Bipolar Today

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Science Cafe New Hampshire will be hosting an interesting discussion this week on how best to understand seasonal affective disorder and its relationship to other mental illnesses. The speakers will be Doctors Sonya Kelly and Jody Fine. They will discuss two aspects of seasonal affective disorder. First, they will discuss how seasonal affective disorder isn’t, strictly speaking, its own disorder. Instead, it is what is called a “specifier”, meaning that it represents a type other mood disorders, especially major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. When mood disorders are affected by the seasons, it is said to be seasonally affected. Second, they will look at the mechanics of seasonal affective disorder, and how sunlight triggers melatonin, a hormone that affects mood. More discussion of the issues can be found here.

Commentary

Understanding that seasonal affective disorder is only a specifier rather than an independent disorder of its own is important for making sense of the way that the seasons affect the mood of most people with bipolar disorder. It is not simply some other comorbid disorder that bipolar people also have. Instead, what it means is that our bipolar disorder is affected by melatonin. This makes it easier to conceptualize what is going on, rather than think we are affected by yet another disorder. In addition, recognizing how melatonin can affect our moods can be an important part of therapy. If, over time, we notice that our moods are especially good or bad in particular seasons, then we have the options of using things like light therapy to help treat the condition.

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