South Florida's extreme heat causing seasonal affective disorder, but help available
MIAMI - In South Florida, extreme heat is causing issues like seasonal affective disorder, which can affect a person's daily life. But help is available if needed.
At Zoo Miami, grandparents Elzbieta Wnuk and her husband Stanislaw Wnuk recently played with their grandson and persevered through the heat.
"It's incredible and it's hard to endure out here," said Elzbieta.
CBS News Miami's team of meteorologists confirmed that we are dealing with the hottest weather on record in South Florida. Experts warn that the extreme heat can lead to seasonal affective disorder, which many people think those in the north only deal with during gloomy winters. It can affect South Floridians, too, but during the summer months.
"Seasonal affective disorder is a type of major depression that has a seasonal component to it, and we say that it's seasonal affective disorder when it occurs for two consecutive seasons within a two-year period," said Dr. Daniel Bober, Chief of Psychiatry for Memorial Regional Hospital.
Bober said the intense heat coupled with other seasonal stresses can push some people to a dark place, even in the bright Florida sun.
"I think there are a number of stressors that come into play, for example we know that families that have younger children and you're trying to navigate the schedule of taking your kids to summer camp and maybe you want to go on vacation so there's definitely more stress," Bober said. "There's also the financial stress that might occur."
There are "a lot of people who are wearing bathing suits and so I've seen a lot of my patients are very insecure about the way they look, it makes them feel uncomfortable," he said.
Mental health experts say 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal affective disorder every year. It's four times more common in women than in men.
So how do you know when it's time to get help?
"What I tell people is: you have to look at how it's affecting your daily functioning. If you're not able to meet your life obligations, your relationships, your job school, your hygiene, all these things, if you're not able to meet those obligations i's probably time to seek professional help," said Bober.
He said treatments range from a change of diet and exercise to certain medications and counseling and all the above.
"I'm miserable, miserable, and very, very miserable," said father Jerry Mendez while walking with his children at Zoo Miami.
"You don't go out more frequently, and then you don't exercise maybe, because it's too hot," said Elzbieta.
If you think you might be dealing with something a little heavier, it's OK to ask for help.