[10068]

I am Organizer of a support group for Bipolar disorder / Manic Depression, and over the last month or so it's come to my attention that in this geographic region (Pacific Northwest, USA) almost ALL of the bipolar folks i've spoken with get worse during June-ish. Worse could be Mania, or Depression, or maybe just feeling tired and getting migraines.

I highly doubt that it's all in their heads (well, psychologically, not neurobiologically anyway; ha!) so i'm assuming it's Circadian, or Magnetic Poles, or something like that. Unfortunately I have only been through high school so far (hey shut up, i'm only 25) so i'm a bit out of the loop on Knowing Stuff.

That's where you come in. What legitimate research / science / knowledge / annecdotal experience lends itself to explaining this phenomenon? I know that there is a legitimate cause for this increase in severity of the disease and/or symptoms during this period of the year, but I don't know what it would be. All I have is hunches. If I can track down legitimate evidence of a potential cause, I will educate all of my peeps about it and see if it helps. After all this support group isn't about crying and whining, it's about management skills for leading a productive life with a more-misunderstood-and-undereducated-than-scary illness.

Sincere thanks for any input.

Thanks

 

[El_Doug]

Both depression and mania are often seasonal.  The mechanism for this is currently unknown - so says my father, a psychiatrist.  Both of us highly doubt that this is due to any physical phenomenon such as magnetic polls (which reeks of pseudo-science, as the magnetic field of the earth is insanely weak when compared to even cell phones), but far far far more likely to be based on catalyzing mood changes due to disruptions in the work cycle, changes in the length of daylight, weather conditions, and holiday stress related to family/friend interaction.  These chronic, strong mood changes then push your brain chemistry into a depressive or manic state. 
 
 
This isnt much to go on, but I hope it offers some insight. 

 

[TheAudioDude]

I'm not knowledgeable on this subject, but maybe it's simply Seasonal Affective Disorder.  SAD mostly occurs in the winter, but I'm sure it varies from location to location.
 
Isn't the pacific northwest very rainy and dreary (Seattle and whatnot)?  Maybe people are expecting June to be the very start of summer and sunshine, but instead they get more rain and overcast skies.  Then again, I'm completely talking out of my ass, so take it for what it's worth.

 
Good job on trying to find the cause, though.  You can't really solve a problem unless you understand it first.

 

[cravenz]

I'm pretty sure there is actually proof that depression does have links with the weather (I remember reading something on that). It's just like waking up on the wrong side of the bed and stuff. The weather does affect your outlook on the day and even how you make decisions in a day. I read something about how a sunny day would result in more positive decisions being made and stuff like that.
 
I know it doesn't help totally, but I'm pretty sure it would be easily google-d out, but in a nutshell, yes mood is dependent on the weather from studies that I've read.

 

[10068]

I take a buttload of Vitamin D to help with the gloomy northwestness of the area, would that possibly help these individuals as well?  I felt like crap the last few weeks but I know the Vitamin D absolutely helps throughout the year... just don't know if it would/does help with these transitions *specifically*.
 
For the curious, I take 5000IU (5mg) daily when it's "nice" out, and 10000IU (10mg) daily when it's cloudy or gloomy or rainy.  The best thing about it for me, is that I don't dread gloomy days any more.  Rain and overcast skies can actually be very enjoyable, when you're not getting depressed from it due to biological reasons

 

[balderon]

I grew up in the Midwest and I find it interesting that my father was diagnosed with Manic Depression is his 20's. His condition would become very acute in June and often be accompanied by psychotic behavior. Typically the symptoms would last for a couple months and he was fine for the remaining part of the year. Fortunately his condition was kept at bay by taking medication during this time period. In my fathers late 50's his doctor switched his medication and after several years he no longer had the episodes. According to the experts the medication corrected the imbalance in his brain chemistry.
 
I have always wondered why this condition would awaken in June-ish. I have talked with many "experts' and all had their theory's but as El_Doug mentioned, nobody knows.

 

[goraman]

Working at elementery schools for nearly 20 years I have always looked forward to and dreaded June.I love june because that means a 3 month break from the kids I hate June because the 2 weeks they are there the kids are out of controle nutz.
So it's funny BP sufferers would have an issue with June as well.

