"Finding Emo"--Part Two: Am I Moody?

We all have our ups and downs.

However, for some people mood swings can be a routinely troublesome occurrence.

A person can start the morning as calm as can be only to drop into a very low mood by the end of the day.
Alternately, one could be quite bogged down and sad upon awakening only to find by day's end that one's energy has been turbo-charged!

Anyone with questions about moodiness will find that a competent mental health clinician (psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker) can help clarify your situation.

The clinician should ask you about your emotions, moods and worries in a very detailed way.
An assessment should include
--your medical and "emotional" history as a child, teen and grownup
--your family's medical and "emotional" history
--a review of the ways you handle your moods
--a discussion of your goals and desired outcomes

It is extremely helpful to have a day-by-day diary of your moods and worries for at least two weeks time (while a month-long record is even better!).
Getting information about your moods that is collected in real time (rather than distantly remembered) can show you and your therapist your ups and down in a more accurate way.

Mood charts are available for free from a number of sources.
I recommend the ones that can be downloaded and printed from a PDF form rather than via a mobile phone "app".  Unfortunately, most of the smartphone apps for mood tracking require that you register your personal information such as name and email address. For better or worse, smartphones are hackable and can get lost. Having your mood data away from prying eyes on the Internet is a safer step.

My favorite mood chart comes from Dr. Gary Sachs at Massachusetts General Hospital.
(http://psychres.washington.edu/clinicaltools/moodchart_inst.pdf)
He created this chart for his own research and has generously made it available to the public.
Be sure to read the directions as it allows you to create a very detailed daily picture of your ups and downs, anxiety, and irritability as well as daily events, medication, therapy and usage of drugs and alcohol that may impact your emotions.

Additional mood tracking PDFs are noted below to help you capture the truest pattern of your moods and worries. 

http://www.dbsalliance.org/pdfs/calendaranxforweb.pdf
http://echopen.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/daily-mood-chart-for-mood-tracking_pdf.pdf
http://echopen.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/mood-disorder-managent-chart-jpg.jpg
http://www.cqaimh.org/pdf/tool_edu_moodchart.pdf

Remember--while these charts are available for anyone's use, it is highly advised that these charts be used while seeking professional counseling. 

Getting guidance from an experienced mental health clinician is the surest way to get off an emotional "seesaw"and back on steady ground.