Mood Chart Scales and Mood Charts
While I think that a Mood Chart is necessary, I wasn't satisfied with any of the ones I found, particularly since the Charts did not distinguish between when I was feeling emotionally unstable and and when I was being functional.
As I found out, it is possible to be quite manic and still be fully functional. Or mildly depressed and functional enough to hide the depression from others.
The two most useful scales are Emotionality and Functionality, and these are the ones you should probably start out with. My recommendation is to print out the scales and tape them to your fridge or wall close to where you keep your Mood Chart Diary, so you have easy access when you are writing in your diary.
But below these two scales I've listed other scales that you can use for different purposes. Note that it's perfectly okay
There are 9 scales
Scale 1: The E Scale : EMOTIONAL / STABILITY / MOOD SCALE - how I feel
Scale 2: The P Scale : PRODUCTIVITY / FUNCTIONALITY SCALE - how I act
Scale 9: Anxiety Scale
Scale 3: The F Scale Productivity / Functionality - What actually happens during the day - (P)
Scale 4: The F Scale : Ability to focus on tasks -
Scale 5: The F Scale Ability to do things - (D)
Scale 6: The BP Scale : Ability to Do Big Picture Thinking - Can I make plans a few weeks into the future, can I
Scale 7: The F Scale Level of Withdrawal from other people - (WP)
Scale 8: Agitation / Irritation Scale
The details of the E and P scales that I use to measure mood and productivity are as follows:
The E Scale
EMOTIONAL / STABILITY / MOOD SCALE - how I feel
0 - True terrible depression. I stop thinking. Time to hide in the closet, or disappear. My life is a failure, I want out of my relationship, suicide starts looking good.
1 - Really low confidence. I don't want to leave the house or talk with people, but I manage with great effort.
2 - Living through the day hurts. Everything appears insurmountable. I have low self confidence and it affects everything I do. It is nearly impossible to get anything done.
3 - I find it hard to think and I am sluggish. I don't really want to try hard to do anything. Lower end of a very bad day for a normal person.
4 - A bad hair day.
5 - NORMAL. Feeling how I imagine a normal person would.
6 - Good day. Lot's accomplished.
7 - Feeling great. A little too much accomplished, but not too much hyperactivity. Upper end of a great day for a normal person.
8 - Definitely hyperactive / manic. Still functional, but remaining in control requires control.
9 - Hyperactive and not too much control. I require most of my energy to control myself, not too much left over for being functional.
10 - True mania. So far I have never had a true manic episode.
The P Scale
PRODUCTIVITY / FUNCTIONALITY SCALE - how I act
0 - Productive / functionality below that of anything a normal person would do. Or you have just shut down and nothing is getting done.
1 - A really bad day for a normal person.
2 - Things below par.
3 - NORMAL. What you would expect from a normal person.
4 - Good to great day
5 - Much accomplished but too much to be normal.
I'd recommend that for easy reference you either handwrite the E and P scales in the diary, or print them out and stick them in the inner cover. I usually forget what the numbers are supposed to mean.
I've found out that minor changes in medication can make big changes in how I felt, so tracking my medication and dosages was useful. And embarrassing as it was, tracking when I didn't take medication was useful. By the way, the M isn't a scale, it's just a shortcut for writing the word "medication."
Of course, because the quality of the productivity matters, I don't have one scale - I have five scales, each of which measures a different facet of productivity (as well as one scale that measures how I feel). They are, with explanations (the higher the number, the better I'm doing):
Scale 1: Ability to Do Big Picture Thinking - (BP)
No thinking being done about tasks for the day / Very important tasks may be forgotten completely or ignored.
Can concentrate on the 1 important task that needs to be done, but requires focus. Other tasks may be forgotten or discarded to concentrate focus on the important task.
Knows generally the tasks that need to be done, but random important or minor tasks may be forgotten. Tasks happen, but are done randomly without thought to importance or ease. New questionable value tasks may be inserted to the detriment of other plans. Usually no memory aide used, even as reference. Small changes in schedule will trigger failure to hold the big picture together
Able to generally plan the day, but requires effort to remember the tasks and sequence them in an orderly fashion. Memory aide may be used partially. Important task will probably be done but lesser ones may be forgotten. Less will be done than planned, even though the time was available. Changes in schedules will not be accommodated gracefully and may trigger failure to hold the big picture together. (About an average person?)
Shortly after waking up and while doing morning tasks, able to visualise the major and minor tasks needed to be done for the rest of the day, the sequence they will be ordered in, and ancillary items related to these tasks. Organiser or calendar or other memory aide in use. Changes in schedule accommodated gracefully.
Scale 2: Ability to focus on tasks - (F)
Can't imagine the next task to do. May not be able to remember the steps of rote tasks or simple tasks, and will not be able gather enough focus to concentrate on the steps necessary. Usually results in my doing nothing except the most basic / necessary tasks.
Simple and rote level tasks possible with concentration, but will be slow. Only the most critical items will be done.
