Sunglasses

I know we all wear them during the summer, but I heard somewhere that they may help bipolar.
Study shows amber-tinted glasses can reduce manic symptoms in just 3 days - ScienceAlert
Have you ever noticed that they make you feel different or is it all just a crock?!

There was someone here who really advocated for light/dark therapy for bipolar, including the use of blue light blocking glasses. I can't remember who it was but it worked for them.

I will definately be trying this if I go on an upswing.

Interesting, I've wanting a pair of these mountaineering glasses. I beleive they make them in different lens colors

Amber sunglasses are also supposed to help night driving

I have used them. It requires a very specific shade of amber. I mostly used them while driving in the summer on the way home from work when I had a long commute. I think it helped a little although it wasn't enough to prevent summer hypomania, just reduced it some. It's pretty cheap to try out though.

Bipolar Disorder, Light, and Darkness | PsychEducation
explains it well; scroll down for the glasses information specifically.

The glasses to go over glasses are very big; I think the regular ones probably would fit over my glasses better but that's a guess.

I've gotten a lot more benefit from reducing the blue light on my computer screen. I used to try to wear the glasses while using the computer for that purpose (that's what they do) but I hated it. The program I use turns off the blue light when the sun goes down and does seem to let me fall asleep even if I use the computer at night. That was free and is called f.lux.

I have to be very careful about getting too much light exposure.
I will start not sleeping, will worsen hypomania, etc.

I track my hours of exposure to bright light and make sure I can darken my room in the summer if/when I need darkness.

Years ago, dark/light therapy were used for treating hypo/mania/depression.
Light boxes/lights are still used for depression. Just makes sense to consider light exposure in the overall equation.

Great links! Thanks!


WC

I only wear sunglasses so I can whip them off before saying something important, kind of like Maverick does in "Top Gun".

Funny you should mention this. I was just telling a friend I don't remember the last time I wore sunglasses. I just wear my regular glasses, even in the brightest sun. Maybe it's making me hypomanic. I'll start wearing them tomorrow and see what happens. I drive east directly into the sun and drive home west, again, directly into the sun. Hmmmm....

I used to have these amber glasses actually called "mood glasses." Amber is so nice. I used to have amber lights in my living room and it was so relaxing, everyone would comment how comfortable they were. But as they burned out I never found them again!!!