Poll Do You Track Your Symptoms And/or Mood?

[Socha]

I've started to track my symptoms and mood on a daily basis. I've done this before in my first round of theray and it did help me to actually see how I feel and do something to feel better, when I recognized it's getting worse. Because I'm taking notes on days that are better or worse than usual I can see what is causing it and how long it takes me to recover after I had a tough time. I learn a lot about myself doing it and also how to actually do something to get better.
I'm using OneNote (a note-taking program from Microsoft) with an embedded chart from an Excel file, so it looks nice.
I'm a bit of a statistics and data geek, so I also have some extra charts for analysing the data (Median, Modos - stuff like that)

If you are doing this too, I'd like to hear/read, what you are tracking, how, if it's helping you and in what way?

 

[Friday]

Yep. I use my status update bar & diary -both here- to do so.

Generally, broad strokes, rather than details. But that's more of a "I know my general patterns, already, just noting where I'm at/when" so I can look back and remember. More of a memory aid, (How the hell did I get here??? Is a frequent question, otherwise, and often unanswerable), and a tool to keep me honest. :wtf:

Not daily, because some patterns last longer, some shorter. I generally make note when things shift & what's going on.

 

[Nessa7]

I do. I use Moodscape and Optimism. I like that Optimism is based around check boxes, so it doesn't take up too much time. It makes it easier to keep the habit of doing it every day. I also like being able to add my own check boxes. I like that I can add check boxes that are specific to me.

 

[Ronin]

These days tracking survivor's guilt, suicidality and trauma stuff having teeth in everything else that seems minor and quickly spirals to both the guilt and suicidality and-or acting on both.

Not so sure these are 'moods' as a thing fuelling both acts and moods. Disconnect there, for me. Getting the more instinctual side together first, before tackling moods and similar subtleties.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Checking this every day has become a habit because then I know my bad days and my good days. On the bad days, I do coping skills and use methods rather like taking my temperature every day. I find it very helpful. I have been adjusting on my bad days. But I do try to do exposures which I have found really helpful in facing down my fears and blocks.

 

[Ronin]

Ditto to exposure and coping mechanisms.

I know when I am avoidant, isolating and not facing specific trauma areas by the areas of posting and who I respond to or avoid darned lot even though nothing about the people or my relation to them changed. Darn useful for that.

 

[marblemaze]

I've started keeping a journal that I write in about once a week about my symptoms.

 

[Changing4Best]

I answered, "No, but I'm going to try it."

My memory is really BAD. So I think this is a good idea. I don't have any programs that can help me with this on my computer, nor would I know how to use them if I did. However, I can just do some kind of journal, keeping it simple, and keep track of things that way. I am Bipolar too, so keeping track of my moods is really important. For instance, I think I have been depressed for at least a month now, but I am not sure how long ago it actually started. I wish I knew. Because, if I knew, I might find it important enough and serious enough to ask for something to help me with it from my Dr.s.

 

[marblemaze]

I answered, "No, but I'm going to try it..."

I was depressed with no explanation over the past 2 months and I figured out it was seasonal allergies. I've been taking extra vitamin C for the antihistamine effect for about a week (because antihistamines have an ingredient I'm allergic to) and although I'm still having common season allergy symptoms, I'm a little bit better and not nearly as depressed. I was starting to feel not like myself altogether until I did this. You might have a completely different reason why you got depressed but just in case I thought I would write about this because your depression started right at the start of allergy season. Sometimes allergies show up as extreme fatigue and I also got an increase in anxiety at the start of the allergy season, which does happen with some people. It's something to think about if someone else sees this post even if your reason for being depressed is different. Take care, I hope you feel better.

 

[holdenmonty]

I like to try to do it daily but it doesn't always happen. It seems to happen more during the week when I have down time at work.