Can Journaling Symptoms Help to Get the Most Out of Psychiatric Medication Management?
Life can get a bit out of control and feel rather hectic from time to time. It can be difficult to find time for yourself, let alone keep track of your mood and feelings. We can get so sidetracked with responsibilities and day to day tasks that we find very little time to care for ourselves. With self-care often being forgotten it is natural to not feel your best mentally. This can easily lead to feelings of overwhelm, anxiety and even depression.
If you are concerned about how you are feeling, psychiatric medication management could help. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder etc. often respond well to medications in combination with counseling. Journaling about your symptoms can improve your response to medication management tremendously!
How Can Journaling Help?
Unfortunately, many think of “Dear Diary” moments when they think of journaling. Keeping a journal does NOT have to be like keeping a diary, unless of course you would like it to be. Journaling is simply keeping track of how you are doing and how you are feeling which can have a variety of benefits. The act of checking in with yourself daily and documenting what you find can send a powerful message. When you show interest in yourself and your experiences you are sending a message that you matter and you are important. This can help to boost wellness and self-esteem.
Journaling or taking note of your wellbeing can also increase self-awareness. When you are more knowledgeable of what your “baseline” is you can be better able to note when you aren’t feeling your best. When you have this awareness you can do something about it. Early intervention can lead to better outcomes.
When you have a record of your symptoms and how you are feeling you are also better able to communicate with your prescriber. The more your provider knows about how you are doing, the better they can help. This will allow them to address the effectiveness of your medication treatment plan and head off possible side effects.
How to Keep Track of Symptoms
Symptom tracking is when you make a concerted effort to check in with yourself and document how you are feeling. It can be helpful to list your main symptoms and track their frequency and intensity each day. For example, tracking symptoms like sad mood, excessive worry, difficulty sleeping etc. As with any new healthy habit, it can take time to make this a daily practice, though it will likely be worth it.
You can track your symptoms by simply listing them and rating their intensity and how often you experience them. If you enjoy lists, you can make a list. If you prefer to journal this can also be incredibly helpful. Journaling doesn’t need to be an extensive process, it can simply be taking notes on what you are noticing so that you can communicate this with your prescriber. As long as you understand your tracking system and it works for you, you are on the right track.
How to Find the Right Psychiatric Professional for You
When you experience mental health symptoms you may not know where to turn. You may even be tempted to ignore your symptoms at first. Don’t wait for things to become unmanageable to ask for help. Most conditions are treatable, psychiatric medication management can help.
CCS in Pittsboro contracts with skilled, licensed psychiatric professionals who care about you and your symptoms. Start getting the quality care you need and deserve. Online appointments are available making getting psychiatric medication management easier than ever before. Call CCS today to get started!