 

[Nada]

Seasonal changes, sleep length and circadian preference among twins with bipolar disorder (2003)

Hakkarainen Reeta, Johansson Carolina, Kieseppä Tuula, Partonen Timo, Koskenvuo Markku, Kaprio Jaakko, Lönnqvist Jouko

Abstract

Abstract Background We aimed at studying the seasonal changes in mood and behaviour, the distribution of hospital admissions by season, and the persistence of the circadian type in twins with bipolar disorder and their healthy co-twins. Methods All Finnish like-sex twins born from 1940 to 1969 were screened for a diagnosis of bipolar type I disorder. The diagnosis was assessed with a structured research interview, and the study subjects (n = 67) filled in the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). For studying the persistence of the habitual sleep length and circadian type, we used data derived from the Finnish Twin Cohort Questionnaire (FTCQ). Bipolar twins were compared with their healthy co-twins. Results Bipolar twins had greater seasonal changes in sleep length (p = 0.01) and mood (p = 0.01), and higher global seasonality scores (p = 0.03) as compared with their co-twins with no mental disorder. Sunny days (p = 0.03) had a greater positive effect on wellbeing in the bipolar than healthy co-twins. Conclusions Our results support the view that bipolar disorder is sensitive to the environmental influence in general and to the seasonal effect in specific. Exposure to natural light appears to have a substantial effect on wellbeing in twins with bipolar disorder.

Publication details

Download http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/3/6 http://www.doaj.org/doaj?func=openurl&genre=article&issn=1471244X&date=2003&volume=3&issue=1&spage=6 Publisher BioMed Central

 

 

[waterlogic]

Quote:

I grew up in the Midwest and I find it interesting that my father was diagnosed with Manic Depression is his 20's. His condition would become very acute in June and often be accompanied by psychotic behavior. Typically the symptoms would last for a couple months and he was fine for the remaining part of the year. Fortunately his condition was kept at bay by taking medication during this time period. In my fathers late 50's his doctor switched his medication and after several years he no longer had the episodes. According to the experts the medication corrected the imbalance in his brain chemistry.
 
I have always wondered why this condition would awaken in June-ish. I have talked with many "experts' and all had their theory's but as El_Doug mentioned, nobody knows.

I can confirm that Manic Depression can be successfully treated.
The major problem with people suffering from this disorder is they do not think they are ill i.e. in most cases it is impossible to persuade them to take a treatment.
I have first hand experiance with a person who suffers from MD, he does not recognise his condition as serious and therefore it is only getting worse. He is a heavy burden to his close relatives, although they have tried everything possible to help him.
 
In this particular case weather does not influence the cycles.
 
Obvious issues are:
 
> whatever happens to him he finds the causes exclusively on the outside i.e. everybody but himself is responsible for his miseries, bad lack etc.
> in this particular case, in the depression cycles strong elements of paranoya apear as well.
 
I think the most important in helping such people , the relatives should understand that MD is a serious disease for it is not only mood change but in most cases a vast personality disorder i.e. It is an important step if they manage to persuade such a person to take a treatment. Pills & group sessions can bring this disorder under control eventually.

 

[ricksome]

I suffer from depression. Weather and months do not bother me. I need to take my medicine everyday. I can tell if I missed and so can everyone else.

 

[ford2]

 
 
In Australia there is a thing known as " Going Troppo ",the result of weather conditions at a certain time of the year that has long been blamed for extremes of behaviour.
 
Can also be called " Mango Madness ".

 

[10068]

@ford2:  lol, I like those.
 
Yeah a friend of mine that's about twice my age has observed what a few of you said, that even normal people tend to go a little crazier during the change of seasons.
 
From what i'm seeing so far, it looks like essentially what can be done on our part is same as we're already doing (well, those of us that are stabling out anyway) -- watch our moods and triggers, and also figure out if our cycle is Summer Mania / Winter Depression or Winter Mania / Summer Depression.
 
I'll be working with my girlfriend and family to try and figure out what my cycle is.  Thanks all for your input.  Keep it comin! 

 

[10068]

Awesome info, thank you!

 
Quote:

 

 

[spiftacu1ar]

I don't know about the effects of these things on the particular disorders you mentioned, but I have read that temperature chaneg and humidity can effect the body. This has to do with the fact that body changes a slight but with temperature due to expansion/contraction (yes I know that the body stays at 98 or whatever, but apparently it changes just a little but, and its enough to make an effect). This is supposedly the reason people with arthritis, etc have more pains in the winter. I do not know if this carries over to your topic.

 

[spiftacu1ar]

I don't know about the effects of these things on the particular disorders you mentioned, but I have read that temperature chaneg and humidity can effect the body. This has to do with the fact that body changes a slight but with temperature due to expansion/contraction (yes I know that the body stays at 98 or whatever, but apparently it changes just a little but, and its enough to make an effect). This is supposedly the reason people with arthritis, etc have more pains in the winter. I do not know if this carries over to your topic.