Mood charting

gcvmom

Here we go again!
How many of you have used mood charting for your difficult child's?

I think I should be doing this, but not sure what the best way is to go about it. I've seen several templates online. Tell me what's worked best for you.

difficult child 2 told me his head is sort of "buzzing" today. That's our code for racing thoughts like he had last Spring when he told me it felt like there was a hive of bees in his head that had eaten too much honey. He is more animated today than yesterday, and even more so than the day before when he decided he wanted to invite the "jacket" boy over for a play date. He has had no stimulant since Monday and no change to the Seroquel XR.
 

Josie

Active Member
I write notes about medications, mood, and physical symptoms on a calendar. I like to be limited to a small space so I don't make it too wordy and it is easy to check back over a whole month.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Thanks Janet, that would be great.

FOP, I can see how that would work. (I would tend to write a novel, too).
 

Jena

New Member
that'sa great idea i used to keep a daily log, i've slipped the past several mos i have to admit since i got the BiPolar (BP) diagnosis it was like all my questions and thoughts were answered. yet picking up on it again isnt such a bad idea for us too. it's odd as well once you start to chart it how you can see the patterns forming and the cycles and when they are triggered.

interesting. i wish you luck with the chart.
 

Janna

New Member
I've used a couple of different ones. You can do an online search, there's a bazillion.

I think mood charting is useful if the child is consistent with a reason for mood issues (i.e. every time he eats something with red dye he goes bonkers - every other day between 2 and 4 PM he throws a rage because his sister Sally is home and annoying him).

It didn't work for us because D is inconsistent. It's not like he's "manic" Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3-4:30 PM LOL! He can go a week "manic", two months fine, 9 days "manic", a month fine, three months "manic". Never an explination. He just goes - up, down, up down - 0-5,000 in 10 seconds. Faster than a Ferrari.

I hope you find something that works.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
I created an Excel spreadsheet for Hubby when he started Strattera, because I already knew it wouldn't be a good fit. I just needed to prove it to the doctor. I had a space for date, dosage, and behavior, and I could add or subtract columns as needed.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Well...I thought I had a chart! I have a pain chart, I have a DBT chart...but I cant find the mood chart. It must be on the other computer. I can find one for you online if you want.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Oh...Janna...that is precisely what charting moods is for...to show the fluctuations. If we could predict that we would cycle every third thursday we wouldnt need to chart...lol.
 

jcox

New Member
I do my son's on http://www.moodtracker.com. I have tried many different ones in paper form, but I really like this online site the best. There is a place for journals, and it tracks monthly charts with activity level, mania, depression, sleep and medications. It is the easiest one for me to do and I really like the monthly charting at a glance. It helps me to see how he cycles.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Thanks, Jena.

Janna, difficult child 2 seems inconsistent to me, too. That's one reason I thought a chart would help me see the bigger picture over time.

KTMom, I suppose I could just do a spreadsheet as well. Perhaps I can incorporate some of the aspects of the online charts.

Janet, you don't have to do the legwork for me. But if you don't mind sharing, what were some of the things you kept track of?

jcox, I'll check into that link. Thank you!
 

totoro

Mom? What's a difficult child?
I have a soft calendar that is one of the big one like a folder size. It has a page with the full month and then a individual and bigger spaces for each day. So I can look at the whole month and jot down notes and then turn to the individual day and make lengthier notes.

It has side margins for notes about medications etc. (That is what I use it for)
I make notes about her weight, doctor apts, moods etc.
I have about 3 years of these.
I can bring it to the psychiatrist apts and just turn to the month or the individual day and look at medications, reactions, weight, moods, missed school, apts etc.
It is nice it is all there and I can copy it is needed.
I have used it so many times at Apts.

What is really nice is the tracking of cycling, seasonal things etc.

I had tried the mood journal but I like the actual calendar better for me and the big soft folder size one works great for me, it is the plastic cover ones like at staples or target.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
that moodtracker.com sounds amazing...I might start using it. There is also a mood diary on seroquel.com that you can download that works on the computer. Might check that out too.

I like to keep track of sleep, weather, pain, irritability, anger, hypomania and normal days.
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
I print out an 8x11 calendar from MS WORD and write notes on each day. They'll be just really small notes for the overall day, anything remarkable about the day, good or bad, and a note that says "see email" or "see BB post" if there's more info. I print my posts here and any emails to my mom about difficult child or to the doctor, or to whomever, about difficult child and our trials (lol - its what works for me) and just stick them in a giant binder.

The calendar gives a quick overview and any trends (we have found seasonal and yearly trends, but not so much monthly or even quarterly trends), and the emails and posts give more in-depth info and are stuck in there by date and pretty easy to find.
 
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