Map your drift.
Most episodes don't arrive—they accumulate. Name your baseline, the small signals that precede an up or down episode, and what you'll do at each rung. This is a snapshot you can keep and print, not another app to check daily—for ongoing tracking, this map hands off to BipolarOS Patterns.
What should we call this map?
This will personalize your Warning Sign Map. Only used on this document.
When you're steady, what does that look like?
Fill the portrait fields that matter—leave blank what doesn't. This is the reference point everything else drifts from.
What does drifting up look like, rung by rung?
Early is the subtlest, easiest to miss. Late is close to the edge. Be specific—these are the tells only you (or someone close) would notice.
What does drifting down look like, rung by rung?
Same structure, opposite direction. What changes first, what changes when it's serious.
When you notice up-drift, what will you do?
Write it now, while you can think clearly, so future-you doesn't have to improvise.
When you notice down-drift, what will you do?
Same structure. Concrete, doable actions—not just "try harder."
Want a one-pager for someone you trust?
A short excerpt—not your full map—for a partner, family member, or close friend who shouldn't have to guess. Leave blank to skip.
Warning Sign Map
My Baseline
Up-Drift · Early
Up-Drift · Middle
Up-Drift · Late
Up-Drift · Who Notices First
Down-Drift · Early
Down-Drift · Middle
Down-Drift · Late
Down-Drift · Who Notices First
Response Ladder · Up-Drift
Response Ladder · Down-Drift
This map is a snapshot. Patterns is the practice.
BipolarOS Patterns tracks your tells over time so you don't have to re-fill a form every time something shifts—it's the ongoing version of what you just wrote down.
The Warning Sign Map is a personal planning tool, not a diagnostic or clinical instrument. It supports self-authorship—it does not replace clinicians or crisis services.