Bipolar mania and sunshine: I feel great, but I am dangerous too!
I know, I know. I am the broken record. In fact, if you look at the categories on the right and click on the mania tab, you will see my summer mania entries.
It may seem odd that the weather can cause such a significant change in mood, but it can. It’s very well documented. All of my long hypomanias have been in the summer.
There are a few reasons for this:
– Summer vacations.
– School takes a break.
– Lots of travel.
– The sun makes you feel good and so you spend more time in the sun- and this affects your brain.
– You may have been depressed during the winter and it’s great to finally feel so good. … and you miss the signs of mania.
I’m sending out my yearly summer mania newsletter tomorrow as well as a link to my article from BP Magazine.
Are you seeing signs of mania? If you care about someone with bipolar disorder, are they showing signs of mania?
Now is the time to get help.
Julie
PS: Wear sunglasses. It does make a difference.
PSS: Make sure to click on the comments button below and read the comment from Debra. She’s being honest with herself. I admire that!
Hi Julie,
You hit the nail on the head. I am indeed seeing signs of mania in myself. In fact, I’ve been thinking about quitting my job to become a full time freelance writer (I’ve been doing it part-time very successfully for over ten years).
I’m trying to work out with my family and friends whether this is a genuinely smart business move or the product of my mania. In the meantime, I can’t sleep, my thoughts are racing by at 100 miles per second (taking my Adderall slows them somewhat) and I feel like I’m going crazy.
I’ve already read your book “Get it Done When You’re Depressed” and it helped me tremendously. Now I’m off to my Kindle to buy “Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder.”
Thanks for what you do,
Debra
Hi Debra,
Thanks for your honest email! Guess what- if you think you’re manic or if you are unsure and try to think of why you’re not manic, you’re probably manic.
Guess what my first sign of mania is?
I have this thought: Oh, no way. I’m not manic am I?
Then I have this little argument with myself:
Of course I’m not manic. I just feel better finally!
Manic alert!
I’m truly glad you wrote because I can give you some good advice- if you are even 1% suspicious that you’re manic (and you are suspicious) you are not allowed to change your life in any way- especially a job. ( Nor are you allowed to go to China as I did in 1995 a few months before I was diagnosed!)
Check your meds- and give yourself a huge pat on the back for writing and being honest with yourself.
We are manic when we are not sure if we’re manic.
Better safe than sorry. ALWAYS!
Julie
Hi Julie – are you reading my mind? Was thinking this morning about how little sleep I have been getting for the last month or so. Even with a sleeping pill at one or two am I am up and out the door with the dogs between 5 and 6am. Mania it is – have so many thoughts and ideas that I need a fleet of jugglers to help out. Too much to read, one link leads to another, my inbox swells hourly. Deep breathing and a walk whenever the feelings well up is what I am doing. Reading your posts remind me that I am not alone. Thank you!
My summer issue is that lots of family comes to visit. When they are here, I don’t have a bedroom, or a place to ‘gather myself’ and I can’t keep to my regular schedule of life or eating. With all the ‘chiefs’ in my family, and not too many Indians, plans change frequently which I have trouble keeping up with the changes. I have about 2 weeks of unsettled life.
Holland
Hi Julie… I myself, I thimk are feeling a bit of mania…all I seem to be doin is pulling the house apart cleaning, I just cant seen to settle down in the evening.. I seem to be on the go all the time. I can’t consontrate on one thing at a time and I have have this awful anxious feeling.. I domt want to mix with people I just want to be left alone. I also suffer with Bipolar 11 have done for 11 years.. never seem to get it.
Hi Julie,
I’ve been thinking about mania a lot since my diagnosis last year. Living in Alaska during the summer means almost 24 hours of daylight. It’s quite obvious the effect that all of the light has on residents of the Last Frontier. Everyone is trying to fish, hike, bike and get as much done outdoors as possible right now because it doesn’t last long. (It’s also hard to get to sleep when the neighbor’s kids are still playing outside at 11 p.m. when I have to get up to go to work the next morning!)
I wonder if there is any correlation between bipolar and latitude. Are people in northern climes more likely to experience mania (and depression in winter)? I know about SADD, but I’m wondering if there’s any documentation about bipolar up north?
. . . Of course, bipolar is no picnic anywhere else either!
Have a happy (and stable) 4th of July everyone.
Hi Julie: I know I have summer mania big time. I moved about two weeks ago and I haven’t been sleeping more than 5-6 hours a night. I also went out with my boyfriend and bought an engagement ring on my credit card. And I was thinking this was all OK. Luckily, I have a fantastic suppport network and I can talk these things out. I am trying to get the sleep thing regulated so as soon as I post this I am off to the store to buy decaf coffee to drink. I love drinking the caffeine in the morning but I know it’s just making me worse. What goes up must come down and I don’t want to crash.