Keeping a journal of some sort (with me it's a blog, too) is very beneficial because they help uncover parts of ourselves that we may not have even known about before. Particularly during mania, when we don't always recall what happened and there are discrepancies between what we thought we felt and what actually came out in the writing.

It's also valuable because you can learn so much from going back over things you wrote during an episode. For instance, I can pinpoint exactly where my last manic spell began, so the next time I start thinking those same kinds of thoughts, I'll know that another episode may be on its way and I can act on it before it gets out of control.

When you reach the required number of posts in order to post a link to your blog, I hope you will. I read lots of BP blogs in addition to my own, and I'm sure others do as well. And welcome to PC!!