Mood chart

[boi]

It has been suspected I have bipolar II by my dr and I have to fill out a mood chart. I am having difficulty with this. For example, today, I feel like I want to do stuff, go out, and be on the road, and I want to buy things that we need that I usually would feel guilty about. On the other hand though I feel really really irritable for no reason and I dont want to do any housework. I just want to "run". I am obsessing about the diagnosis like crazy as well. I dont know what to fill out. I mean yes, I feel partly like the symptoms of hypomania but then partly like the depressive symtoms. there are symtoms of irritability and agitation with both so I dont know what to fill out.
My mind is thinking constantly, where even if I dont know what Im thinking about it's still not "relaxed". Does this make sense?

thanks

 

[David Baxter PhD]

If you're feeling more than one thing, list all the feelings you have. This is information your doctor needs to help you.

Don't try to second guess or overanalyze what you're feeling - just list or describe the feelings.

 

[boi]

k, thanks.
I guess that is my problem I dont know how to identify them. Maybe Ill just write down the experience and then tell my dr. I think I have to just mark an x on the mood chart, depression/mania so thats where it confuses me. Thanks for the advice

 

[braveheart]

I've had to do a mood/symptom chart throughout the past month for the PMS clinic. So it's kind of similar in that I/m charting moods. I have multiple symptoms for each day. For example I've had days where I've had waves of intense anxiety, but for hours inbetween I've been calm.

 

[boi]

hey braveheart,
how do you chart that? and how do you recognize how you are feeling? I seem to be obsessing about it and then I get really frustrated

 

[ladylore]

Another strategy to identify feelings Boi is to describe the sensations in your body. For instance I was asked just yesterday where I held the feeling in my body that I couldn't identify. It was a heaviness in my chest around my heart.

Another way to go about identifying feelings. But I really would try to stay away from overanalysing them - just simply identifying them is the key.

 

[boi]

thats a good idea ladylore. describing the sensations in my body instead of thinking about it and analyzing it in my head. thanks

 

[braveheart]

I have a list of feelings I choose from e.g. calm, anxious, tearful, agitated, paranoid, and so forth. Each has initial letters. But I'm going to colour code the chart I show the consultant. I hope!
Body feelings is something I work a lot with in therapy, though, and it really does help.

 

[Daniel E.]

BTW, for monitoring levels of depression, I like the mood charts that have one option where one chooses between a range of smiley and frowny faces (similar to a pain assessment chart).

 

[prayerbear]

Miss ex-clean uses a mood chart for cyclothmic disorder, but find it very hard to find ones to print out with my printer to take to my psychologist. Do you know of some very good mood charts that I can print out online?




Thanks miss ex-clean

P>S> This was me before Zoloft, Klonopin and Geodon :hissyfit:

 

[David Baxter PhD]

See Daily Mood Log - Psychlinks Psychology and Self-Help Forum - printable Word document atached to the post.

 

[boi]

P>S> This was me before Zoloft, Klonopin and Geodon :hissyfit::

Thanks that does really help. The expressions are so much easier to identify. Esp. since it seems like my mood changes quite frequently. From wanting to go out and run around in the morning and then by afternoon wanting to run home to "relax" per se and not wanting to pick up the phone nor socialize or anything. Kinda like, I only speak on the phone in the mornings on weekends and then by the afternoon, I don't want to talk to anyone (should have been on the list on the morning cause now everyone is just bothering me, who needs friends??)

 

[ladylore]

Thanks that does really help. The expressions are so much easier to identify. Esp. since it seems like my mood changes quite frequently. From wanting to go out and run around in the morning and then by afternoon wanting to run home to "relax" per se and not wanting to pick up the phone nor socialize or anything. Kinda like, I only speak on the phone in the mornings on weekends and then by the afternoon, I don't want to talk to anyone (should have been on the list on the morning cause now everyone is just bothering me, who needs friends??)

Connecting may be hard but it is worth it. Friendships take time but we all need people even if they are only casual aquaintances.

Prayerbear had a great idea. Draw your feelings. There is something very important to be said for art therapy. If you have a hard time putting things into words by all means draw them. :dance:

 

[boi]

thanks everyone for all your suggestions and ideas. I was going to start a new thread but wasnt sure so Im just posting here again. I am so irritated right now. I dont want to talk to anyone and I dont even want anyone to look at me or talk to me. I am snapping and really really bitchy to my partner and I feel so guilty after, even immediatly after. I dont know what to do to stop being irritated. I can control my irritation at work but even today it seaped through. I want to take something and just tear it apart or something like that. anybody have any suggestion on how to calm down

 

[gooblax]

Something that has helped me to calm down and control irritation (short term) in the past is tearing a blank piece of paper slowly whilst focusing on breathing. This is best done in a limited and controlled area to minimise mess (eg. tiny bits of paper being blown across the room by the wind).
Just a thought.