness: Why Depression Can Spike in Summer and How to Find Hope

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Summertime Sadness: Why Depression Can Spike in Summer and How to Find Hope · Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

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  Speaker 1: Life Audio.
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  Speaker 2: Summer is supposed to be the season of sunshine, vacations,
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  Speaker 2: and smiling social media photos, but for many people, it's
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  Speaker 2: when depression quietly deepens. If you've ever felt more anxious, lonely,
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  Speaker 2: or emotionally exhausted during the summer months, you're not imagining
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  Speaker 2: it and you're not alone. In today's episode of Your
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  Speaker 2: Hope Filled Perspective, I am going to talk about summer's sadness,
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  Speaker 2: why depression and mental health struggles can actually spike during summer,
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  Speaker 2: and we'll talk about what brain, science, psychology, and scripture
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  Speaker 2: reveal about this misunderstood phenomenon. Whether you're battling low mood,
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  Speaker 2: disrupted sleep, increased comparison, or the pressure to feel happy,
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  Speaker 2: this conversation will help you understand what's happening in your mind,
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  Speaker 2: mind and body, and how God meets you with hope
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  Speaker 2: even in the brightest seasons. Welcome back to your Hope
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  Speaker 2: Filled Perspective, where it's always our goal to restore hope,
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  Speaker 2: renew minds, and empower listeners to live in your God
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  Speaker 2: given identity. I'm your host, doctor Michelle bankson Board, certified
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  Speaker 2: clinical neuropsychologist, author, speaker, and companion on the journey to mental, emotional,
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  Speaker 2: and spiritual wellness. I'm so grateful for your joining me
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  Speaker 2: today for this episode. Today we are going to talk
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  Speaker 2: about summer's sadness, why depression can spike in summer, and
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  Speaker 2: how to find hope. We'll dive in right after this
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  Speaker 2: brief word from our sponsor. Summer often comes with unspoken
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  Speaker 2: expectation you should be happy right now. Longer days, family gatherings,
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  Speaker 2: beach trips, and backyard barbecues can amplify joy, or they
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  Speaker 2: can magnify grief, loneliness, exhaustion, and depression. If summer feels
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  Speaker 2: heavier instead of lighter, this episode is for you today
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  Speaker 2: on your Hope Filled Perspective podcast, we're exploring why depression
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  Speaker 2: can worsen in summer, how emotional, relational, and spiritual factors
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  Speaker 2: collide during this season, and where to find genuine hope
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  Speaker 2: when sunshine doesn't necessarily translate into joy. If you've ever
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  Speaker 2: felt shame for struggling when life looks good, I want
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  Speaker 2: you to know you are seen, You're not weak, and
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  Speaker 2: God's presence is not dependent on the season. Let's begin
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  Speaker 2: by naming something that often goes unspoken for many people.
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  Speaker 2: Summer is not easier. It's actually harder. We've talked on
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  Speaker 2: this podcast, and I've written in books and on blog
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  Speaker 2: posts and in articles about seasonal effective disorder or the
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  Speaker 2: winter blues or the post holiday blues. So many of
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  Speaker 2: us are familiar with the experience of some depressive tendencies
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  Speaker 2: in the dark, gloomy winter, but rarely do we talk
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  Speaker 2: about experiencing those things during the longest days of the year,
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  Speaker 2: in the midst of summer. And that can be deeply confusing,
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  Speaker 2: because when the sun is shining and everyone else seems happier,
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  Speaker 2: we start asking ourselves questions like what's wrong with me?
