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~ … a Night Owl dealing with early morning Personality Disorder

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A place for my unofficial research on living with e.m.PD

Larks and Owls and Hummingbirds? Oh My!

17 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by Gert in Notebook Pages

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

e.m.PD, Early Bird, Hummingbird, Lark, night owl, Owl

Lark, Owl, Hummingbird
When it comes to personality traits surrounding the sleep-wake cycle and internal clocks, “normal” depends on your point of reference. In our Western society, and most other societies for that matter, we tend to gauge normal by something I refer to as “larkish” standards. That typically tends to be a diurnal, or two-part, cycle that is divided into day and night, where you are expected to be active during the day, and rest or sleep at night.

That doesn’t happen to be my normal. I march to the tock of a different clock, and I am of the mind that my particular clock is absolutely normal – because I am decidedly “owlish”.

Now that I’ve made reference to being larkish and owlish, I should probably explain. I don’t know which brilliant observer was first to identify these bird-like traits in our human behavior, or what prompted the comparison, but we’re going to just go with that train of thought here.

Lark

Let’s start with the Lark, also known in many circles as an Early Bird. This label is assigned to those early risers, up at the butt-crack of dawn, children of the cor – er, children of the light. The scientific term generally used to apply to this group is diurnal, as mentioned earlier – meaning they prefer to be active during the day and rest at night. It has been reported that Larks tend to reach their peak performance before noon, and begin to feel drained shortly after dinner, winding down in preparation for an early bedtime. Most Larks like to retire as early as they rise, calling it a night by nine, ten at the latest. A quick query using your favorite search engine would most likely lead you to the studies that report one out of every ten people can be classified as a Lark. You may also encounter a missive issued by Ben Franklin that says something about this particular behavior leading to health, wealth, and wisdom. Most people don’t realize that Mr. Franklin was probably leading a ‘do as I say’ lifestyle, as it is rumored that he had a fondness for “socializing” well into the late evening hours.

OwlAs far as sleeping habits are concerned, Owls tend to be almost the opposite of Larks, and are often referred to as Night owls – a nod to their proclivity for nighttime activity. The scientific term applied here is nocturnal – meaning this group tends to be active into the wee hours of the night and rest (if they can) during the day. For many Owls, the best part of morning is noon, and they are very likely to become more energetic as the day progresses, reaching peak performance in the early evening. True Owls find it difficult to fall asleep before midnight, routinely staying up until two or three in the morning. It is not unusual to hear them say they rarely get into bed on the same day they got out of bed. If you were to continue reading the results from your previous search engine query, you would find reports that claim two of every ten people can be classified as Owls. Question: if Larks represent the norm, why are there twice as many Owls? Just asking. There was a time when Owls were thought to be lazy and of lesser intellect than Larks. Current reports debunk this myth, and in fact, show that as a whole, members of the Owl category tend to be at least as healthy and wealthy as their Lark counterparts. And let’s face it, how would one actually quantify wisdom?

HummingbirdHummingbirds, known only as Hummingbirds, is a term used to apply to everybody else – the remaining seventy percent of the population. Hummingbirds don’t actually have a scientific term assigned to their activity and rest cycles, but I don’t want them to feel left out, so we will call them ambiurnal – meaning they may oscillate between preferences for daytime and nighttime activities as needed, and rest whenever they can. Hummingbirds have the ability to move between morningness and eveningness at will, although some may show distinct “larkish” or “owlish” tendencies by hovering closer to one end of the day-night spectrum or the other.

If you were to place these three birds on a continuum that stretched from morning to night, you would find Larks on the morning end, relishing their worms, and Owls on the evening end, exploring opportunities for a bigger payoff. Hummingbirds would flit back and forth in-between. This is generally of necessity – if they don’t flit, they don’t eat.

I realize this report shows a definite bias, but, as a certified Night Owl, I can’t apologize for that. Blame it on the DNA – I hear that the whole Early Bird/Night Owl thing is genetic, but I will explore that issue in another report.

Not birds of a feather

End entry .\ /.

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Coffee Therapy

13 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by Gert in Notebook Pages

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caffeine, coffee, coffee therapy, e.m.PD, personality adjustment

e.m.PD mugs
For many years it has been a widely held belief that coffee – or some other highly caffeinated beverage – is the treatment of choice for early morning Personality Disorder (e.m.PD). In fact, the consumption of coffee – and by some reports, copious amounts ingested over extended periods of time – may prove to be palliative therapy at best. That means treating the symptoms, not the condition.

