Seasonal Affective Disorder

[patsopinion]

ronnie has in the past has complained of insomnia and feelings of some dipression, knowing ronnie he wouldnt harp on it just because thats the kinda guy he is

and he eluded to SAD as the cause of it
but most cases of SAD usually leads to oversleeping, not lack of sleep



so my diagnosis of ronnie b is Bipolar 3
a fairly new diagnosis that incorporates both dips in well being and sleep problems
and it matches with a lot of the other things that he deals with



any suggestions or other diagnosis?

[Dr Steve]

ronnie has in the past has complained of insomnia and feelings of some dipression, knowing ronnie he wouldnt harp on it just because thats the kinda guy he is

and he eluded to SAD as the cause of it
but most cases of SAD usually leads to oversleeping, not lack of sleep



so my diagnosis of ronnie b is Bipolar 3
a fairly new diagnosis that incorporates both dips in well being and sleep problems
and it matches with a lot of the other things that he deals with



any suggestions or other diagnosis?

Although I would never try to diagnose the great Ronnie B with any kind of disorder without talking to him first (and especially not in public), you brought up an interesting subject that is apropos to the time of year: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

SAD is felt to be caused by a decrease in exposure to sunlight during the winter months, and causes a host of symptoms:

1) sleep disorders (either too much sleep, OR insomnia and early morning waking)
2) fatigue
3) carbohydrate craving
4) Irritability
5) depressed mood
6) decreased sex drive
7) mood swings

Light boxes, delivering bright light, have been shown to improve well-being and stabilize mood in a significant portion of patients. It's also been shown to work better if delivered in the morning.

I know people who have used these light boxes with good results:

http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/light_boxes_55_ctg.htm?sc_cid=184&s_kwcid=seasonal%20affective%20disorder%20light%20 box|377415016&gclid=CO3PhrOI-5YCFQWcnAod4WrbXw