Bipolar 101 - For The Love Of Mania And Summer

I love mania, and I love summer. Why, because all the sunlight tends to trigger mania. I loathe winter and that deep dark dampness that takes hold of my body and my mind. Don't get me wrong it's not like I hibernate all winter, I simply hate leaving the house, or my bed for that matter. One thing that few bipolar sufferers realize is that you can bring that same wonderful summertime feeling into your home year round. Yep, it's light therapy and I love it.

I never realized the link between the sun and my moods till I had to start keeping a mood calendar for my treatment plans and in the winter my mood sucks. I do experience the odd manic episode, but for the most part I am low and depressed. Except this winter. You see this winter my psych sought out a new treatment plan, the magic light, that lights up my life, for real.

This light is bright as the sun, and took some getting accustomed to but it brought me out of my funks. In fact, I'm in love with the light. Even now as Spring approaches I find myself bathing in my light while I read, and even as I type these words.

So why choose light therapy as an addition to my medication therapy?

Well firstly, it's cheap. I bought myself the full spectrum bulb for around $10.

It's easy. It's not a treatment where I have to do something stupid for an hour or two. I can quite literally do whatever I want as long as I keep the light near me, look up to it regularly and simply use it.

And, so far for me, it works. In all the treatments and things I have tried I am all for doing the ones that work so I don't have to try yet another therapy that may or may not work. If it works to keep my plants in my bedroom alive (with no natural sunlight at all!) then why can't it work for me.

There are disadvantages though like any other treatment. Too much of it can trigger manic episodes. I'm in a full blown manic episode so I really shouldn't be using it but I cannot help it. I feel like I'm addicted to it, just like my lithium and all those other pills I pop. So I just use it and do my best to limit how much of it I use.

What are you waiting for? Light up your light, and mood today.