Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9:13

Thursday, May 28, 2009

The dog ate my homework

This is a warning in advance that I'm going to be limiting my computer time for a bit, which means less blogging.

Every year in June I have a mixed episode.  I'm now there.  It's mild, mostly just a lot of anxiety and not-sleeping plus a few tears, but the problem is that it's hard to treat this annual episode.  What happens is I have the opposite of my also anual SAD episode.

SAD can be treated with blue light, which I did this year with huge success.  (It's also treatable with broad spectrum light; the blue technique is new and smaller and faster, but many people use the older systems).  

At this time of the year though there is TOO MUCH blue light.  For me, this means that my body gets too much daylight and then I have trouble sleeping and become manic.  For me, any mania is always accompanied by depression, turning it into a mixed episode.  The daylight right now is really messing me up, because my normal routine is to take my pills at 9:15 and be in bed asleep at 11:30-12:00.  Now it is 1:00 to 2:00 when I fall asleep because I need that much extra time to get rid of the longer day.

Another source of blue light, unfortunately is my computer monitor.  I already gave up TV so that's not an issue, but I spend a good bit of time right here.  

I promised Dr. Mind today that I would do a few things.  One, there are a type of welding goggle that block blue light.  I'm going to get a pair of those.  I also am trialing less computer time.  I don't know how I'll do because I don't have a lot of other things I can do when I can't focus well, but I'm trying.  Anything to avoid more mood stabilizers.


1 comment:

Shari said...

I hear you! I have had tons of mixed state lately which stinks! Take care!