Spring depression: such a weird idea, I didn’t connect them for decades.  Figured it out last year, confirmed this year.  Allergies and spring depression can go together.

I thought it was just me!  But a quick search on the internet reveals that it does effect quite a few people. 

Are you one of them?

Let’s take a closer look at one possible root cause: specific types of allergies.

You would think that as the days get longer, the sun stronger and the air warmer, that everyone would feel happier.

It is hard to account for a consistent feeling of mild depression right when the weather is getting better.

This article carefully explains what types of depression might be related to spring allergies, what might not, and what may cause spring allergies.

Depression – Different Types

Depression comes in many shapes and sizes.  I won’t pretend to be an expert on the subject.  I do want to point out that there are different causes of depression, and different levels of severity.

I like to joke, more than half-seriously, that the medical definition of a disease is the deficiency in a patented medicine.  Meaning you have a problem, the doctor determines which patented medicine you are short on, and writes you a prescription.

Certain types of depression really are caused by a deficiency in certain chemicals in the brain.  In these cases, the pills really do help people. 

If you have severe depression, keep taking your medication.  This article is probably not relevant to your case. 

If you experience severe depression, and the rest of this article makes sense to you, then do consult with your doctor about any changes to medication that you might consider.

The Kind of Depression This Article Can Help With

This article will probably help you if you have mild depression, and if it is linked to allergies, especially seasonal allergies, particularly allergies that effect you in the spring (and at other times too, as you’ll see). 

Everyone’s experience with depression is different.  I can only speak about my own experience.

I experience mild depression.  The at its worst, I have trouble getting out of bed (I do get out of bed, but with difficulty), trouble focusing on what needs to get done (but I do get things done), and generally seeing things in a negative light (but not to the point where I want to end it all – it or me).  And there’s the feeling of generally feeling shitty, in a depressed kind of way.

That’s at its worst, and since getting many of my allergies under control, things haven’t been quite that bad, not for years.

Spring Allergies

This article is about early spring allergies.  Late spring allergies are more likely caused by pollen.  Late spring allergies can also be related to mold, which is what this article is about.

Spring Allergies and Mold

With warmer temperatures and melting snow, comes new opportunities for mold growth. 

The most obvious is snow mold.  This is mold that grows on the last of melting snow, and on grass where snow has just melted off within a day or less.  The mold seems to thrive when the sun beats down, but by the second day of the grass shedding its mantle of snow, the mold is no longer alive (although you can still see it).  A few days later, even that is gone, at least the visually obvious signs of it.

I’ve noticed a strong correlation between my mood and snow mold.

I’ve noticed a similar link, without actually seeing the mold, when it rains.  Often a day of rain is a downer, and the feeling doesn’t go away the moment the sun comes out either.

Actually, I love rain, but I hate the feeling that usually goes with it.

Rain usually (but not always) promotes mold growth which can trigger your mold allergy.  This can lead to mild depression.

Snow mold in the spring, and spring rain can lead to mild depression if you have a mold allergy.