A mood chart is a simple, patient driven tool that requires only a few minutes a day to complete. However, mood charts are extremely powerful and effective. This is because mood charts provide a visual image of how important pieces of information such as mood, medication, and life events all fit together.
Usually the mood chart contains space for at least the following information:
1. Date: there should be space for recording information for each day.
2. Mood scale: the scale would typically include a baseline which indicates feeling normal (no depression or mania) and then a range of points above the baseline for elevated mood, and below the baseline for depressed mood. A scale of -3 to +3 is common, but some charts have scales of -5 to +5 or even -10 to +10. I like to use -3 to +3.
3. How much sleep you got.
4. What medication was taken and the dosage.
5. Notes: this can be a record of life events considered relevant, such as stressors, therapy sessions, family gatherings, or notes about the workplace.
Other items that many people like to record include weight and any alcohol or drug use. Women often also include their menstrual cycle.
Someone who is experimenting with making diet and exercise changes may like to include that information.
(Feedback from folks following The Bipolar Diet shows that this is extremely helpful with managing medication related weight gain.)
I particularly like versions of mood charts that include columns for recording anxiety and irritability levels as both of these are issues for me.
The wonderful thing about mood charting is the exact contents can be customized for each person!
The example below is provided by NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health.) Don’t worry if you can’t read it all clearly – there is a link to full page versions of the chart you can download, along with the NIMH instructions:NIMH Daily Mood Chart
Why keep a mood chart?
PATTERN RECOGNITION: The mood chart for bipolar disorder is a visual tool that makes it much easier to identify patterns before serious problems develop. It is this pattern recognition that is my favorite part of mood charting. This may sound simple, but because there are so many factors involved (sleep, medication, life events, exercise, PMS) I find that charting is far easier, more effective and clearer than keeping a diary or simply trying to remember everything in between visits to the doctor.
OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE: I may suspect my fish oil is doing me good, or that my new medication is not as helpful as good old fashioned lithium, but I prefer collecting empirical data over a period of time to base my decisions on.
PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKES: The chart provides an early warning system that shows when my mood is becoming unstable. This makes it possible to make changes before I am caught in the middle of a major mood episode.
SELF AWARENESS: For me it is helpful to be aware of how I am feeling and of any ups and downs. It gives me a sense of control and makes me more sensitive to how my condition may be affecting my loved ones.
How to use bipolar mood charts
Each of the 3 versions included here comes with instructions.
All you need to do is download a copy of the blank mood chart and then print it and make as many photocopies as you need.
1. NIMH Daily Mood Chart from the National Institute of Mental Health.
2. Mood Chart from the Massachusetts General Hospital Bipolar Clinic and Research Program.
3. Black Dog Institute Mood Chart.
These particular bipolar mood charts have been chosen to include in your toolkit because they are the professional versions that have been tested and validated, and are used and recognized by leading clinicians and researchers. Just choose the one that you like best.
Sharing your bipolar mood chart
Sharing charts for bipolar disorder with significant others, family, friends, therapists or medical professionals, or anyone else you consider part of your support network may be extremely helpful.
I like to share my chart for the following reasons:
1. Sometimes others are able to pick up patterns that I miss.
2. I want my spouse to feel informed, involved and trusted.
3. Sometimes my symptoms show up as an inclination to be secretive, paranoid and controlling - sharing my chart is the most effective way for me to short circuit this.
4. Knowledge is power, and I like power to be shared!
Bottom line . . .
By its very nature, the course of bipolar disorder is bumpy and unpredictable.
The whole point is that both the disorder and responses to treatment are likely to follow an irregular pattern that can be very confusing for the bipolar person and their care-givers.
The charts are a very easy but powerful tool to help everyone involved understand the relationships between the highs and lows of the disorder, possible stressors and triggers, the impact of medication, and the effectiveness of other measures such as diet and exercise.
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