summer and spring equinox

[ChristianBeliverInChrist]

It may be just me but summer and spring equinox seem to make people with bipolar go manic or slightly manic.It is getting close to summer and I am slightly manic. for me it seems to happen every summer and spring.
Any feed back would be appreciated.


Jw

 

[sherr33]

i usually get slightly manic when it goes from winter to spring

 

[Alive again]

Yes, seasons can have an impact on this illness. Straight from my pdocs mouth.

 

[wonderwoman]

Yes, seasons can have an impact on this illness. Straight from my pdocs mouth.

My depressive cycles have always started setting in the fall and reaching peak in Dec. Jan and Feb, but towards the end of Feb....almost to the same date every year, I would suddenly swing heavily into a manic. It was like clock work. Before I was diagnosed and on my meds, I thought I may have had seasonal affective disorder. When I was diagnosed and told my doc about the possibility of SAD, she didn't believe SAD was real and dismissed it. Anyway, I'm not saying I do have it, but I always wondered why my episodes coincided so much with the seasons. My boyfriend on the other hand, gets depression in spring/summer where I'm more depressed during winter. Do dr.s say why this happens? Is it psychological or biological? Can you tell me more about this?

 

[Alive again]

This is a link to one article among many looking at the role of light/dark cycles and the effect it has on the brain chemistry. It is a very good overview type article. http://www.bipolarchild.com/newsletters/0506.html Hope this is the type of thing you were looking for. Personally i have to adjust my specific med up (in conjunction with my pdoc). This article talks about lamictal possibly being to stimulating during a particular season (watch which hemisphere you are in when applying this advice) even just a little bit. I found it a very interesting read.

 

[sherr33]

I tend to get hypo manic during early spring and then the severe depression hits during the winter months badly. It I could have it 75 and no humdity all year I would be feeling good.

 

[Alaskamomma]

I live in Alaska where we near have 24 hours of sunlight and up until last week I was hypo-manic to moderately manic for three weeks. Summer solstice is June 21st. So, yes, summer definately has an effect on me. Now we are losing sunlight... I should be doing good from Sept till Oct when we have normal hours of sunlight and darkness, but whoa... when Nov and Dec come with all that darkness. You could say "things are not all that bright." Literally.

 

[berry2000]

Hugh...i get depressed around that time. My doctor says i'm a walking contradition to everything he has experienced and learned so far with other patients and stuff...so i guess it makes sense that i'd react the opposite.

 

[FragileWinter]

There is a type of bipolar called seasonal bipolar. It is the most common form of bipolar disorder. Usually people get depressed near winter and display manic symptoms near summer. Many people suffer from at least a minor form of this. Some do not even realize it and go about their day to day lives without any problems.