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  Speaker 2: Why can't I just enjoy this? Or why do I
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  Speaker 2: feel worse when I should feel better. I want to
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  Speaker 2: say this clearly from the start. Struggling in summer does
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  Speaker 2: not mean that you are broken. It does not mean
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  Speaker 2: that your faith is weak, and it does not mean
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  Speaker 2: that you're failing things like gratitude. In fact, there's a
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  Speaker 2: well documented phenomenon known as summer pattern depression, or what
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  Speaker 2: many people call summertime sadness. While seasonal effective disorders most
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  Speaker 2: commonly associated with winter, research shows that for a significant
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  Speaker 2: number of people, depressive symptoms actually intensify in the summer months,
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  Speaker 2: and when we don't talk about it, shame fills the silence. Sotay,
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  Speaker 2: I want to talk honestly about why depression can spike
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  Speaker 2: in summer, what's happening in your brain, body and relationships,
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  Speaker 2: and why faith doesn't make you immune to emotional pain,
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  Speaker 2: as well as how God offers real hope, not pressure
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  Speaker 2: in this season that you might be experiencing. Let's talk
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  Speaker 2: first about the biology of summer depression. Let's start with
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  Speaker 2: the brain and the body, because depression is not just
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  Speaker 2: emotional or just spiritual. It's actually biopsychosocial, meaning that it
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  Speaker 2: involves biology, psychology, and environment. One major factor that can
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  Speaker 2: contribute to summertime sadness is the circadian rhythm disruption during summer,
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  Speaker 2: longer daylight hours can interfere with our natural sleep wake cycles.
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  Speaker 2: Even subtle changes like staying up later, walking earlier, traveling
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  Speaker 2: across time zones, or inconsistent routines can impact our melotonein production.
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  Speaker 2: And let's face it, when sleep suffers, mood regulation suffers.
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  Speaker 2: Sleep deprivation affects the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which
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  Speaker 2: helps with judgment and emotional regulation. But sleep deprivation also
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  Speaker 2: affects the amygdala, which processes threat and emotional intensity. So
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  Speaker 2: when those two systems are disregulated, what we find is
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  Speaker 2: that frequently anxiety increases, emotional resilience decreases, and depressive symptoms worsen. Now,
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  Speaker 2: another biological factor that many don't even think about is
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  Speaker 2: heat sensitivity. Heat increases cortisol, which we know is the
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  Speaker 2: stress hormone. For individuals already prone to anxiety or depression,
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  Speaker 2: prolonged heat exposure can heighten irritability, fatigue, and emotional volatility.
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  Speaker 2: And then, as if that's not an an if there's
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  Speaker 2: neurotransmitter imbalance. While sunlight is great because it can increase
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  Speaker 2: serotonin for some people, for others, especially those with mood disorders,
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  Speaker 2: excess light and heat can contribute to agitation rather than
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  Speaker 2: a sense of calm. So if you have noticed feeling
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  Speaker 2: more restless than peaceful, more irritable instead of relaxed, or
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  Speaker 2: more exhausted instead or despite doing less, that is not
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  Speaker 2: a moral failure. That is actually your nervous system responding
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  Speaker 2: to environmental changes. Friends, We're going to take a short
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  Speaker 2: break for a message from our sponsor, but when we return,
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  Speaker 2: we'll continue our conversation about summer sadness and address the
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  Speaker 2: psychological pressures of summer. We'll be right back, all right,
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  Speaker 2: Let's turn the conversation to address the psychological pressures of summer.
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  Speaker 2: Beyond biology, summer introduces unique psychological stressors, and one of
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  Speaker 2: the biggest is expectation pressure. Yes, expectation pressure. Now, if
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  Speaker 2: you've been following me for any length of time, you
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  Speaker 2: know that I often talk about this during the holidays
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  Speaker 2: because those expectations and or unmet expectations can contribute to
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  Speaker 2: our stress and our struggle with mood, especially during the holidays.
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  Speaker 3: Now.
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  Speaker 2: Typically, summer is marketed as the season of happiness, fun, freedom, connection,
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  Speaker 2: and when our internal experience doesn't match the external narrative,
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  Speaker 2: we experience cognitive dissonance, a distressing gap between how we
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  Speaker 2: feel and how we believe we should feel. This often
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  Speaker 2: leads to self criticism, comparison, and emotional suppression. And my
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  Speaker 2: friend's social media intensifies this Why Because we see everyone
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  Speaker 2: else's highlight reels of vacations, family gatherings, and smiling faces,
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  Speaker 2: and yet often your life feels lonely, painful, or stagnant.
