Psychiatrist talks about how a heatwave affects the psyche and what to pay attention to

Photo: Freepik/yanalya

The heatwave gripping Serbia these days affects not only the body in most people, but also their psyche and behavior.

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Temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius in the shade and the heat that radiates from the concrete cause not only breathing difficulties and excessive sweating, but also nervousness in even the healthiest and most stable people.

"Such great heat also affects our psyche, as it affects our heart and the whole organism," says Professor Dr. Jovan Maric, a psychiatrist.

He stressed that high temperatures with high humidity affect increased secretion of certain hormones that cause marked nervousness in both healthy and especially ill people.

"Increased secretion of hormones, including serotonin and testosterone, causes nervousness and anxiety in people who are mentally completely healthy. We become more aggressive and have less patience, we are more quarrelsome," Professor Maric explains how people react to very hot weather.

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The psychiatrist points out that this time is especially difficult for patients with psychiatric disorders.

"Mentally ill people are usually more tense and anxious in the summer and have the right to be like that. But one should be careful, because hot weather brings out aggression, particularly in them. In that situation, they are more prone to violence, so summer is the season in which the number of suicides and murders increases," Maric told Telegraf.

He stressed that all those who have a psychiatric patient in their family should pay special attention to them during these hot days.

"If you have someone in your family or your environment who suffers from a mental disorder, you should pay special attention to how they behave, whether they are more depressed or more aggressive these days. During such hot days, there can be pronounced tendency towards suicide," says the professor.

He advises not to spend time outdoors unnecessarily between 10 am and 5 pm during the heatwave, to stay in moderately cooled rooms and drink as much liquid as possible, wear light cotton clothes and avoid large crowds of people, because that can also create additional nervousness in people.

(Telegraf.rs)