![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Maxime on May 24, 2005, at 20:48:00
Hi
It is so strange. I have been doing much better the past 10 days or so. My depression has lifted so much. Yet, some morning I wake up and I just want to die. I have very strong suicidal thoughts. I didn't go to sleep with them, but in the morning they are there. My pdoc says this can happen and it's call the "Bunny Switch" named after the doctor who discover it (I don't know if I spelled his name right).
Whatever it is, it's hell. To switch so quickly from one mood to another is hard to accept.
Does this happen to anyone else. I should add that it's never the result of any event.
Maxime
Posted by JahL on May 24, 2005, at 21:14:24
In reply to I wake up in a different mood, posted by Maxime on May 24, 2005, at 20:48:00
Hi.
> Whatever it is, it's hell. To switch so quickly from one mood to another is hard to accept.
>
> Does this happen to anyone else.Yes. I know it happens to you without stimulus, but when I first started SSRIs I starting switching between pure euthymia (amazing - I've never felt 'normal' in my life) and profound, suicidal depression on almost a daily basis. It confounded me at the time; a nights sleep made the difference between heaven and hell. No inbetween. Something to do with circadian rythyms, I wonder.
For me it was a case of soft Bipolar switching that disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. I agree it's very hard to deal with but this desperado will still treasure the euthymic days foverver tho'. (wistful gaze)
I didn't know it was called 'The Bunny Switch'. You learn something new every day!
Cheers,
J.
> I should add that it's never the result of any event.
Posted by TamaraJ on May 24, 2005, at 21:19:09
In reply to I wake up in a different mood, posted by Maxime on May 24, 2005, at 20:48:00
Maxime,
I am so glad to hear that your depression has lifted quite a bit, and that you have been doing much better. That is wonderful news. In answer to your question, yes, I sometimes wake up with dark, hopeless thoughts and a sense of dread for no apparent reason. I sometimes wonder if it is caused by flucuations in blood sugar, depending on what I have, or haven't, eaten the night before. I found when I started taking about 400mcg of chromium before bed that it didn't happen (or rarely), except perhaps during the last 3 days or so of PMS. I hate it when it happens. It is so unnerving.
Tamara
> Hi
>
> It is so strange. I have been doing much better the past 10 days or so. My depression has lifted so much. Yet, some morning I wake up and I just want to die. I have very strong suicidal thoughts. I didn't go to sleep with them, but in the morning they are there. My pdoc says this can happen and it's call the "Bunny Switch" named after the doctor who discover it (I don't know if I spelled his name right).
>
> Whatever it is, it's hell. To switch so quickly from one mood to another is hard to accept.
>
> Does this happen to anyone else. I should add that it's never the result of any event.
>
> Maxime
>
>
>
Posted by Sarah T. on May 24, 2005, at 21:52:03
In reply to I wake up in a different mood, posted by Maxime on May 24, 2005, at 20:48:00
I feel better as the day progresses. The worst time of day for me is the morning. Usually, I feel better after I exercise, but overcoming the morning inertia is the most difficult part of the day. By nightfall, I feel pretty good, so I tend to stay up too late, because I don't want to let go of the good feelings and productivity, only to start all over again the next morning. As I said to another poster, Chris O, "just call me Sisyphus." I think many of us here on PB are descendants of Sisyphus!
Posted by yesac on May 24, 2005, at 22:07:16
In reply to I wake up in a different mood, posted by Maxime on May 24, 2005, at 20:48:00
> Whatever it is, it's hell. To switch so quickly from one mood to another is hard to accept.
>
> Does this happen to anyone else. I should add that it's never the result of any event.
Yes, all the time. I used to often feel much worse in the morning as I dreaded the day before me. Sometimes it's like that now but for the most part my mood fluctuates all over the place all day. It sucks. Just tonight my shrink was trying to tell me that everyone's mood fluctuates, but my moods are just more "intense" than most people's. I kind of feel like he doesn't get how upsetting it is and was kind of minimizing how bad it is to feel like that and half the time not really know why.
