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. This can affect your daily life, but help is available if needed.

At Zoo Miami, grandparents Elzbieta Wnuk and her husband Stanislaw Wnuk 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 South Florida's extreme heat can lead to something more serious. It's called seasonal affective disorder. While many people think that's something 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 in 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 in 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 more stress. There's also financial stress that might occur. I did an article years ago about Miami being the vainest city in the United States so you've got 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," said Bober.

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?

"So 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 is probably time to seek professional help," said Bober.

He said treatments range from changing your diet and exercise to certain medications and counseling to all the above. So, if these blistering hot days have you feeling a little down, anxious, or irritable, you are not alone.

"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 you don't exercise 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.