Springtime Mania - 3 Ways to Prevent It

As we move from winter to spring into summer, we get longer days and more exposure to sunlight. As such, you may notice your mood ramping up. But it’s not how much light you're exposed to, it’s the rapid change in light that makes the biggest difference in triggering mania or hypomania. People with bipolar disorder can be very sensitive to changes in your circadian rhythm or your body clock. And some people are more sensitive than others. The light is a very powerful trigger that affects your circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm not only controls when you sleep, but it also affects when you feel hungry and when your energy rises and falls. So, if you're body clock gets thrown off, you can feel hungry at odd hours and you can have energy at a time when you shouldn't be energetic such as in the middle of the night. That rate of change in sunlight varies by area of the country. In the United States, sunlight increases most rapidly in the Sunbelt, Northwest and Northern Midwest. So if you live in these areas, you should really pay close attention to changes in mood and activity level in March and April. What can you do about this? 3 Interventions 1. Recognize your signs that you may be becoming manic. Typical signs are things like having irregular sleep, pressured speech and lots of activity. 2. Keep a strict routine from about February through May if you’re in the Northern hemisphere. 3. Wear your blue light blocking glasses 1-2 hours before bedtime. References Bauer M, Glenn T, Alda M, et al. Solar insolation in springtime influences age of onset of bipolar I disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2017;136(6):571–582. Want to know more about mental health and self-improvement? On this channel I discuss topics such as bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorder (ADHD), relationships and personal development/self-improvement. I upload weekly. If you don’t want to miss a video, click here to subscribe. https://goo.gl/DFfT33 Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.

By: Dr. Tracey Marks
Title: Springtime Mania - 3 Ways to Prevent It
Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6psjzHIi6As