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Original poster

It’s a full moon. Do you believe it makes people batshit?

113 replies

Thebigblueballoon · 28/10/2023 10:19

My partner is convinced that a full moon makes me act differently.
What do you think? Do you or others around you act batty at this time of the month? If so, how?

OP posts:
Peridot1 · 28/10/2023 11:10

MNHQ used to believe it too and there used to be a moon watching thing on here as you could guarantee things would kick off at a full moon.

Dunkirk92 · 28/10/2023 11:11

I work in a call centre and we don't need lunar charts to show when it's a full moon, the craziness of the customers just ramps up, it can be exhausting trying to calmly talk them down from some of the batshittery that we deal with

AlphaAlpha · 28/10/2023 11:12

24 years in the ambulance service and yes, we definitely get a spike in MH related calls.

HuggyRuggy · 28/10/2023 11:12

BUT WHY???

AlphaAlpha · 28/10/2023 11:14

Something to do with the gravitational pull of the moon at its fullest.

GrumpyOldCrone · 28/10/2023 11:14

I want to believe. But I’m fairly sure that it’s confirmation bias. Here’s a piece in Scientific American debunking it. Spoilsports.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lunacy-and-the-full-moon/

Lunacy and the Full Moon

Does a full moon really trigger strange behavior?

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lunacy-and-the-full-moon/

JollyJolene · 28/10/2023 11:15

I work in a school and full moons and windy days are notorious.
My mum worked in a hospital and she said the same. Labour wards were off the scale on nights with a full moon.

ABeautifulThing · 28/10/2023 11:22

Definitely. I lived in a small geographically isolated alpine town for a while, where the community was small enough and remote enough from other populations that changes to typical were quite obvious, and the number and behaviour of people who were out and about on full moon nights was quite distinct from any other evening.
Not sure I'd go as far as to say 'batshit' though, that's a bit strong! More just things had a wilder edge. Perhaps in an asylum where people already are a long way from neutral it might be more likely, but I don't think that's most of us.

Oatsamazing · 28/10/2023 11:31

Isn't it because we are made up mostly of water? Like how the moon affects the tides? I can't explain it but I'm sure I've heard that somewhere.

StillStuckInTheShed · 28/10/2023 11:41

It's perfectly logical if you think about it.

The moon controls our tides.

The human body is over 50% water. (60% for males 55% for females)

Logically if rhe moon has such an effect on water it would therefore effect us too.

Mind blown. 😂

FeelInvisable · 28/10/2023 11:42

Working in the emergency services for over 20 years, most definitely.

2jacqi · 28/10/2023 12:15

having worked as a nurse in a/e nightshift, we always had an increased number of people coming in after having overdosed so we always assumed this to be true.

MeinKraft · 28/10/2023 12:18

Yes! Absolutely. Todays a partial lunar eclipse too. Give thanks to the wondrous moon!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 28/10/2023 12:19

I used to work in a men’s prison and oh yes, the full moon did weird things. My bil is a firefighter and they have more call outs and more trouble as well.

my puppy has gone absolutely wild yesterday and today, and last night was so jittery and edgy we put her to bed at 9.00. Could that be full moon related too?

GasPanic · 28/10/2023 12:22

AlphaAlpha · 28/10/2023 11:14

Something to do with the gravitational pull of the moon at its fullest.

Yep.

When the moon is full it is all there. When it is not full some of it is missing. Mass is less. Gravitational pull is less.

Another win for science.

HRTQueen · 28/10/2023 13:58

You will always have some scientist try to debunk a theory that can’t be explained because not everything can or has been

but having working in mh for many years vast majority of colleagues from the most senior to more genera supportive roles believe that there is a link

we just don’t quite understand it

has certainly kicked off yesterday and with certain mh conditions the very nature of how they react and their actions will impact others who may not have been impacted by a full moon

Original poster
Thebigblueballoon · 28/10/2023 14:02

This is a really interesting. Does anyone have a theory as to why it affects people with mental health problems more?

OP posts:
Libertass · 28/10/2023 14:03

No. 🙄

FrillyGoatFluff · 28/10/2023 14:08

I was on a maternity ward during a full moon night. Midwives were running around all over the place with babies popping out left, right and centre. Chatting to our lovely midwife the next day about the batshittery of the night before, she said its quite common at that time of the lunar cycle, and apparently the same down in a&e - I can't see how it's a coincidence every month 🤷🏻‍♀️

PinkflowersWhiteBerries · 28/10/2023 14:09

I have heard from SEN teachers that it does affect children - especially in groups.

I have also heard that full moon can bring on Labour in pregnant women but have no idea if that’s the case.

And in no way comparing to children, but full moon and wind certainly get my dogs going. Puppy classes were wild during full moons.

Sorry I have no clue as to why other than gravitational pull.

HRTQueen · 28/10/2023 14:09

If you have a group of people living in the same space moods/feelings are easily transferred

so while it may only impact a few the impact on them and their behaviour will impact others so like a domino effect

But why it impact people more with mh conditions I’m not sure

Reallynotoverreacting · 28/10/2023 14:09

My dog becomes an absolute arsehole during a full moon and I am so irritable, although that may be linked to arsehole dog

user1471556818 · 28/10/2023 14:10

Yes full moon in an AE dept always odder than normal

JellyMops · 28/10/2023 14:14

I've read that everything points to no, it makes no difference which makes sense to me. Why would the moon reflecting the light from the sun make any difference to people's behaviour, it doesn't change people's behaviour when it is close to the Earth but not reflecting light. And if it were something to do with sunlight everyone would be going nuts all day every day! It is unscientific nonsense.

Oblomov23 · 28/10/2023 14:18

It does on MN! Grin Every year a few days later, I look back and see someone saying that all the mad threads were because of the full moon. It's very odd! I never spit it at the time, but 2 days later it always makes sense.