Join in the fun, we might learn something

[Marcia Blue]

[SIZE="3"]My wife and I were spending a quiet night at home. I was dressed as I have several nights this week. Denim shorts, white runched short sleeve, v-neck t-shirt, and light make-up. We had just finished ordering clothes for both of us on-line. The topic turned to dressing urges. I am not in the "pink fog" but the urge to dress is quite strong. We both are trying find what causes the urge to dress. Obviously stress can, but the stress in my life is not above the normal day to day type at this time. I wonder if seasons and/or lunar phases could also influence the need to dress. Has anyone tried charting their dressing urges? I have started to chart my urges. I may not learn anything, but by the same token I might.
I was wondering if any one else has tried this or would be willing to join me in this exercise. [/SIZE]

[Persephone]

That is a very interesting idea, Marcia. You may be on to something!

I remembered that there were some studies done about male cycles, including at least one involving bus drivers in Japan, and did a quick search.

I came up with a couple of things. One with a direct reference to the bus drivers in Japan. It refers to "page 120," which appears to be a page in some original source, perhaps Ms. magazine, but while I found several sources with the same reference, I was not able to find out what the original "page 120" was in.

"MEN HAVE CYCLES, TOO

"Although little research has been done on the topic, men have monthly cycles, too. As far back as the seventeenth century, the Italian scientist Sanctorius weighed men daily over long periods of time and discovered that men underwent a monthly weight change of about one or two pounds. More recently, a Danish endocrinologist kept daily records of hormones excreted in his urine. When analyzed, those records showed that his hormones rose and fell in roughly a thirty-day rhythm.

"Interestingly, beard growth also shows a rhythm of approximately thirty days; in other words, the amount of beard a man grows daily increases and decreases in a monthly cycle.

"In 1929, a researcher carefully followed the moods of seventeen men and showed that men, like women, have emotional cycles of about a month to six weeks in length. According to the researcher's findings, men tend to be more apathetic and indifferent during the low period of their emotional cycles and more likely to magnify small problems into big ones. During the high period of their cycles, men have more energy, a greater sense of well-being, lower body weight, and less need for sleep.

"In the early 1970s, Ms. magazine reported that a Japanese bus and taxi company used this knowledge of male monthly cycles to reduce accidents involving its vehicles. After charting the cycles of each of its drivers, the company rearranged routes and schedules to best match the men's low and high periods. The result: After two years, the company experienced a one-third drop in its accident rate.

"Men, like women, may benefit from following the Japanese company's example and charting their individual monthly rhythms. Use the chart and Cycle Changes list on page 120. If you are married or living with a woman, both of you may find it interesting and helpful to chart your cycles together to see if they are in or out of sync with each other."

From http://antimisandry.com/mens-health/...ims-15671.html

There is also a book by Jed Diamond, "The Irritable Male Syndrome: Managing the Four Key Causes of Depression and Aggression" (Rodale, 2004).

[DAVIDA]

I'm afraid that a chart of my dressing urges woulod be a strait line in the upper scale!

[Raychel]

I can tell you that the only time I don't either dress or wish I could dress, is when I am at work. I am so busy then, that thinking about dressing is not really an option. So from 7:00am to 7:00pm Monday thru Friday. I am completely drab

[eluuzion]

I think it has something to do with worms. If you water your grass too much, the night-crawlers come to the surface, to avoid "drowning". Then, of course, birds eat them. No, they can't "feel them", they actually spot them visually. After birds eat a lot of worms, they land on tree branches just above your sundeck. Then they poop, which lands on you (murphy's law). So now you have to change clothes and probably throw the soiled items away.
Then you start thinking...."hey, maybe I should just buy a new outfit or two." Before you know it, you are shopping again.

I know...it sounds a little weak for a theory...eh? I am still in the research and data collection process...

Actually, I think it would be interesting to explore your interest. I know I am definately one who is sensitive to lack of sunshine. I really do require it to function properly. UV light and all....

[charlotte_sp]

@ the OP:
I think the research strongly suggests that there is some behavioral changes related to our hormone levels, so I definitely like your approach.
I'm skeptical though that it's the primary or even a major cause.

It seems like for a lot of us, dressing up, shopping, going out (en femme), etc. is an indulgence, like treating yourself to massage or ice cream or what-have-you.
This kind of confounds the problem, because what you're really reporting is "when do I feel like indulging myself?"
Also, some are willing to put dressing on the backburner when they are busy with their job or other responsibilities.

Even for those of us who are more strongly gender dysphoric, there's still a confounding factor.
There have been several behavioral studies that show that mental concentration (e.g. solving difficult problems, stress, etc.) wears down one's mental discipline.
Going about your daily life while struggling with gender dysphoria is certainly stressful for your mind, so the urge might just indicate when you have reached your mental limit.

How often you get to dress and how important it is to you when you do also affects the intensity of your desire.
For example, at this point in my life, I can dress up almost any night I want.
But others may be in different situations, and they have to defer their urges to the right time.

So basically, I think it'll be very difficult to tell whether your urge is due to a hormonal change or outside factors.
It would be incredible to get this kind of data on the community...any psych students/postdocs feel like writing a research proposal? XD