If you struggle with bipolar disorder, you know that the extreme highs and lows that categorize the condition are one of the most difficult parts of it to live with, causing you to struggle with the things you need to get done in any given day and potentially having serious impacts on your life and relationships. Sometimes, a manic or depressive state can seem to come out of nowhere, but getting to know your own personal triggers and what can influence an episode can make a huge difference in how you treat and manage your bipolar disorder. Seasonal changes and weather can be a factor for some people, for a number of different reasons. Here are a few of them!
Seasonal Affective Disorder
More and more people today are becoming familiar with seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. It’s a very common form of mental illness where a particular season of the year (usually winter, but summer is not unheard of) causes a person to struggle with their mental health, often in the form of depressive episodes. People with bipolar disorder can and do suffer from SAD as well, or might simply struggle with a phenomenon called subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder, or seasonality, that causes depressive symptoms during the changing of any season.
SAD is thought to be linked to lack of sun exposure and isolation, but its causes are not entirely clear to researchers. However, if you suspect you may have SAD or similar symptoms on top of your bipolar disorder, SAD treatments like light therapy might help you to fight a depressive state.
Sunlight and Bipolar Disorder
Conversely, the abundance of sun exposure that everyone naturally gets during the summer months, where days are longer and you’re more likely to spend time outside, is theorized to be linked to the occurrence of manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder.
Some studies have shown that bipolar patients are more likely to be hospitalized for mania in spring and summer and depression in fall and winter, and it’s believed that there may be links between these mental states and the amount of sun exposure you get during different times of the year. Disturbances in sleep cycle, energy levels, hunger, and temperature also share strong correlations with bipolar mood fluctuations and the changing of the seasons, suggesting that seasonality and sunlight does play a role in how bipolar disorder can affect a person.
Achieving Mood Stability
Accepting that you have bipolar disorder and working to treat it can be very difficult to do, but incredibly rewarding. While bipolar disorder is a debilitating mental illness, it is also highly treatable with methods like medications and different types of psychotherapy and psychoeducation. Your doctor might also suggest you try options like light boxes or light blockers and vitamin D supplements to steady the effects that the seasons have on your mood if you notice that this is a relevant trigger for you.
The changing of the seasons can be a tricky time for someone struggling with bipolar disorder. However, the more you learn about the disease and work with your doctor to understand and manage it, the better and more in control you will feel! If you’re interested in gaining access to cutting-edge new treatments and care from board-certified physicians, joining one of our clinical studies here at the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research might be the right choice for you.