Bipolar
DisorderSome people who experience
clinical
depression also have periods of euphoria, elation, sleeplessness,
excessive energy, and/or excitement known as mania. Bipolar disorder is the
result of chemical imbalances in the brain and classic psychotherapy has not
been effective for these patients. Nevertheless, many newer approaches are
proving to be very helpful.
- Therapists can educate patients about the disorder and its treatments
and help them comply with drug regimens.
- They can monitor the patient's on-going status and intervene early in
manic and depressive episodes to reduce the severity of the attack.
- They can help patients adjust to the reality of the illness and to
understand the negative consequences of mania. (This is particularly
important for patients who avoid treatment because they consider their
mania to be positive, creative, and exhilarating.)
- Just as important, therapists can help patients cope with feelings of
guilt and remorse that occur in response to their actions during mania.
- Professionals are important in helping patients deal with feelings of
imperfection and despair when they acknowledge their illness. These
feelings would be difficult enough in a healthy individual, but
accompanying depression, which places the patient in danger of suicide,
often compounds them.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be very effective in treating bipolar
disorder. Typical goals of CBT include learning how to recognize manic
episodes before they become full-blown and changing behaviors during an
episode, and learning how to endure depression by developing behaviors and
thoughts that may help offset the negative mood.
Click here to get documents used
in treatment sessions