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  Speaker 2: That contrast alone can deepen despair. Another psychological factor is
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  Speaker 2: increased unstructured time. For some, summer disrupts routines that provide stability,
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  Speaker 2: like school schedules, work rhythms, ministry calendars. And while rest
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  Speaker 2: is important, too much unstructured time can amplify rumination. And
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  Speaker 2: I remember this pressure when my kids were in school
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  Speaker 2: and we neared the end of the school year. I
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  Speaker 2: felt so much pressure to figure out how I was
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  Speaker 2: going to keep them busy or keep them entertained during
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  Speaker 2: the summer because they no longer had that routine. Here's
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  Speaker 2: what it happens in the brain. The mind fills silence
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  Speaker 2: with unanswered questions like why am I struggling, Why hasn't
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  Speaker 2: this changed yet? And why does everyone else seem to
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  Speaker 2: be moving forward. For those who have experienced trauma or loss,
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  Speaker 2: summer can also bring anniversary reactions memories that are tied
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  Speaker 2: to specific dates, smells, or activities. You say, grief in
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  Speaker 2: and of itself doesn't take a vacation. Talk about the
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  Speaker 2: relational and the spiritual weight of summer. Summer often highlights
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  Speaker 2: relational pain. Think about it. Holidays, family barbecues, weddings, and
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  Speaker 2: vacations can magnify feelings of loneliness or estrangement, unmet longing,
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  Speaker 2: or even anxiety about how people are going to act
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  Speaker 2: or respond or not act or respond. And if you've
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  Speaker 2: lost someone, summer can feel painfully loud with reminders of
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  Speaker 2: what's missing. If your relationships are strained, summer can feel
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  Speaker 2: isolating rather than connecting spiritually. Summer sadness often triggers false
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  Speaker 2: conclusions about God. Thoughts like if God was really with me,
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  Speaker 2: I wouldn't feel this way, or condemning and shameful thoughts
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  Speaker 2: like I should be more grateful, or comparison, and thoughts
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  Speaker 2: like others seem so joyful, what's wrong with me? But
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  Speaker 2: scripture tells a very different story. Elijah, after a great
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  Speaker 2: spiritual victory, collapsed into despair and asked God to take
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  Speaker 2: his life. But God did not rebuke him. God fed him,
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  Speaker 2: God let him sleep, and God meant him gently. That
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  Speaker 2: really tells us something profound in that God addresses emotional
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  Speaker 2: suffering with compassion, not condemnation. Now I want to talk
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  Speaker 2: about what summer depression is not. And first I think
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  Speaker 2: it's really important that we clear up some damaging myths.
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  Speaker 2: Summer depression is not a lack of faith. Depression is
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  Speaker 2: not a failure to trust God. Summer depression is not ingratitude,
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  Speaker 2: and it is most certainly not weakness. Depression is not
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  Speaker 2: a spiritual shortcut. It's a complex condition, evolving the brain,
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  Speaker 2: the nervous system, the body, emotions, as well as our
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  Speaker 2: lived experiences. Friends, you can love God deeply and still
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  Speaker 2: feel deeply sad. You can pray faithfully and still need rest,
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  Speaker 2: support and treatment. The psalms alone are full of people
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  Speaker 2: who loved God and still cried out in anguish. So remember,
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  Speaker 2: biblical faith doesn't deny pain. It actually allows us to
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  Speaker 2: bring our pain into the presence of God. Friends, I
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  Speaker 2: need to take a real short break for a message
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  Speaker 2: from our sponsor. But when we return, we'll turn our
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  Speaker 2: conversation to discussing how to find hope and offer practical,
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  Speaker 2: gentle steps for managing summer sadness. We'll be right back,
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  Speaker 2: all right, Let's talk about the practical. Let's talk about
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  Speaker 2: how to find hope through some gentle steps. Because, as
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  Speaker 2: someone who has treated thousands of patients with depression and
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  Speaker 2: someone who has experienced it herself, I'm fully aware that
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  Speaker 2: when we feel this way, whether it's summer or other
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  Speaker 2: time of the year need people to be gentle with us,
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  Speaker 2: and we need to be gentle and compassionate towards ourselves
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  Speaker 2: because God is. So let's talk about hope not as
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  Speaker 2: a feeling, but as a practice. First, let's talk about
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  Speaker 2: about restoring rhythm before chasing relief. It's important that we
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  Speaker 2: prioritize consistent sleep and wake times. We need to prioritize
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  Speaker 2: regular meals with nutritional food and I know we don't
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  Speaker 2: talk about it very much on this podcast, but can
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  Speaker 2: I just remind you that our gut has been found
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  Speaker 2: to be like a second brain, and many of our
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  Speaker 2: neurow transmitters are actually replenished in the gut. But when
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  Speaker 2: we're feeding our gut non nutritive foods, think about those
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  Speaker 2: processed foods that were created to sit on grocery shelves
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  Speaker 2: or in our pantries for months or years without going bad.