That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Take, for example, someone in the general population who wakes to find he has succumbed to the common cold. Colds are caused by a virus creating physical and mental havoc in your body. Once you contract this vicious little condition you’re obligated to let it run its rampant little course, and in about a week to ten days you usually feel better (unless it’s not that virus but something totally different). Even if you endure every cold remedy on the shelf of your local pharmacy, it is still going to take about a week to ten days for the common cold virus to declare victory and move on. (FACT: Antibiotics will NOT cure a cold and should not be used all willy-nilly, it just makes things worse down the road.) Meanwhile, to make yourself feel a little better while you’re waiting, you can treat the symptoms that generally accompany your cold – the coughing, sneezing, runny nose…

e.m.PD is a tiny bit like that – the episode has to run its course, and then you feel better. The people around you usually feel better too. Treating e.m.PD is a lot like treating a cold, you’re not treating the condition, you’re treating the symptoms. Enter coffee. That scintillating nectar that soothes the raging beast. That aromatic potion filled with the promise of tranquility. That intoxicating elixir of hope. Although the medicinal effects of coffee are still being debated, many e.m.PD members will swear that they are completely dependent on the drink’s therapeutic properties to get them started on the road to a positive personality adjustment.

For those who aren’t sucking their Java straight from the bean, the mere act of preparing a cup of coffee is almost as important as drinking it – beginning with your favorite cup or mug, or, in a pinch, an acceptable substitute. You catch your breath a little as that first steaming splash hits the bottom of the cup, transforming the cold void into a sea of deep mahogany bliss. You softly exhale, as if the process of breathing is the catalyst causing your brew to rise higher and higher in that magnificent vessel of joy. OK, enough of that.

The act of drinking coffee is actually akin to the universal sign for choking – or any of the other universal signs we’ve grown accustomed to – most people will recognize it and respond accordingly. Sipping a cup of coffee appears to be an indication to others that says, “Look, I need a second here. Let me finish this one sip and then we’ll talk.” I have found that many e.m.PD members use Coffee Therapy in conjunction with Avoidance Therapy to create an environment conducive to working through their personality adjustment phase.

CASE STUDY 580311: Wayne is an office manager from the Boomer generation whose duties require him to be on the clock by eight a.m. Although he exhibits a natural affinity for nocturnal activity, he tends to retire fairly early in the evening, usually around nine – ten at the latest – in order to be sure he’s able to get up and get to work on time. He admits that he usually goes to bed much later on weekends, often staying up until eleven or twelve at night. Here he describes the routine that helps him cope with his early morning workday: ‘I like to wake up around five a.m. because it’s dark and quiet. I like to make myself a cup of steaming hot coffee and sit out on the balcony to drink it. There’s something about having that first cup of coffee out there. The stars and planets are still out and you can see them sparkle on that black background. Sometimes I see shooting stars and meteorites. Sometimes I see other stuff – especially one of those stars that stops moving in mid-air and changes direction really fast. [He laughs] I believe! But to sit there and watch as the darkness starts to fade and the sun starts coming up – the colors are so magnificent. And to see that transition as things you couldn’t see in the dark start to transform and take shape. It’s beautiful. It’s relaxing. Seeing the sun rise just as I’m finishing that first cup of coffee helps me deal with the fact that now I have to go in and get ready for work, and for dealing with the knuckleheads.’

Wayne goes on to explain that he’s not particularly interested in sharing this part of his day with anyone. He thinks of it as the “me time” that allows him to prepare to face the rest of the day, and the people in it. He’ll pour the remaining pot of coffee into a thermos, admitting that he usually has another cup during his commute to work, and may start a third cup when he gets to his desk.

End entry .\ /.

e.m.PD mug collection

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Living With e.m.PD

10 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by Gert in Notebook Pages

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do not disturb, personality disorder, sleep, therapy

Do Not DisturbThere is no known cure for early morning Personality Disorder (e.m.PD). Current therapeutic measures focus on treating the symptoms, and this requires a highly individualized regimen of potions and enchantments – just kidding – a little. On a slightly more serious note, the self-prescribed therapy for e.m.PD varies significantly from one person to another, depending on the degree to which the person is affected, as well as the individual’s lifestyle requirements. These requirements could include commitments to work, family, school, hobbies, or being a super-hero.

In this and several future reports, we will discuss a variety of techniques e.m.PD members rely on to get them through their “personality adjustment phase”. This is the period of time between waking and being ready to actively engage in social interactions. Current coping mechanisms, also known as therapies, include avoidance, coffee, chocolate, physical activity, and various attempts at behavior modification. Please note – this is a preliminary list, and methods of dealing with e.m.PD that are harmful to self or others are not included. As more therapies are discovered, I will add to the list. In this first installment, we will discuss Avoidance Therapy.

