[wolftrap]

I feel horrible, I can't go anywhere, I need to stay home to collapse on my couch when I get too tired. My therapist has observed that the time change affects me profoundly. I am tired for many days.

[MuddyBoots]

Yes. Every year when we turn the clocks back I have a mixed episode starting shortly after.

[Moose72]

I just get up earlier.

[neverending]

Actually this time change is good for me. I get to bed earlier and get up earlier. It's the next time change that really screws me up in the spring. Although with this one I hate that it gets dark so much earlier. If there were no time changes I could probably get my bedtime and morning rising time straightened out. Oh well.

[*Beth*]

Profoundly. I don't know whether I'm more sensitive to negative situations during the darker months, or if more crap really happens. I like the cooler weather, but the rest of it...pfffft. Give me a break.

no.

years ago, I used to be quite bothered by it (not because of mental stuff,) because I didn't enjoy going round the house resetting each clock manually.

now though, all my clocks are automatic (I don't hvae a single manual one), so it's fine

plus: I really prefer the darker nights, so...

[Soupe du jour]

I think it has, to varying degrees, in the past. I won't say it severely affects me. I will say that last night I observed that it was already dark by 5 pm. That sort of sucks. Five PM??? I think it would have been better to keep it as it was, at least for now.

The time of year that affects my moods the most is springtime (March, April and/or through May) and sometimes into summer. Most of my past hospitalizations, and other manias without hospitalizations, were during those months. Knowing that helps my psychiatrist and me to be on guard.

Since March, I have been under a great deal of stress. Oddly, my moods were comparatively level this particular spring. They have been a bit challenging since early October - mostly on the manic end. Stress usually causes hypomania/mania in me, not depression. My depressions more often happen as a crash from hypomania/mania or a result of certain other types of situations (i.e.grief/loss).

[lightly toasted]

Normally I'm bothered only a bit, but this year it's really thrown me way out of whack. I'm exhausted and my already existing depresion has taken a nose dive. I think the early darkness has been the main culprit, I seem to have gotten over the discombobulation fairly quickly.

[Mountaindewed]

Usually it does. This year I’m not noticing it as much. Then again I’m so far off the deep end already, who knows.

[BarefootBeach]

Makes me crazy. I hate this time of year with less light. Takes me weeks to adjust and the nights are long.

[Blue_Bird]

It doesn't really affect my sleep or anything since I have no particular schedule I have to keep to. But I do like that it gets darker earlier, I don't know, maybe I'm weird

[FluffyDinosaur]

Yes, it affects me profoundly. I am usually a little calmer in the winter after the clocks have moved back to what I think of as real time. The darkness and cold is cozy and soothing to me. I don't like the summer at all, everything is too harsh and overexposed and overstimulating. Not just the light but also the heat, the bugs, the noise, the people.

Especially after daylight saving time kicks in, the long and bright light is very bad for me. It tends to make me very irritable and dysphoric and it worsens my insomnia. I feel like it's all just one big never-ending day with no time to wind down. I haven't paid very close attention to it but I believe my worst mixed episodes are in the summer. Now there's more and more talk of getting rid of time changes, but instead of going to the proper time, many people want to stick with DST forever because they associate it with summer. That would be an absolute nightmare for me.

[wolftrap]

Thanks everyone. I know I've said this, but it's truly a blessing to hear from all of you. I've not had this communication with others who can understand. Today I'm feeling a bit better. Still not going to the studio to work, but not crashing on the couch all day either. Just for a few hours

[*Beth*]

Originally Posted by wolftrap

Thanks everyone. I know I've said this, but it's truly a blessing to hear from all of you. I've not had this communication with others who can understand. Today I'm feeling a bit better. Still not going to the studio to work, but not crashing on the couch all day either. Just for a few hours

~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

[wolftrap]

Yeah, it's the mornings that get me. I can't seem to figure out when I should be waking up. I set my alarm and wake up an hour before hand. I fall back asleep and the alarm buzzes and I'm groggy. The early darkness throws off my sense of sleep.

[*Beth*]

Originally Posted by wolftrap

Yeah, it's the mornings that get me. I can't seem to figure out when I should be waking up. I set my alarm and wake up an hour before hand. I fall back asleep and the alarm buzzes and I'm groggy. The early darkness throws off my sense of sleep.

Do you absolutely have to get up before the light?

[wolftrap]

Yeah, crazy. I'm still trying to gain equilibrium.

[*Beth*]

I'm a space-case. I misunderstood your post. I thought you meant you set your alarm to awaken before the light. I understand what you mean now. I, too, wake up before the light. It seems like sunrise comes so late at this time of year.

[BipolaRNurse]

I hate this time of year. I dread it from the time in August when I notice the angle of the sun’s light is lower, until the time actually changes. It affects my mood, too, and some of my worst depressions have hit between October and February. When DST returns, the whole mood thing flips and I’m happy again. It hasn’t been too bad in several years now, but I’m never going to like standard time in the fall and winter.

[Sunflower123]

Yes. It impacts me profoundly. My pdoc always says I crash this time of year and I usually do. I’m doing better this year because we’ve had so much sunshine and that’s helped my moods.