The Yellow Days of Mania

Posted on August 3, 2005 in Mania

Summer is here, the days are on the decrease after the solstice but long enough to keep people out on the streets late into the evening. Here in California the grass has turned the same color as the sun. And all across the nation, people are getting the precise opposite of Seasonal Affective Disorder’s depression: they are getting manic. These are the yellow days.

I know of at least three people who became so bad that they had to be locked up. The extra hours of light excite the brain. It goes into overdrive. The manic drives recklessly, drinks, engages in wild sex, gambles, rages. I count myself lucky that I have watched my moods and taken appropriate steps before they get out of control. But this is summer and the season calls for a lot of strength. And a little extra lithium when I feel a little too light or agitated.

A couple of good places for information about bipolar disorder:

• Medscape Bipolar Resource Center
• Healthyplace Bipolar Community
• Phillip Long’s Internet Mental Health