According to a sampling of the e.m.PD community, the treatment preferred by the largest number of respondents appears to be time alone without any forced attempts to engage in social interactions. None. Nada. Zilch. As a first line of defense, Avoidance Therapy protocols can be active or passive. Data indicates that some members have been known to lie in bed for as long as an hour after waking, pretending to be asleep, in order to avoid social interaction with their significant other. Others have been known to seek refuge in the bathroom, behind locked doors, spending as much time as they can on various morning routines and grooming activities. A few will escape to their home office under the guise of checking emails and sending overseas communications. In some extreme cases, the e.m.PD member reports being compelled to dress as quickly as possible and rush out the door for a thirty-minute run, anything to buy some alone time.

During a recent conversation, I discovered some members will actually modify their work schedules to accommodate their need for delayed social interaction. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, this is not a viable option for the masses who are required to be on the clock at a specified time, or risk losing their jobs.

CASE STUDY 218036: Stephan is a thirty-something entrepreneur who owns a professional printing company. This is his story: ‘I took a look at your site and we have so much in common. I have been running this business with my wife for ten years, and when we first started out we would open at six-thirty in the morning. But that wasn’t working and we hated it, so we moved it to seven, and now we open at ten. I don’t want to see anybody until after ten. My wife and I, we both stay up until one or two in the morning. If I’m up at six-thirty I do my work, I don’t want to have to deal with other people until later, after ten.’

End entry .\ /.

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What’s in a Name

05 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by Gert in Notebook Pages

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e.m.PD, members, name

Juliet's rose
While reviewing my notebook it occurred to me that I’ve made several references to those of us living with e.m.PD as “sufferers”. I don’t really care for that term as applied here. In fact, it is often those who have the misfortune of being too close to us during our adjustment phase who suffer the most. I’m searching for a word or phrase to use instead, but “emPDers” sends my spell checker into a tizzy. Perhaps I could use one of these:
Disordered? No.
Subjects? Sounds like a monarchy.
Nooners? Umm, I think that one is already taken.
Morningly challenged? Too politically correct.
Afflicted? Too much.
Ailed? Could be confused with “ale-d”

Wait! I’ve got it – MEMBERS! We are members of the e.m.PD community. There it is.

– End entry .\ /.

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What is e.m.PD?

03 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by Gert in Notebook Pages

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

anti-social, e.m.PD, personality, personality type, social

medical book

What, exactly, is e.m.PD? Trying to create a clear-cut answer to that question and fully describe e.m.PD (early morning Personality Disorder) has proven to be more difficult than I initially anticipated. For now, let’s just go with a working definition as “a tendency to exhibit an aversion to social interaction upon awakening in the early morning hours”.

The information collected during my initial studies appears to show a strong link between e.m.PD and people who can be classified as non-morning personality types. This personality type applies to those who, in general, would rather watch the sun set than watch the sun rise. When they are placed in situations where they have to wake up and become socially active before their internal clocks have had time to reset, a conflict occurs. This, in turn, creates the need for a personality adjustment in order to function according to social norms. The various behaviors, or symptoms, observed during this adjustment phase can range from fairly mild to very severe, most often fluctuating someplace in-between. Sufferers have been known to exhibit a mix of anti-social behaviors such as an aversion to verbal communication, irritability, and withdrawal from social contact. Some will rely heavily on nonverbal communication and may resort to glaring or making rude gestures to convey their current social state. In some very extreme cases, sufferers have been known to growl and make rude gestures. While I cannot make an absolute declaration at this time, most of the symptoms will generally start to diminish after 10:00 a.m. – or, after the sufferer has been awake and adjusting his/her personality for an hour or more.

Although many people have reported experiencing a similar set of symptoms, and they exhibit similar behaviors when affected by e.m.PD, it would appear that no two cases are exactly alike. Early on I wondered if there was a correlation to any particular age group, but found none. e.m.PD has been known to affect all ages – from the youngest of the young to the oldest of the old. I have also discovered that, unlike the stereotype of most of the other mood related human issues, e.m.PD is not gender specific. Another little tidbit that I found to be especially surprising – and please keep in mind that I am working with geographically limited data – is that there doesn’t appear to be any notable cultural bias. Go figure. I am very interested in hearing from more members of the e.m.PD community to gauge the validity of this finding.

CASE STUDY 280630: Shonte’ is an aspiring entrepreneur in her late twenties with a Master’s degree in Education. She taught middle-school prior to becoming a work-at-home mom with two very active young daughters. This is what she had to say about her e.m.PD:
‘Oh my God, yes! I have that! I just can’t do it. Getting up at six-thirty in the morning is wrong, it’s not natural. It just feels so wrong and it totally screws up my day.’

Further discussion reveals that she more often than not stays up until two or three in the morning working – or waiting for the girls to wind down and fall asleep. This suggests the possibility of a familial trait that I will explore more as we progress.

– End entry .\ /.

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I'm just an Owl trying to make it in this Early Bird world. I'm dealing with early morning Personality Disorder...and other issues surrounding the sleep-wake cycle. You can call me Gert, and this is my Therapy Journal. Welcome to my world.

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