DETROIT – If you feel like you’ve had a shorter fuse lately and become more easily aggravated, it’s not your imagination.
Experts believe the oppressive heat impacts our bodies and minds.
Related: These are the most extreme temperatures in the history of every state
There are more traumas and ER visits during the summer -- some of that is simply because the days are longer and people are out more -- creating more opportunities for trouble, but it’s really more than that. Studies have shown that with temperature increases there’s also an increase in aggressive behavior and worsening of pre-existing mental health disorders.
---> Here’s a list of cooling centers in Metro Detroit
“Little kids that have temperatures, they are cranky, they are highly emotional, they easily get frustrated,” said Dr. Jennifer Peltzer-Jones. “And so what we find in the research is that adults can suffer from the same types of emotional ability and emotional distress that we see in children when they have a fever when we get hot.”
Peltzer-Jones, a psychologist in the emergency department at Henry Ford Health, said the heat also impacts how we interact with others.
“As the heat goes up and as the heat maintains that high humidity, we actually find ourselves interpersonally snapping at each other because of the irritability from the high heat,” Peltzer-Jones said.
The uncomfortable heat causes people to misinterpret even normal behaviors.
“Because I feel bad, I think that you’re being aggressive to me, then I snap at you then you snap at me and we get into a cycle,” Peltzer-Jones said.
People with developmental disabilities or autism may struggle more to understand what they’re feeling in the heat.
“For all of us, regardless of what our mental health status is, heat is going to affect us, so what we need to do is be a little bit more mindful that all of us are in the heat together,” Peltzer-Jones said. “For persons that already have some type of mental health disorder --especially those that might have problems with reality -- we know that higher heat can lead to more impulsivity. So not understanding all of our external cues that cause our internal cueing actually can lead to a lot more frustration or negative emotions, as well as not knowing how to control it because medications alone aren’t going to help, it’s the cooling effect we need.”
While there is no easy solution, Peltzer-Jones said we should all be giving each other more grace and patience when it’s hot out.
Another important issue about mental health and the heat is that many medications used to treat a wide range of mental health issues also have a potentially harmful effect on our body’s ability to cool itself. If you are on any medications, it’s especially important to try and stay cool.
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