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Why is charting beneficial for
kids with Bipolar?
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Easier to recognize when a
specific medication is helping or making things worse. Through careful
examination of the charts parents and doctors are able to pick up the first
subtle clues of a problem brewing and connect it to starting or discontinue a
med and make adjustments as needed.
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Children and teens can begin to
fill out their own charts and see their own patterns so they become more able
to manage their illness. It can help them
to begin to describe their feelings, to see the beginnings of problems, and to
quantify feelings and symptoms. Those are all valuable handling difficult
situations skills our kids will need as adults managing their own illness.
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Charts graphically depict the
cycling over time which can help the doctor with a treatment plan as well as
the family planning (not a good idea to take a vacation during a time of year
when commonly manic, for example).
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Progress, however minute, can be
seen when charts are kept over a longer period of time.
The method is less important than the ease of use
and sticking to it long term. Charting provides a gold mine of information and
tools to help beat the beast and get our kids lives back. Mood Charting is a
skill every family of a Bipolar child needs to know, and every Bipolar child
needs to learn for themselves. |
