Mood charting for depression and bipolar

Learn the basics of mood charting with this quick video. For more information, check out these Amazon affiliate link resources:
14 Steps to Happiness: A Program for Overcoming Depression
Weekly Mood Tracker: 6″x9″ Self Care Wellness Journal For Tracking and Charting Mental Health Emotions and Actions
My Mood Journal: A Journal For Tracking Your Daily Mood

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/eAQfo0IEtHE

Have you heard about mood charting? It’s been around for several years now and is available in hard copy versions as well as apps for your phone. The general premise of a mood chart is to track those events and actions that can be predictors of your mood and which may influence it. That is to say become more elevated or depressed.

If your mood was associated with just a few sets of variables, your therapist’s work would be straight forward and pretty simple, yet we know the interaction of sleep, diet, medication, physical health, alcohol consumption and outside stressors all play an important role in our mood. What the mood chart does is to track these events over time and look at what is going on before, during and after a shift in your mood. By doing so, a therapist can help zero in on what are some of the causes and hasten your recovery.

It may be that there was a change in medication, or a combination of events such as lack of sleep with stress-related experiences, such as work or a relationship that is affecting your mood. In any event, by tracking your mood and charting it daily, a mood chart becomes a powerful tool to help you better understand your mood, and help identify patterns.

It also aids therapists to be more effective in their treatment plans, especially if office visits are only once or twice a month. It allows them to view what is going on when you are away from their office. This insight can make them a lot more effective with their skills and time.

Finally, several mood charts have taken advantage of text alerts for daily reminders to take your medication. This is extremely helpful in staying compliant with your daily medicine routine. Some programs also include social networking features to help you stay connected with others who have related issues. The potential to connect with others who may have similar experiences is an intriguing possibility, especially if you’re adept at social networking.

Mood charting is a tool, and like all tools it depends on both the quality of the tool and the skill of the person using it. If you have not used a mood chart before, you might want to give it a try and see if it helps with your therapy. The key to mood charting is in doing it daily, so stay with a chart for a couple of months and see if it helps. Ask your therapist for more information about mood charting. Some related resources are in the description below.

Thank you for watching and I hope you feel better soon. Remember to click subscribe and like the video. Bye for now!