Posted by JenStar on May 24, 2005, at 23:29:59
In reply to I wake up in a different mood, posted by Maxime on May 24, 2005, at 20:48:00
Yes, I used to have the same thing. When I was suffering from extreme anxiety (it's better now) I would wake up MISERABLE. For a split second it would all be normal, then the dread and anxiety would kick in powerfully. I can't even properly describe it -- just a profound feeling of overwhelming dread. I was never tempted to hurt myself, but I was filled with fear and anxiety and restlessness - it was awful! My doctor didn't give it a name but said that having worse anxiety/depression in the morning is common symptom of people with anxiety disorder. It makes sense, as one poster suggested, that it could be related to blood sugar. Do you eat well / enough calories to support yourself? If not, that could enhance these kinds of issues.
Best of luck getting rid of it!
JenStar
Posted by FredPotter on May 25, 2005, at 0:03:21
In reply to Re: I wake up in a different mood » Maxime, posted by JenStar on May 24, 2005, at 23:29:59
I used to be like this, but now mornings are cool and I get worse in the evenings. Perhaps we just need opposites
Posted by Maxime on May 25, 2005, at 9:58:18
In reply to Re: I wake up in a different mood, posted by FredPotter on May 25, 2005, at 0:03:21
> I used to be like this, but now mornings are cool and I get worse in the evenings. Perhaps we just need opposites
My evenings still remain the worse. That is when I feel alone and have ruminating thoughts. I don't necessarily have suicidal thoughts (sometimes I do). But when I wake up in the morning in a entirely mood than I went to bed with, it is hard to deal with. And it's very INTENSE.
Sigh. Just one of those things I am stuck with.
Maxime
Posted by Bill LL on May 25, 2005, at 10:58:05
In reply to Re: I wake up in a different mood, posted by Maxime on May 25, 2005, at 9:58:18
I used to take AD's only in the morning. Recently, I have switched to taking Lexapro (5 mg) just before going to bed. It seems to make me feel better when I wake up. I take the Lexapro along with either 1 or 2 mg Lunesta.
> > I used to be like this, but now mornings are cool and I get worse in the evenings. Perhaps we just need opposites
>
> My evenings still remain the worse. That is when I feel alone and have ruminating thoughts. I don't necessarily have suicidal thoughts (sometimes I do). But when I wake up in the morning in a entirely mood than I went to bed with, it is hard to deal with. And it's very INTENSE.
>
> Sigh. Just one of those things I am stuck with.
>
> Maxime
Posted by Maxime on May 25, 2005, at 12:17:05
In reply to Re: I wake up in a different mood, posted by Bill LL on May 25, 2005, at 10:58:05
Hi Bill. That's great that you found something that works for you. But Parnate is the only AD I can take and if I take it past 2 pm, I will never sleep!
Maxime
> I used to take AD's only in the morning. Recently, I have switched to taking Lexapro (5 mg) just before going to bed. It seems to make me feel better when I wake up. I take the Lexapro along with either 1 or 2 mg Lunesta.
>
> > > I used to be like this, but now mornings are cool and I get worse in the evenings. Perhaps we just need opposites
> >
> > My evenings still remain the worse. That is when I feel alone and have ruminating thoughts. I don't necessarily have suicidal thoughts (sometimes I do). But when I wake up in the morning in a entirely mood than I went to bed with, it is hard to deal with. And it's very INTENSE.
> >
> > Sigh. Just one of those things I am stuck with.
> >
> > Maxime
>
>
Posted by Maxime on May 25, 2005, at 12:20:18
In reply to Re: I wake up in a different mood » Maxime, posted by TamaraJ on May 24, 2005, at 21:19:09
Hi. I wonder how much blood sugar levels have to do with it. I will try taking the chromium at night instead of in the morning and see if I notice a difference.
Thanks,
Maxime
> Maxime,
>
> I am so glad to hear that your depression has lifted quite a bit, and that you have been doing much better. That is wonderful news. In answer to your question, yes, I sometimes wake up with dark, hopeless thoughts and a sense of dread for no apparent reason. I sometimes wonder if it is caused by flucuations in blood sugar, depending on what I have, or haven't, eaten the night before. I found when I started taking about 400mcg of chromium before bed that it didn't happen (or rarely), except perhaps during the last 3 days or so of PMS. I hate it when it happens. It is so unnerving.
