Bipolar disorder is complex, chronic, stigmatizing, and potentially devastating. Even though many people will have been through multiple mood episodes — mania, hypomania, and depression — by the time they finally get the right diagnosis, bipolar disorder remains a daunting "label" to come to terms with. That's true not only for people who live with bipolar disorder, but for their close loved-ones, as well.
Bipolar disorder can successfully be managed, allowing those who have it to live fulfilling and productive lives, but just thinking about taking medications for the rest of your life, about therapy, and about making the kinds of lifestyle changes that will help you keep your moods stable can be incredibly scary.
That is, more or less, where psychoeducation comes in.
So, what's psychoeducation?
Psychoeducation programs can be offered by a range of professionals, usually psychologists, psychiatrists, and even people who specialize in psychoeducation, in group settings or individually. It very often includes the most important people in the patient's life, as well — partners, children, and (especially when the patient is a minor) parents and siblings.
What kinds of things will you learn about in psychoeducation for people living with bipolar disorder and their relatives?
While every program is unique, essential components of psychoeducation that you can definitely expect to immerse yourself in when attending a psychoeducation program for people with bipolar disorder and their families include:
- Basic and more in-depth information about the type of bipolar disorder you were, or your loved one was, diagnosed with. This would include causes, symptoms (including early warning signs pointing to an upcoming manic, hypomanic, or depressive episode), and risk factors.
- An overview of the management strategies that have been proven to help people with bipolar disorder maximize their quality of life — including medications, talk therapy approaches, and lifestyle changes. This would include information about the importance of sticking to meds even if you feel better, and what can happen if you don't.
- Learning about managing your moods, communicating with relatives more effectively, and how to identify when you need additional help.
- Equipping people who have bipolar disorder with the knowledge and skills you need to be an effective self-advocate, and relatives with the skills they need to advocate for their loved one. Things like putting together an effective mental health team, or for parents, making sure their child with bipolar disorder has their needs met at school, fall under this heading. Information about ways to access the services you need are also part of the process.
How useful is psychoeducation for bipolar disorder, really?
Psychoeducation is really quite useful for people with bipolar disorder and their loved ones.
Research has shown that, as patients learn to understand their diagnosis, psychoeducation programs have an almost instant positive impact on their self esteem and are very useful at minimizing the effect the stigmatization of bipolar disorder has on their wellbeing.
In the longer-term, completing a psychoeducation program means patients are more likely to take their prescribed medications as recommended (even when they feel better, which is when many are tempted to quit as they think they no longer need the medications). People living with bipolar disorder who have received psychoeducation are less likely to need to be hospitalized.
Relatives, meanwhile, can also benefit immensely. Rather than being in the dark about bipolar disorder, its management, and the best way to communicate with your loved-one about bipolar-related issues, you'll be equipped and empowered.
For parents of minor children with bipolar disorder, this can make the difference between severely damaging your own mental health as you desperately try to figure out how to meet your child's needs, and knowing exactly how to cope and get the help you need. Partners of people with bipolar disorder will gain insights into the best ways to support their spouse as they manage their bipolar disorder.
A final word
Psychoeducation isn't a stand-alone treatment, then, but rather an evidenced-based and practical guide through life with bipolar disorder. Its ultimate goal is simple — to make your life better by making sure you know how to effectively manage your condition. You'll know how to monitor and manage your moods, what treatment options you have and how to access them, and how to recognize mood episodes quickly so you can immediately get the help you need.
It should routinely be offered as part of the care every person with bipolar disorder receives after they are newly diagnosed, because knowledge is power.