Those who know me here does already know that I never got a formal bipolar diagnose, but that I have some "traits" that still make me to some degree fit in with the others here.

I have read through the Mayo Clinic's advice for "Lifestyle and home remedies" & "Coping and support". We can of course find these topics in a lot of other web sites, but I want to use theirs (if people are interested) to help us reflect a bit. I mean that to have a chronic disease sometimes is so burdensome that we not always remember the small things we can do for ourselves to keep the head over the water.

So here comes the first question to reflect upon:

Do you use a mood chart, and if you do, is it helpful for you?

[liveforsummer]

I use it sometimes. Pdoc likes it and it helps me see reality when I’m in denial.

[*Laurie*]

I used the mood chart on this site for a while, but I never really saw the purpose to it.

[BipolaRNurse]

I use an online mood chart regularly. It helps me realize when a mood shift is occurring and I can take action to stop it. I sometimes show it to my pdoc too.

I use to use it in times when I feel that I am in some sort of "a state" of loosing control (fleeting thoughts, problems with concentration, anxiety ...). For me it's the feedback that works when I'm in some sort of crisis. To see how high the rate for depression is helps me to concentrate upon using the cognitive tools that I know deep within that I can master (but in the moment feel I have little control over). It is scary to feel that one loses the control over the situation, so using it when there is too much to carry gives me the feeling of being on the road to control again. When I use it, I also write down how many hours I have slept, if I eat regularly, exercise and more.

To say it in another way: When I start charting, it is not only the charting that helps, but also to take a grip at all the cognitive tools I know works for me. I have written a list of what to do and what not to do to be able to slowly cope again. For me it is like if I grab the tool "charting" a lot of other tools "pups up" automatically.

[Pookyl]

I used a mood chart for the first 1-2 years. It helped me see how Bipolar worked inside me. It helped my pdoc. My hubby would also add to it.
All in all a useful tool.

[Moose72]

My old T had me fill these out. I found filling out my bipolar blog more useful.

[Victoria'smom]

I use an app on my phone when I remember to.

Back when I was first diagnosed and was ultradian cycling I charted my mood on an hourly basis. Now that I don't have any sort of rapid cycling I use an app on my phone daily that asks how many hours I slept, and asks if I have no/mild/moderate/severe (depression/mania/anxiety/irritability), and also if I took my meds and any PRNs.

[CaminoDeOro]

I track religiously in two apps, one that is like escapeartist mentioned above which I've been using for like 4 months and one with a rating scale that I've customized completely and have been using for years.

Both are very helpful, particularly in my continuing quest for a better med cocktail. And with very long term data I can go back and compare where otherwise I'd have mostly forgotten and have little basis for comparison.

The app I've been using for longer just produces a line graph, which has limitations, but is a useful barometer for overall state. The newer app produces a graph for each thing being tracked (depressed or elevated mood, anxiety etc).

escapeartist, sounds like you may be using eMoods. I paid for the lifetime pass and have contacted the developer a couple times with bug reports and feature requests. I am hoping he will expand the graphical charts, right now I take screenshots and paste them together each month, and putting those charts end to end and noting the med changes has helped me learn stuff about meds that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise.

[CaminoDeOro]

Check out that beautiful ultrarapid cycle. Each vertical division is a week. 5-10 day period with some sweet ultradian spikes in there

I am looking forward to my next med change.

[~Christina]

I normally chart my mood on ole school paper , once a day at night based on my overall day.

Haven’t done it for months now I have same rage-y stuff going on.