[Roaming_bird]

I recently read my journal and used that information to see how many days I've been manic, depressed, or normal.

Since August 27th, I've had 27 days hypomanic, 39 days depressed, 110 normal, and I'm currently going on 16 days hypomanic.

[Keegan2015]

I try to chart my moods but I have a tendency to journal consistently for like 2-4 week periods and then stop journaling for months at a time. I've heard there are pretty good cell phone apps for it but I can't remember what any of them are called.

[Ocean Swimmer]

I only write when I'm working on designing homes. Payroll.

Moods. I know. If it's too high I've been hospitalized. Haven't been put in for too low.
Only once for comotose. And once because I lost the ability to speak.

[BipolaRNurse]

I use an online mood tracker called Optimism Online. You can customize it to fit your own circumstances, and it shows you how much your moods fluctuate over time. I've used it for over three years and like it a lot.

[Icare dixit]

I chart my mood with the NIMH LCM.

Since late January I have switched poles, going up. It started out as moderate but the last few weeks I have had pretty strong 1.5 days pretty strong, euphoric, mind hyperventilation- and tremor-inducing, radiating, "partial" mania (just making a fool of myself; no harm done) and 2.5 days post-mania depression, which is very uncommon.

I also tend to write down my moods in a more reduced form, which I think is more relevant than all the nuances of mood fluctuations and the exact time take (I just estimate a cycle length when I am stable enough to look back more clearly), where:

d = mild depression
m = pre-mania (or hypomania if you prefer; I think the term is badly chosen, because it could include depression as well as the highly unstable emotional states that can escalate)
M = mania
p = congruently psychotic mania (clearly noticeable in normal settings)
P = incongruently psychotic, manic period
~ = mixed state
. = brief stability (1 day to 2 weeks)
.. = longer stability
D = post-manic depression/recuperation

So, for example: dmMpP.P.~M (5 months), d..md (1 year), ...

[Imah]

Yes, I edited my avatar so you could see an example. I put a star if I need to add further information, I put the date and info on back.

[Roaming_bird]

Icare -- wow! That's so detailed.
Imah, what do you include on yours?

[Imah]

Originally Posted by Roaming_bird

Icare -- wow! That's so detailed.
Imah, what do you include on yours?

It is evolving, as some symptoms ebb and flow depending on anxiety and current mental state. Example: I took away Disjointed thinking, only to add it again later when it came back. Also, I have some health things on mine. I used to try to do a 1-10 sliding scale on how bad the symptom was, but I found guessing numbers was too difficult, so now I just put an x if I had the symptom and a - if not.

From top to bottom last month it was: (See Below)
SLEEP (in hours)
NAP (in hours)
TINNITUS
BINGE
EXERCISE
HEALTH
--------
CHORES (did I do anything around the house)
CONTENT (this is a new one, only added couple months ago)
MANIA
PSYCHIC
FIXATE
ANXIETY
PARANOID (if I feel watched, or the impending doom thingy)
SEEING THINGS
GUILT (removed guilt / fear this month and am just adding G or F to the extra space column I have on bottom - also where I put a star for more on back)
FORGOT MED (also removed this month. pointless as I usually don't notice until after the day)
FEAR
REPEATING (songs in my head or sentences)
RAGE
PANIC
IMPULSE
DEPRESSION

I have mania more often then depression, and I think my symptoms reflect that. I add other letters like: H=headache, I=Ill, V= Vomit, P= Panic Attack.
I have charted for 15 months. It only takes a minute at night, when I take my last med- except for the few minutes once a month it takes to make the next one. It's been really helpful. The Dr. makes copies so pages are not ripped out. I did take 2 months off once last year. But she validated my journaling by saying it helped her, and that gave me the inspiration to continue. The feeling of carrying my notebook when I had completed one year was like - carrying myself, with lightness and capability. I love charting me. I feel more (not in control - which suggests repression) but that I could depend on myself.

I have tried. My p-doc would like me to, but I find it very difficult. I usually give her number between 1-10. 5 being normal/stable.

[Icare dixit]

Originally Posted by ValentinaVVV

I have tried. My p-doc would like me to, but I find it very difficult. I usually give her number between 1-10. 5 being normal/stable.

Maybe you can take some biological markers to help you, being at least a more objective measure, but it is difficult to use them to measure slight fluctuations and in many cases mood and anxiety are both expressed by the same variable.

Or maybe use you level of activity and/or inhibition. Anything objective.

[1278]

I try to chart my moods, I find I do well when I am hypomanic but when I am depressed I gradually taper and eventually stop.

[BlueInanna]

i used to use a program, the optimism one. but i think i got overwhelmed with it, too many questions!
the one on here is actually pretty good. i just started using it again a few days ago. there's a spot for notes, so being bp, it's good to note why i'm saying i feel bad - like if it's a mania bad or a depression bad, or just some other non episode bad.
i charted a lot on here in 2012 - i don't even remember, but holy **** my life sucked really bad back then, reading those notes about what i was going thru was kinda hard to read all that.

[gina_re]

I've never done this because it just seemed like extra work to me. I know how I feel, so why bother charting it. But I recently downloaded an app for this and we'll see where it takes me. I hope it gives me some answers to what is going on with me.