How Are You Today? Marks Out Of 10

[Jar165]

When you're depressed it can be very hard to decide how you feel from one day to the next. Also, it's hard to tell others how you are. Sure, we're depressed, but just how depressed are we at the moment; mildly sad, irritated by life, can't be bothered, lethargic, thinking about suicide, tying the knot in the rope. I was hospitalized last year and the staff asked me every day how I felt on a scale of 1 to 10. I'd actually been doing this myself for a few years, but found it interesting that the doctors and nurses were using the same measure. So, this is what I do now:

Every day, at the same time of day, I ask myself how I'm doing on a scale of 1 to 10.

If I'm sinking to the bottom of the scale, then it's time to take action, possibly calling the emergency services.

You need to ask yourself how you're doing every day. If you don't want to think about how you're doing today, then you're probably in the 1-3 area of the scale. If you're up to it, keep a record of how you're feeling so that you have evidence of how you've been over the last few weeks. This record is also useful to share with your doctor when you're trying to explain how you've been feeling and how your mood has changed over time.

Also, you need to ask yourself the question at the same time of day. Things change throughout the day, from waking up, having breakfast, doing nothing until dinner time, watching rubbish TV and going to bed having achieved nothing all day. By asking the question at the same time of day you're asking the same question in the same circumstances. I ask myself how I'm feeling soon after I get up - somewhere between having the first pee of the day and finishing the first mug of tea. You might want to ask the question before you go to bed, or when you're favourite TV programme ends, or when you leave work. As long as it's the same time of day in roughly the same circumstances, then you're comparing like with like.

Why 1 to 10? Scoring something out of 10 is something most people are familiar with, so coming up with a rating is fairly easy. It's not something you should think a lot about. Ask the question and go with the first, immediate answer that pops into your head. Don't worry about whether you're a 3 or 4 today, or a 7 or 8. Precise measurement of your mood is impossible, so just go with the first number and move on. Using a number from 1 to 10 also allows a wider range of rating than just depressed, bad, OK, suicidal, and a range of 1 to 10 means you don't have to try and find the words to express how you feel. If you're feeling it's a 2 day, then it's a very bad day and you don't need to explain that, or give examples of why you're feeling so bad.

What does 10 mean? This is where I had problems in the hospital. I found that every person who asked the question had their own, individual meaning of 10, some of which meant nothing to me. If 10 is supposed to be the best you've ever felt, how am I supposed to remember what that feels like when I'm deeply depressed. I have problems remembering what OK feels like when things are really bad. I ended up defining my own 10 and then telling the staff what my 10 was as well as how I felt at that moment. If you CAN remember feeling great, then you could use that as your 10, with 5 being OK. Me, I tend to go with 10 being unstressed. By defining your own definition of 10, and then never changing it, you get a steady measurement of how your days are going.

My scale of 1 to 10 represents my mood from (1) desperately suicidal, to (10) feeling OK with no major stressors. I rarely, if ever, get better than 10. Sure, I might watch a great movie and feel really good for a while, but that'll fade by the end of the day at the latest. Most days I'm about a 5, 4 if I've slept badly, 6 if I feel rested. If I spend a week at 5+ then it's a good week. If I spend a week at 3- then I'm in trouble. If I get to 2 then I'm using all my techniques to get through each day, one day at a time. If I reach a 1 then it's time for a major intervention.

Try rating yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 and see how things are going for you. If you keep a record then you have an objective measurement of how your life is changing. It works for me, even if I don't like the ratings I give myself on some days.

[Mongerx]

I'd say right now I am a 4. Around this time everyday things get bad for me. I am going to set an alarm and try this out. Thanks for a novel idea.

[31defeated]

As someone who has been dealing with depression, anxiety and panic attacks since I was a teenager, I am now 49 years old, I have considerable experience of the doctors making use of this scale in order to identify how severe your depression is today. I have previously considered doing this on a daily basis myself, however, I used to think that I did not want to do it as it just reminded me of my depression. However, I am now coming round to the idea of making use of this technique, because people will not listen or understand what I am telling them unless I use this technique, which is due to the fact it is an invisible disorder.

Usually by this time of the evening I am feeling better, I would normally consider myself to be either a 6 or a 7. However, during the mornings and afternoons I am usually nearer a 1 or a 2, feeling extremely depressed, like life is not worth living and as a result of feeling this I find it difficult to get out of bed.

I hope this article is not critical, it is not meant to be critical, but simply an expression of my experiences, especially since I am older now. Thank you for your post and I hope you have a good day.

[emily67]

that was a useful artickle

thank you...?

[NickStokes]

Nice advice!