My monthly "seasons"

Hedonistic Pleasure Seeker characterizes her level of PMDD symptoms with "Code Orange" and "Code Red," which I thought was very clever.  But then my husband reminded me that I came up with the metaphor of seasons a while back, which is entirely appropriate.  Here's the breakdown of my monthly "seasons":

Period Week:

Code Orange to Code Green
My physical and emotional symptoms subside with the onset of my period, and my libido switches from first gear to third — but I have to wait till Aunt Flo leaves town. I know, some people are okay with sex during their period, but I'm just not interested in the mess.

Sertraline dosage: 100mg to 25mg

Spring to Summer:

Code Green!
Heading towards ovulation, my libido kicks into overdrive. Summer summer summer time, summer time! My husband and I like this week. My skin is clear and I'm a happy girl. During "summer," I always think of the character of Chameleon in the Xanth novels that I read as a teenager.

Sertraline dosage: 25mg to 0mg

Summer to Fall:

Code Green to Code Orange
I start getting minor acne breakouts, especially around my chin and nose. Code Yellow starts when I come home from work one evening and find myself irritated at Every. Little. Thing. Especially at my husband, who is the picture of patience and doesn't deserve my unreasonably snappish behavior.
I'm good enough at recognizing this now to stop myself before it goes too far and apologize for the snapping that I've already done. He's also very understanding, for which I am grateful.
Code Yellow can last from one to three days, depending on the month. Then it's straight to Code Orange.

Sertraline dosage: 25mg to 75mg

Fall to Winter:

Code Orange to Code Red
Things head very quickly downhill from here. I am easily irritated, easily depressed, and very easily worried. I will often lose half of a Saturday because I just don't want to get out of bed — usually from fatigue and/or apathy, but sometimes from sadness or worry. I get cystic acne, which is incredibly painful, plus my semi-dormant BDD makes me obsess about my appearance. I retain water and my breasts swell, which means none of my clothes fit. I have spent mornings in bed, despairing of ever finding something to wear to work.
Thankfully, when I am at work, I can focus on work and forget about other things. But sometimes work can be the problem, and I can easily freak out about little things.

Sertraline dosage: 100mg