Here we go again, another summer and another move. Anxiety rising. Having bad dreams. Sleep interrupted. Soon I must find a place to live. Must make enough income to get through next winter . . . can I do this all over again?

This may sound dramatic, but it is not far from the truth for many Islanders. As every spring and summer approaches, this is a mantra resonating inside the head of many Island people. Daily life goes from one anxiety to the next, from the long, depressive winter’s ebb to the short, manic flow of summer. Islanders hope to get through as best they can.

The late renowned Vineyard psychiatrist Dr. Milton Mazer wrote about this unique stressor of Island life in his book, People and Predicaments: “Summer is a time of considerable stress for many families. Even before the summer visitors arrive, many Islanders are engaged in arduous preparations. The poor who own no home must move from the one they occupy in the so-called “off-season” to one far more primitive, often without the certainty that they can return to the same town in the fall. If they move to another town at summer’s end, their children, if below high school age, must enter a new school, and some Island children attend three or four different schools before high school. It is common for some homeowners of modest means to build a primitive house, generally called a camp, for summer occupancy, since the rental of their home may make a substantial contribution to their yearly income.”

I think it is mostly true that we Islanders see ourselves as a different breed. Herman Melville, in his great novel Moby Dick, said this about us: “How it is there is no telling, but Islanders seem to make the best whale men. They were nearly all Islanders on the Pequod, Isolatoes, too. I call them such for not acknowledging the common continent of men, but each Isolato living on a separate continent of his own.”

Translating Melville’s words into the language of the present time, I think present-day Islanders (Isolatoes) seem to make the best workers. Our work ethic is a sense of pride, along with our admitted differences. This helps us to forge our collective sense of identity as Vineyarders. It doesn’t, however, make life any easier when we have to adjust to the changing tides of each season. Uprooting one’s family and moving at a time when work demands are at their peak causes significant stress and pressure.

My memory takes me back to when I had just gotten out of the service (Air Force) in 1969. I found myself, along with a few of my lifelong friends, confronted with the Vineyard shuffle predicament. Our solution was to clear some land on my family’s property and pitch tents. We also drilled a well, by hand, I might add, and built an outhouse with a flush toilet. We ended up with five tents housing friends and family set in a circle with plenty of privacy. After a lot of hard work, it ended up being one of the most enjoyable summers of my life. We brought old and new friends out to our special place in the woods where we had wonderful gatherings. The highlight of that summer was when I met the woman who eventually became my wife. Our house now stands on the site where I had pitched my tent. So this was one Vineyard shuffle story that had a happy ending.

The Vineyard shuffle, however, is most often not such a resounding success. Many families and individuals are still facing this syndrome. The predicament often translates into never being able to relax, never feeling comfortable or “at home.” Then, before long, having to pack up and move back to a winter rental, or back to a real home. Places to live for the summer are becoming harder and harder to find. It is especially difficult when there are children involved. There are parents still living in tents during the summer months trying to bring up their children, while they work long hours, seven days a week. This cannot be a pleasant experience to look forward to. It is challenging and exhausting at best.

The result of the strain from the shuffle can show itself in a number of ways: Increased anxiety with or without panic attacks, children acting out, domestic disputes and the use of substances to self-soothe. These are all very human reactions to this level of stress. Frequently, Islanders are too busy in the summer to seek help. Most wait until the fall when the season is over and they have some breathing room. This is when they usually seek out services from the professionals at Martha’s Vineyard Community Services.

What can we do? I think it would behoove us to put our energy into creating more affordable housing. A lot of Island people are already taking this issue very seriously and are trying to help. I would say to them, keep up the good fight. After all, what would our seasonal visitors do if all of us were to take a summer vacation?

Tom Bennett is associate executive director and senior clinical advisor at Martha’s Vineyard Community Services.