Shutterstock: vmaslovaHow to use spring changes to your advantage? With the arrival of spring, many of us expect revival, renewal and improved mood. Warm rays of sunshine and awakening nature, it would seem, should only contribute to positive changes in our emotional state. However, not everyone sees spring as a time of joy and energy. Spring flare-ups, often discussed in the context of mental health, can be associated with a number of changes in the body, including the nervous system and hormonal levels. Although the mechanisms of these changes can be complex and varied, let's look at some of them to better understand what happens to the body during this period. Why can mental disorders worsen in the spring, what is normal and what is not? How can spring affect the nervous system and hormonal levels? Psychologist, psychotherapist and neuropsychologist Valentina Mukhanova-Biryukova talks about this. Spring Fever. Psychiatry There are several points that explain why in the spring there is a deterioration in the condition of people with mental disorders. One of them is associated with a change in the length of the day and an increase in the amount of sunlight, which affects hormonal levels and human biorhythms. For some people, these changes can be a stressor that worsens symptoms. Hence the disproportionately high excitability (the desire to reproduce and conquer), with simultaneously aggressive and sometimes traumatic behavior. What disorders may worsen in the spring?1. Depression. Contrary to popular belief that depression most often manifests itself in the autumn-winter period, in the spring there is also an increase in the number of requests for help. This may be due to sudden mood swings, increased anxiety.2. Bipolar affective disorder. People with this diagnosis may experience an exacerbation of manic or hypomanic states in the spring, which is characterized by increased activity, sudden mood swings and other symptoms.3. Anxiety disorders. Increasing daylight hours can cause increased anxiety, restlessness, and panic attacks. What is normal and what is worth paying attention to? Some deterioration in mood or a feeling of fatigue with the onset of spring may be a normal reaction of the body to the change of seasons. However, if you notice the following symptoms, you should seek help from a psychotherapist: significant deterioration in mood for most of the day, almost every day; noticeable changes in appetite or weight; insomnia or excessive sleepiness; increased fatigue or loss of energy; feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt; difficulty concentrating; frequent colds; increased sexual excitability; uncontrolled aggression or auto-aggression. All these points can be either individually or in combination, and other specialists, such as a psychiatrist, therapist, cardiologist and nutritionist, may be needed to correct the situation. Shutterstock: szefei Spring exacerbation. Nervous system and hormonal background The brain, as the control center for all processes in the body, plays a key role in adapting to environmental changes, including seasonal transitions. It triggers complex mechanisms that affect the nervous system and hormonal levels to help the body adapt to new conditions. The main characters and indicators of changes in the brain are: The retina of the eyes, which perceives increased light and sends signals to the hypothalamus, this is the part of the brain responsible for regulation circadian rhythms. Suprachiasmatic nucleus. The hypothalamus contains the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is the body's clock and regulates circadian rhythms, including sleep-wake cycles. Changes in daylight hours affect the work of the SCN and, accordingly, circadian rhythms. It is their coordinated work that will trigger all biochemical, neurological, mental and