Higher level thinking is not possible (no writing, making plans, conceptualising ideas, dealing with complex issues). Able to think about and act on simpler tasks which require rote work or habits. Decision making become indecisive, even for simple tasks.
Able to think about tasks and ideas, but the concepts or plans or ideas may slip away if I stop concentrating on them and it requires specific effort to pick back up the thread of thought. Occasionally, thinking disintegrates into “white noise” where I cannot form the next thought or action.
Thinking / concentrating about tasks and the subtasks attached is effortless. Ability to juggle multiple tasks and new tasks more or less gracefully – even in the cases when I am feeling somewhat harried / overworked. What I consider normal.
(6+) Manic Inability to focus
Scale 3: Ability to do things - (D)
No or just one or two tasks get done.
Some tasks get done. Less than I would like.
Normal day. Got pretty much the things I wanted done barring setbacks or changes of plan that are typical in most people’s lives.
A great day. Got everything I wanted done and a bit more. Yay!
Manic level of energy and number of things done.
Scale 4: Level of Withdrawal from other people - (WP)
Run away from anywhere you might meet people that you know so there is no possibility of interacting.
Don't answer door of house/ hide under bed / Lock yourself in your room.
Stop answering telephone calls / IM. Shut of phone / put on silent / unplug.
Don't respond to texts / e-mail / IM. Stop answering telephone calls except from friends.
Put off talking to anyone about anything that may be stressful – things you think you did wrong or badly, things you have to make a comment on, etc., things where you have to initiate a request.
Normal interaction, but feeling like you are faking it. May pause to decide if you want to interact with someone before doing so.
Normal interaction with people with no reservations
Scale 5: Productivity / Functionality - What actually happens during the day - (P)
You have just shut down and nothing is getting done (except feeding the dogs).
Only the most critical or necessary tasks take place - the ones you HAVE to do.
All optional tasks have stopped. Many daily habits/tasks (including work) are not being done.
Many optional tasks stop happening. You may cut edges when performing a task.
Productivity below par as if because of hangover / tiredness etc.
NORMAL. What you would expect from a normal person on a normal day.
Good to great day for normal person. A lot is getting done.
Much accomplished but too much to be normal - manic levels of work.
Incredibly high productivity - happens when you are hyperstable.
Manic level of functionality – note that productivity can drop off as you become more manic and less focused.
Note: A scale measured from - 1-100 can also be used to measure productivity, where 60 is considered normal. This scale allows a finer measurement of how your day is going.
Scale 6: Emotional / Stability / Mood - How I am feeling - (E)
True terrible depression. I stop thinking. Time to hide in the closet, or disappear. My life is a failure, I want out of my relationship, suicide starts looking good.
Really low confidence. I don't want to leave the house or talk with people, but I manage with great effort.
Living through the day hurts. Everything appears insurmountable. I have low self confidence and it affects everything I do. It is nearly impossible to get anything done.
I find it hard to think and I am sluggish. I don't really want to try hard to do anything. Lowest end of a very bad day for a normal person.
A bad hair day.
Normal. Feeling how I imagine a normal person would.
Good day. Lot's accomplished.
Feeling great. A little too much accomplished, but not too much hyperactivity. Upper end of a great day for a normal person.
Definitely hyperactive / manic. Still functional, but remaining in control requires control.
Hyperactive and not too much control. I require most of my energy to control myself, not too much left over for being functional.
True mania. So far I have never had a true manic episode.
I'm still fine tuning the scales, so they may be subject to some change. Check me on Wednesday for more information here.
Agitation / Irritation Scale James Littiebrant : twitter.com/LittieCheese
1-Persistently fighting with people in my head. Favors are annoyances, any discussion I can’t control is infuriating. Any road bump in a task makes me drop the entire thing. Constant feeling of lashing out or breaking things. Small ticks in people’s behavior infuriates me. No patience. Control is nearly impossible.
2-Prickly. Favors require compensation. Feel the need to pick fights with people or to bring them down. Occasional feelings of lashing out. Most things are frustrating, but I persist in tasks. Small ticks in people’s behaviors irritate me. Very little patience with delays. Control is possible, but requires constant monitoring.
3-Normal, can control anger. People’s ticks are just a part of everyday life
4-Easy going. I don’t fight with people in my head. Slights and ticks are part of everyday life and make people unique. Favors are appreciated, and I feel fine in both doing them and asking for them. No need to control anger. May have some righteous indignation, but nothing irrational. Plentiful patience.
5-Cannot become irritated or annoyed at anything. Passive and feeling perfectly calm. Not even righteous indignation at events. Everything seems explainable and normal. Patience with everything.
Since I use it as a predictive measurement, I focus more on the phenomenology of agitation. But agitation is also a head game you play with yourself, so it works to some extent in labeling your actual agitation levels. The 4 and 5 levels for tracking drugs like xanax so I can pin down just what those drugs are actually doing to my mind.