Do you have a bipolar disorder mood swing chart?

I chart my mood swings in my journal every night

 

I used to have an alarm on my watch (hilarious! but it was 1998!)  that indicated it was time for a bipolar check in. I used this a lot when I first created my Health Cards  management plan. I really didn't know how to manage my moods very well- because I didn't really know what moods I was having!

Monitoring my moods with an alarm really helped me learn about myself.  What did MY bipolar look like? What was my mania like?  Why did I do certain things during certain mood swings? Was there a pattern? Was I in the middle of a mood swing and didn't know it? Was it a good idea to chart my moods?

Oh yes there was! Always. By charting my moods during different times of the week for example, I learned who I am and what is bipolar disorder.

Do you chart your moods?

Here is what to look for:  Suddenly feeling good with a feeling a contentment and that all is right with the world- if this comes after a depression… well, you have to be honest with yourself and admit some mania is creeping in and that you need to do something about it immediately.  Trouble getting out of bed after feeling ok. 

Lots of anxiety.

Spending more, talking more, eating more, traveling more. Crying more, felling more hopeless, isolating myself and just feeling awful.  And just feeling great!!!!

Charting my moods  is how I realized my rapid cycling was ridiculously bad.  It also taught me my triggers.

Now it's 2011. I no longer need an alarm. I charge my moods every night in my journal.  In the picture above, you can see two entries. They are across a straight line with mania on top and depression on the bottom- and yes, my rapid cycling is absolutely ridiculous.

Charting my moods changed  my life for the better.

Julie

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