Posted by Racer on July 17, 2004, at 14:16:20
In reply to Re: Not finished yet... » Dinah, posted by SLS on July 17, 2004, at 13:18:11
Dinah -- Scott's idea about a mood chart seems really good to me. I've been working on one for myself, and so far it's really helped me. I noticed the same thing you mentioned, about not being able to remember feeling any other way? Once I realized that, it spurred me on to put one together that worked for me. Still working out the bugs, but it's helping *so* much. If you like the idea, but don't find a chart that works for you, and would like to see mine, drop me an email and I can send you a sample. I also have an Access database I'm working on to create reports and charts from it, as well as make data entry easier, and if you've got Access I can send you a sample of what I've got there, too. (Not perfect, and the charts need to be created manually, but the charts have been WONDERFULLY helpful to me.)
Specific to the mood charts, what's helped me the most is being able to keep track of events and activities and things like dr's appts and therapy sessions and my menstrual cycle, which helps me figure out if there's a specific trigger or not. That part has been very helpful for me, because it does help weed out confounding variables.
Scott, thank you for mentioning the changing faces of depression. Again, I know that it was directed at Dinah, but once again that grapeshot managed to find another target -- and help. I, too, get the hysterical overreactions to overwhelming stress, and sometimes that's the most evident symptom of depression for me, which always leads me to wonder if I'm "really" depressed, or if I'm "faking" it somehow, or if I'm really bipolar. This despite a lot of evidence that I'm *not* bipolar, *am* depressed, etc. Somehow, reading Dinah's explanation of her reactions and your response to them finally "clicked" somehow, where none of the others did.
Thank you both.
poster:Racer
thread:366935
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040714/msgs/367165.html