Tracking Bipolar Moods

Bipolar disease, also known as manic-depression, is a lifelong disease that can be managed through various forms of treatment. This disease is one that causes extreme highs and lows in moods; mania occurs when you are overly joyful while depression occurs when extreme feelings of hopelessness take over. Using a mood chart can be an extremely helpful tool for your doctor, as it allows him to see any patterns in the causes of your moods; this results in more effective treatment and management of your condition.

Things You'll Need

• Notebook

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Instructions

• 1

  Create your chart. Begin with placing your name, date of birth and date you begin and end the chart on each page of your chart. One page should be created for one complete month; therefore, if you begin your chart on the tenth of June, you will end it on the tenth of July. You then begin the next page for the following month.

  Make columns for your chart to organize the information you need to record. Your columns should include your treatment information, major life events, menstrual cycle (for women) and moods. These are what have the greatest effect on your life and should be included on your chart.

• 2

  Record medication changes. This should be listed under your treatment column and needs to include the date you began or discontinued a new medication, along with any change in dosage. If you did not take your medication that day, place an "x" through the box. Any additional medications you take on an as-needed basis also should be written down, along with the dosage and the number of tablets you took.

  If any change in mood takes place, either immediately or in the days following, you may be able to trace it back to your treatment.

• 3

  Record your menstrual cycle. For women, the changes in hormones due to their menses can have an effect on the moods they experience. Therefore, charting the days you have your menstrual cycle is another important piece of the puzzle when it comes to the management of your bipolar disorder.

• 4

  List significant incidents. Daily incidents can have a profound impact on your moods and may cause either mania or depressive mood swings. Under this column, list anything that may have contributed to a mood change, such as a promotion or bad news from a family member.

• 5

  Chart personal factors. This includes the numbers of hours you sleep to the amount you weigh. Both can impact your moods; too little rest may cause you to become irritable or edge toward mania, while too much sleep may cause you to become depressed. It is different for everyone, which is why personal chart may help you better manage your bipolar moods.

• 6

  Rate your mood. Your final column should be reserved for the moods you experienced that day. Three columns are optimal: Depressed, mania and within normal range. Check any that apply to you for that day, which means it is okay to have more than one checked.

  Once you have determined your moods, you need to have a column which rates the severity of your mood. Keep it simple with a range of zero to three; zero being minimal and three being severe.