The turn of the seasons may trigger episodes of mental illness, especially in patients with bipolar disorder, and family members should call for medical assistance if necessary, doctors said.
Clinical psychologist Lee Po-feng (李柏鋒) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Jianan Psychiatric Center said that temperature fluctuations during seasonal changes can induce a higher incidence of episodes in the mentally ill, particularly those with bipolar disorder.
Common symptoms of bipolar patients experiencing a manic episode include bursts of anger, rapid mood changes, hyperactivity, verbosity and maintaining high energy levels with little sleep, Lee said.
He said that for patients undergoing a depressive episode, common symptoms are insomnia, low appetite and sluggishness.
Lee said that in his clinical experience, patients with neurotic disorders in general, such as anxiety or panic disorders, are also more likely to suffer outbreaks during seasonal changes.
As the seasons change this month, Li advised families to pay careful attention to loved ones with mental disorders and ask for assistance from medical professionals as soon as possible if the patient’s condition demands it.
Lee said that some patients with bipolar disorder might go on shopping sprees during a manic episode. This behavior is different from stress-buying because the afflicted are unaware that the items they have purchased are useless to them and that the costs exceed their financial means, he said.
For example, one patient purchased a vast stock of Ghost Month items that filled the patient’s house after Ghost Festival was over, Li said, referring to the ninth month of the lunar calendar, on the 15th day of which sacrificial tables are laid for ghosts.
Jianan Psychiatric Center superintendent Cheng Chin-ming (鄭靜明) added that not only is recovery possible through treatment, but many patients can also rejoin the workforce after learning marketable skills during their treatment.
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