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meagan's avatar

Could seasonal affective disorder trigger mania?

Asked by meagan (4675points) October 27th, 2010

What do you think?
Could people with manic depression be triggered by SAD in the cooler months?

Does it make sense? I’ve read online that some people suffer different ranges of mania depending on the season. Thought I’d see what Flutherites have to say on the subject.

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8 Answers

MyNewtBoobs's avatar

In short, yes. It’s more likely to trigger depression than mania, though. It’s not actually the temperature but the lack of sunlight that causes the issue.
I’m not really sure what your confusion is over. Care to clarify?

meagan's avatar

Most of what I’ve read online says that SAD usually slows people down, triggering depression in bi polar people rather than mania. But I didn’t know if it could be the other way around. Mania in the cooler months, since it is more uncommon. Just trying to get everyone’s opinion and shed some light on the question.

MyNewtBoobs's avatar

@meagan As opposed to not mania in the cooler months, or as opposed to mania being triggered in the warmer months?

meagan's avatar

Just trying to see how uncommon it is, the likeliness, things like that.

Cruiser's avatar

I know how good I feel in the bright sunshine no matter what time of the year and there is a lot of science around the need for Vitamin D and sunshine is the human bodies main source of Vitamin D! As for a direct connection to mania, I don’t really know about that but I do know people do get extra cranky when the sun doesn’t shine.

downtide's avatar

I wonder if the opposite could be true? Mania in the summer months? I get a bit of that.

Sexymamma's avatar

Usually around my menses time and when it is cloudy and cold out I feel really down in the dumps. I just started taking vitamin D 1000IU and I get up every morning to make sure I open up all of my blinds even if it is gloomy out. I find that this helps me out.

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