May 10, 2018   •   Volume 11, Issue 19   •   Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines

Recognizing Mania: The Eyes Have It

People always talk about how the eyes are the windows to the soul. Yale University psychologists have even surmised that most people intuitively feel as if the soul exists in or near their eyes.

Researchers at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto also believe the eyes can help shed light on the link between bipolar disorder and a higher and earlier risk of heart disease and cognition problems.

Interestingly, during mania, the shape, sparkle and color of the eyes do in fact change—revealing physical signs that can help you or someone else spot an episode before other, more serious symptoms appear. Here’s what to look for:

Shape. Eyes tend to become larger and wider with euphoric mania, when the urge to take in—and do—as much as possible feels irresistible. With the anger and negativity that comes with dysphoric mania, the eyes get smaller.

Sparkle. The whites of the eyes during euphoric mania start to shimmer, and can even appear slightly silver or blue.

Color. The surge of adrenaline during euphoric and dysphoric states of mania causes the pupils to dilate. For those with a different-colored ring around the pupil, the ring may dominate and normal eye color may seem completely altered.

Julie Fast, a bp Magazine columnist and bipolar management expert, started taking pictures of herself when she was stable and when she was experiencing a manic state, and the results helped both her and family members recognize when she needs an extra dose of support.

“Creating a process that physically documents my mania has profoundly changed my own management plan,” Fast says. “After years of practice, I can better see when I’m manic by studying photos of my eyes or simply looking in the mirror. You can, too.” Read more >>

What We Feel Impacts What We See

April 11, 2018—We see the world differently depending on our emotional state at any given moment.

That’s what researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, Northeastern University and elsewhere found when determining whether we perceive images of neutral faces differently when given positive or negative stimuli outside of our conscious awareness.

“We do not passively detect information in the world and then react to it—we construct perceptions of the world as the architects of our own experience,” the researchers explain. “Our affective feelings are a critical determinant of the experience we create.”

What this means is that what we see isn’t a straightforward reflection of the world around us, but a mental representation based on our emotional experiences.

The findings could have broad implications for all kinds of situations. Read more >>

How Animals Provide a Sense of Purpose

When struggling with depression our animals can provide solace.

1. Pets are an obligation: Our pets (cats and dogs especially) are like children to us and they depend on us for everything in their life: food, shelter, medical care and play. By having an obligation to something or someone greater than ourselves, this gives meaning to our lives, especially in times when we wonder what the meaning is. Many have said that any suicidal thoughts have been quelled because of the responsibility of taking care of their pet. Read more >>