Bipolar disorder is a lifelong illness characterized by recurrent episodes of hypomania, mania or depression.
It also comes with increased levels of psychosocial impairment. Drug therapy is without any doubt still the main form of treatment for patients with bipolar disorder, but studies have shown that medication provides only partial symptom relief.
Some symptoms just can’t be washed away with pills, but a well-trained therapist is able to assist with problem solving, coping skills, and maybe most importantly — recognizing the triggers and patterns that lead to a recurrence of the symptoms of bipolar disorder.
What types of psychotherapy should all bipolar patients and their loved ones be familiar with?
1. Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT)
There is no single "best treatment for bipolar disorder", but some studies have found that bipolar I and bipolar II disorder can both effectively be managed with interpersonal and social rhythm therapy.
It’s not about changing a person’s beliefs, but rather about helping them better understand what’s going on. IPSRT focuses on outward action – teaching a patient new techniques to decrease the symptoms of mania or depression.
The therapy was initially planned to be practiced one-on-one, but it can now be done in group sessions as well. Patients usually start with once a week sessions, and therapists gradually decrease it to monthly meetings.
2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Unlike IPSRT — which never tries to change a person’s beliefs — cognitive behavioral therapy is a goal-oriented form of treatment where the therapist gives insights into an individuals negative, false, and maladaptive moods and emotions so they can work towards changing these patterns. These actions are rarely comfortable for a patient. Gradually, a person learns how to confront certain situations and builds new and healthier behaviors that improve social functioning.
Studies have shown that CBT can prevent certain manic symptoms from developing into a full-blown mania, as well as decrease the length of a depressive episode.
3. Psychoeducation
Psychoeducation (PE) is the base of all psychotherapy programs because it teaches people more about all aspects of their condition. It’s a known fact that people who understand what’s happening to them better address those problems and have more strength to fight for their health.
Psychoeducation comes in various forms, but individual and group psychoeducation are the most common. Individual therapy lasts between six and 21 sessions. The therapist provides information about the condition, its causes, treatments, and the ways to detect early signs and symptoms of relapse, as well as teaching patients how to cope with the illness.
4. Family-focused therapy
The past 30 years of research on the benefits of family-focused therapy for people with bipolar disorder has concluded that FFT — together with mood-stabilizers — can speed recovery from manic and depressive episodes, and reduce the frequency, as well as severity of the episodes.
Recent studies suggest that 12 sessions of family education are able to reduce the odds that someone who’s at high risk will develop bipolar disorder, or at least decrease social deterioration associated with the onset of the disease.
Additional forms of therapy for bipolar disorder
Besides psychotherapy, various other forms of treatment are proven to help decrease the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Some of them include:
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) — due to some serious side-effects, it’s recommended only for severe cases of bipolar disorder, when there’s nothing else to lose.
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) — scientific circles are hypothesizing that TMS stimulates the left prefrontal cortex and thus helps to relieve the symptoms of bipolar disorder, but more research is required.
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy focuses on making patients re-live a certain traumatic experience.
Who can provide psychological counseling?
Different professionals are trained to provide help when it comes to mental health:
- Psychiatrists
- Psychologists
- Psychiatric nurses
- Counselors
- Social workers
The expertise of the person you choose as your therapist is definitely important, but it's also crucial that you feel comfortable with them, as your ability to be completely open with the therapist really matters.
Your therapist is now your partner; you are both there to help you feel better and this is possible only if you openly discuss all your worries and feelings. What are your goals? Why did you seek treatment? Some people do it to please others, to save a job, or a relationship. Remember that no therapy is going to work unless you are there for YOU.
Sources & Links
- Photo courtesy of SteadyHealth