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  Speaker 2: That is not helping us to fight things like anxiety, depression,
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  Speaker 2: heart disease, stress. So I want you to engage in
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  Speaker 2: regular meals. I also want you to focus on eating
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  Speaker 2: more nutritive foods. It's also important to prioritize gentle movement. Now,
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  Speaker 2: whether that is a ten minute walk three times a
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  Speaker 2: day after each of your meals, or its weight training,
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  Speaker 2: or it's doing rebounding or even utilizing things like a
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  Speaker 2: vibration plate. Get out there and move because movement will
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  Speaker 2: help decrease the cortisol, which helps fuel things like depression, sleep, disturbance,
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  Speaker 2: that kind of thing. But also prioritize time in the
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  Speaker 2: shade and cooling environments frinds. What I want you to
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  Speaker 2: know is that your nervous system heals through predictability. So
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  Speaker 2: the more you can set yourself up with good, gentle
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  Speaker 2: daily habits, the better you will feel physically, emotionally, mentally,
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  Speaker 2: and spiritually. Recommendation is to limit comparison triggers. If social
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  Speaker 2: media increases your feelings of despair, despondency, isolation, rejection, it
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  Speaker 2: is not a lack of discipline to step back in actuality.
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  Speaker 2: Its wisdom. Third, I would recommend that you name what
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  Speaker 2: you're grieving. Ask yourself what feels missing right now? Ask
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  Speaker 2: yourself what expectations feel unmet? And ask yourself what loss
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  Speaker 2: has summer made more visible? You see, when we acknowledge grief,
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  Speaker 2: it loses some of its power, It loses some of
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  Speaker 2: its weight, and it loses some of its influence in
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  Speaker 2: our mind, to heart and our emotions. And the fourth,
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  Speaker 2: I encourage you to invite God into the honesty, not
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  Speaker 2: the performance. And keep in mind that as you invite
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  Speaker 2: God in and you engage in prayerful dialogue with him,
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  Speaker 2: remember that prayer does not require positivity. It actually requires
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  Speaker 2: being still in, being in His presence. So maybe when
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  Speaker 2: prayer might even feel difficult because of summer sadness, consider
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  Speaker 2: praying something like, God, this feeling, it just feels so
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  Speaker 2: heavy this season. I don't understand why, but I need
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  Speaker 2: you here. Friends. That's a holy prayer, that's honest. That's
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  Speaker 2: taking your raw emotions and your need for God's intervention
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  Speaker 2: straight to him, and as a loving father, he longs
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  Speaker 2: to hear from you. And Fifth, please seek support because
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  Speaker 2: depression thrives in isolation, and healing frequently happens in connection.
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  Speaker 2: If symptoms for like a low mood or sadness, feelings
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  Speaker 2: of hopelessness, sleep, disruption, loss of interest, and things that
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  Speaker 2: you previously enjoyed, please reach out to a trusted professional.
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  Speaker 2: Seeking help is not a lack of faith, it's stewardship.
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  Speaker 2: For instance, we close out this episode and want to
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  Speaker 2: leave you with the following hope Field perspective, God is
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  Speaker 2: not more present in your bright seasons than in your
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  Speaker 2: dark ones. In fact, scripture consistently shows God drawing nearer
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  Speaker 2: to the broken hearted. I hope you'll remember that summer
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  Speaker 2: sadness does not disqualify you from joy. Summer sadness does
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  Speaker 2: not disqualify you from joy. And if you're struggling because
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  Speaker 2: you just don't feel joyful, please go back and listen
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  Speaker 2: to the episode that we did a couple months ago
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  Speaker 2: on how to cultivate joy and difficulties. Also, summer sadness
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  Speaker 2: does not erase God's goodness, and summer sadness does not
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  Speaker 2: define your future. It simply tells us that your soul
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  Speaker 2: is asking for care and frience. God listens to that cry.
