In the previous post entitled “Is Your Current Bipolar Medication/Therapy Working?” we recommended filling out a form prior to your doctor’s visit to provide detailed information on the effectiveness and possible side effects of your current treatment plan. I think this form is a great tool, and I would love to have patients bring me something this detailed, but if the form seems a little overwhelming, you may prefer a simpler approach – keeping a daily mood calendar.
Banks, real estate brokers, and other businesses often hand out free pocket calendars, or you can pick up a small calendar at your local office supply store. Every day, jot down a number from 1 to 5 that best represents your mood (1 is depressed, 5 is manic, 3 is middle of the road).
The reason I recommend this mood tracking method to my patients is that it’s very easy to do, and it enables them to walk into their next appointment with a complete record of how they were feeling throughout the month. It’s often very hard to remember the entire month before the visit – usually people are just thinking of the last couple of days or weeks at most.
Now, when you step into your doctor’s office and she asks how you’ve been feeling since your last visit, you’ll really have some valuable information to share!
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