Thank you for visiting Finding Optimism. I hope you find information here that helps you or or someone you love.

My name is James Bishop. I’ve been treated for bipolar disorder for about 5 years now, but I was suffering for 10 years or so prior to being diagnosed.

My experience with medical treatment is that it can only get me so far. It is perhaps 80% effective. The other 20% still presents an awful way to live. Bipolar disorder, in common with some other types of depression, uses medication as a primary defense. It doesn’t end there though, and there are many non-medical strategies that can be used, either on their own or to supplement medications.

I kept a mood diary for a few years, because I couldn’t work out what was triggering my depressive episodes. I discovered quite a few triggers as a result, but one of the biggest was food intolerance. The episodes were occurring 2 to 3 days after eating culprit foods. I would not have discovered that in a million years without a mood diary.

I’m certain that anyone with a mood disorder would benefit from keeping a diary. It can help to identify the pattern of triggers and symptoms, and to discover what works in maintaining good health. Despite what most people think, episodes of depression and the symptoms they produce are fairly predictable.

Throughout 2007 I developed a software application that works as a health diary, for people who want a quick but powerful way to look at their health from another angle. It is available for Windows and Mac OS X on the software page.

A diary doesn’t need to be complicated however, and something like a spreadsheet or Word document may be all that you need to make significant progress.

In my other life I am a part owner of a small design and advertising company. Thankfully my partners are very sympathetic to me, and so I sleep on the job and “work from home” a lot.

I’d love to hear from you, so please send me a message or comment.

Best Regards

James