I am glad to see that I am not the only one that cycles with the seasons. I offered this theory up to my phd and he just scoffed at me. I would worry every spring that the mania would be coming and he just would lecture me abut setting myself up but I had journal proof that I had cycling patterns. he would hear nothing of it though.. he didn't even like accepting the idea I was bipolar. he thought my main problem was ptsd. I too spend uncontrollably maxing out my credit cards. he thought because I still paid my bills that this didn't count. I was being responsible. just because I am in debt up to my eyeballs doesn't seem to matter.

but I haven't had problems with mania for a couple years. a very patient pdoc and I found the right med combo to irradicate my cycles. so it can be done. you just have to put up with a lot of med changes and side effects and nagging your pdoc to death to change the meds until you find the right ones. it took me nearly 3 years the first time and I was stable for a couple years and then a different pdoc changed my meds and I was manic a couple times a year for a while and then we added another med and now I am stable once again. so I am proof it can be done as I was a rapid cycler.. so good luck to you. take care.