>
> Tamara
>
> > Hi
> >
> > It is so strange. I have been doing much better the past 10 days or so. My depression has lifted so much. Yet, some morning I wake up and I just want to die. I have very strong suicidal thoughts. I didn't go to sleep with them, but in the morning they are there. My pdoc says this can happen and it's call the "Bunny Switch" named after the doctor who discover it (I don't know if I spelled his name right).
> >
> > Whatever it is, it's hell. To switch so quickly from one mood to another is hard to accept.
> >
> > Does this happen to anyone else. I should add that it's never the result of any event.
> >
> > Maxime
> >
> >
> >
>
>
Posted by Maxime on May 25, 2005, at 12:22:24
In reply to Re: I wake up in a different mood » Maxime, posted by Sarah T. on May 24, 2005, at 21:52:03
LOL! Hi. Well it's more than inertia or even feeling depressed. It's a strong suicidal urge and thoughts. I get up and try to get on with my day but the thoughts stay me.
Maxime> I feel better as the day progresses. The worst time of day for me is the morning. Usually, I feel better after I exercise, but overcoming the morning inertia is the most difficult part of the day. By nightfall, I feel pretty good, so I tend to stay up too late, because I don't want to let go of the good feelings and productivity, only to start all over again the next morning. As I said to another poster, Chris O, "just call me Sisyphus." I think many of us here on PB are descendants of Sisyphus!
Posted by Maxime on May 25, 2005, at 12:25:00
In reply to Re: I wake up in a different mood, posted by yesac on May 24, 2005, at 22:07:16
EXACTLY! I am not talking about depression. It gloom and dread which leads to thoughts of suicide. It's very intense. I wish our PDOCS could live inside our head for a week and how they like it.
Maxime
> Yes, all the time. I used to often feel much worse in the morning as I dreaded the day before me. Sometimes it's like that now but for the most part my mood fluctuates all over the place all day. It sucks. Just tonight my shrink was trying to tell me that everyone's mood fluctuates, but my moods are just more "intense" than most people's. I kind of feel like he doesn't get how upsetting it is and was kind of minimizing how bad it is to feel like that and half the time not really know why.
>
Posted by Maxime on May 25, 2005, at 12:28:16
In reply to Re: I wake up in a different mood » Maxime, posted by JenStar on May 24, 2005, at 23:29:59
It weird because I never think of it as anxiety but maybe it is. I think your description of overwhelming dread sums it up. Then these thoughts snowball into bigger ones.
No I don't eat well. I have an eating disorder.
Maxime
> Yes, I used to have the same thing. When I was suffering from extreme anxiety (it's better now) I would wake up MISERABLE. For a split second it would all be normal, then the dread and anxiety would kick in powerfully. I can't even properly describe it -- just a profound feeling of overwhelming dread. I was never tempted to hurt myself, but I was filled with fear and anxiety and restlessness - it was awful! My doctor didn't give it a name but said that having worse anxiety/depression in the morning is common symptom of people with anxiety disorder. It makes sense, as one poster suggested, that it could be related to blood sugar. Do you eat well / enough calories to support yourself? If not, that could enhance these kinds of issues.
>
> Best of luck getting rid of it!
> JenStar
Posted by Phillipa on May 25, 2005, at 18:19:16
In reply to Re: I wake up in a different mood » JenStar, posted by Maxime on May 25, 2005, at 12:28:16
Well whatever it is I've got it too. Maybe a new form of psychiatric disorder not in the DSM. I know I'm always horrible and totally negative when I wake up. Nothing is right. I always look at my watch and say oh no not morning again. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by 4WD on May 26, 2005, at 16:21:37
In reply to Re: I wake up in a different mood » Maxime, posted by Sarah T. on May 24, 2005, at 21:52:03
> I feel better as the day progresses. The worst time of day for me is the morning. Usually, I feel better after I exercise, but overcoming the morning inertia is the most difficult part of the day. By nightfall, I feel pretty good, so I tend to stay up too late, because I don't want to let go of the good feelings and productivity, only to start all over again the next morning. As I said to another poster, Chris O, "just call me Sisyphus." I think many of us here on PB are descendants of Sisyphus!
Me too. I go to bed feeling like a normal person and then I wake up in the morning scared or terrified. I go to bed too late because I don't want to give up the "normal" feeling.
Marsha
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.