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  Speaker 2: And because God listens when we pray, I want to
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  Speaker 2: pray for you. Lord. You see every listener who feels confused, heavy,
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  Speaker 2: or ashamed for struggling in this season, and you know
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  Speaker 2: the biology of their bodies. You created it. You know
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  Speaker 2: the story of their hearts, and you know the burdens
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  Speaker 2: that they quietly carry. Would you please, Lord, meet them
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  Speaker 2: with gentleness, restore their rhythms, quiet their nervous system, replace
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  Speaker 2: lies with truth and remind them that your presence is
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  Speaker 2: not seasonal. You are near even now because of and
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  Speaker 2: in the mighty name of Jesus. Pray Amen friends, thank
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  Speaker 2: you for spending this time with me on your Hope
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  Speaker 2: Field Perspective podcast. I hope that there was something in
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  Speaker 2: today's episode that encouraged you, that motivated you, that gave
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  Speaker 2: you pause to think about how you might do things differently.
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  Speaker 2: If today's episode has touched your heart, or you know
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  Speaker 2: someone who's struggling with sadness in the summertime, please consider
• 21:24
  Speaker 2: sharing this episode with a friend who needs a biblically
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  Speaker 2: based hope Field perspective. I'm looking forward to being with
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  Speaker 2: you again next week, but in the meantime, it's my
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  Speaker 2: prayer for you that you have a hope filled week.
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  Speaker 1: Depression is now our greatest epidemic worldwide, greater than heart disease, cancer,
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: and aids all put together. If you have looked for
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: help with depression, you have found that there's a scarcity
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: of biblically based resources that identifies the spiritual component that
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: will actually help with the depression and also will help
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  Speaker 1: the loved ones who are trying to support the ones
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  Speaker 1: who are depressed. Over her thirty year career, doctor Benkson
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  Speaker 1: has treated thousands of individuals with depression and has even
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  Speaker 1: suffered from it herself. Because of her suffering, she understands
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  Speaker 1: the need to address the spiritual dimension of depression along
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  Speaker 1: with the physiological and emotional components. Doctor Benkson has written
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  Speaker 1: an award winning book, Hope Prevails, Insights from a doctor's
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  Speaker 1: personal journey through depression. For she shares with us her
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: own experiences, and she combines decades of professional expertise in
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: mental health with her personal insights so she can help
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  Speaker 1: us overcome depression. Script Jennifer Strickland, author of Beautiful Lies,
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: had this to say about Hope Prevails. Hope Prevails as
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: a treasure trove of scripture, music, and medicine for the soul.
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: This book shares truth upon truth for anyone encountering the
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: obscurity of depression. Is a very important work that should
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: be held in the highest regard in any family library.
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: Most of all is honest. Michelle genuinely opens up a
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  Speaker 1: window of her heart, shamelessly revealing her own darkest hours
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  Speaker 1: in order to shine a light of hope for you
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  Speaker 1: and me. If you or anyone you love touch even
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: the fringe of depression. I highly recommend this work as
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: a key doorway to your journey towards joy peace in
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: the full life we can have in Christ. Hope Prevails
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: is available from Amazon dot com and other fine online retailers,
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: or you your website at doctor michellebe dot com. You
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: can obtain your copy today and begin your healing journey
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: from depression. Thank you for joining doctor banks and to
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: your hope build perspective. We hope you are encouraged by
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: her authenticity, vulnerability and biblical truths. If you enjoy today's conversation,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: when you take a moment right now, open up your
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  Speaker 1: podcast app and look for the subscribe button right next
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  Speaker 3: Enjoyed with friends, so tell a friend and click share
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  Speaker 3: in your podcast app and send a friend our link
• 24:11
  Speaker 3: to share Hope with them. If you have a comment, question,
• 24:15
  Speaker 3: or suggest a topic for a future show, reach out
• 24:17
  Speaker 3: to our staff at info at Hope Prevails dot org.
• 24:21
  Speaker 3: For additional resources. Information about doctor Bankson's books where free downloads,
• 24:26
  Speaker 3: or to contact her to speak at your next event,
• 24:29
  Speaker 3: Please visit doctor Mishelbe dot com. Until next time, May
• 24:34
  Speaker 3: you have a hope filledweek.
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: I'd like to take just a second to thank the
• 24:41
  Speaker 2: team at Life Audio for their partnership with us on
• 24:44
  Speaker 2: this podcast. If you go to lifeaudio dot com, you'll
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: find dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network.
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