Were you recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder by a professional? Have you previously experienced an episode of hypomania or mania? Do you tend to have dramatic changes in mood and energy? Have the episodes affected your life and career? Regardless, worry not; therapy for bipolar disorder might be the help you need to live a fulfilled life.
Bipolar disorder displays mood swings from manic highs to depressive lows. Although the exact causes of bipolar are unknown, genetics, altered brain structure, and environmental factors may lead to the illness.
So, what is bipolar disorder therapy? How many types of treatment are there? How many treatment options do we have? Read through and learn more.
Hypnosis Downloads
If you struggle with bipolar disorder, hypnosis downloads could be the best alternative for you. Psychiatrists use powerful hypnotic techniques to develop the best hypnosis audios that act as therapy for bipolar disorder. The downloads are so effective that they can hypnotize someone to calm even the most uncontrollable mood swings.
Listening to the audios works well to equip you with relaxing skills, a vital skill for people with bipolar disorder. You will also feel a more profound commitment to look after your well-being. Loving yourself brings inner peace, and one finds the courage to face challenges in life.
You also learn how to identify triggers that result in bipolar episodes. You also gain skills that help you respond quickly to stimuli that bring your calm self back. The best thing is hypnotherapy can help you gain control over your life. On a related note, if you are still in two minds about it, see if self-hypnosis is regarded as safe, and also what are the risks.
You also do not need to make countless trips to see a therapist. Hypnosis downloads allow you to listen during your own free time. If you also love privacy, these downloads are perfect as you do not share your problems with anyone.
What Therapy Is Best for Bipolar Disorder?
According to psychiatrists, Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective therapy for bipolar disorder. CBT involves trying to change one’s pattern of thinking. And because our thoughts mainly influence bipolar mood swings, CBT therapy becomes the most effective as it addresses the root cause.
Highly negative thoughts lead to depression, while overly optimistic minds lead to mania, the reason one experiences manic and hypomanic episodes. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps bipolar patients challenge evil thoughts and identify and rectify negative behavior patterns. The therapy program includes accepting the diagnosis, mood monitoring, cognitive restructuring, problem-solving, and social skills.
Can Bipolar Be Cured With Therapy?
Bipolar is a mental health disorder and has no cure. But people with bipolar disorder can live a happy and productive life through behavior therapy and mood stabilizers medicines. Therapy addresses essential factors that trigger mood swings, such as thoughts, behavior, and feelings. Talking with a therapist helps bipolar disorder patients identify triggers and stay calm.
Different Types of Therapy for Bipolar Disorder
Although medication is the leading treatment for bipolar disorder, health care providers recommend therapy for the patients. Therapy helps to manage anxiety and bipolar symptoms. Here are the main therapy types that are most effective.
Family-Focused Therapy
Family-focused therapy incorporates both bipolar disorder patients and family members. The family members are taken through the warning signs of a depressive or manic episode and skills to identify the onset of a new episode. The training also involves skills on recognizing when a loved one skips medication.
The core component of family-based therapy is to educate society about the condition, treatment available, and the risks of not following the doctor’s prescription. Unfortunately, patients with bipolar disorder do not involve their families in the treatment journey. The only time the family gets engaged is during a relapse, making a recovery a long and tiresome journey.
Typically, family-based therapy lasts for about twelve sessions, administered by one therapist. Usually, the early sessions focus on educating the patient and family about the condition, symptoms and identifying warning signs before a new episode. The family also learns steps to prevent an attack from worsening.
Later sessions address problem-solving and communication skills. Also, family members are given counseling during the sessions. Witnessing their loved one go through manic episodes can be traumatizing. The situation can affect their mental health; hence the therapist guides them on overcoming the trauma.
Interpersonal And Social Rhythm Therapy
The primary focus of ISRT is to manage patients’ symptoms and restore their interpersonal relationships. It is an individual therapy where the patient records their daily activities and how they affect their moods. Recording the daily activities helps the patient identify what events trigger and worsen the illness.
For instance, a patient may realize lack of enough sleep triggers a manic episode. Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy then teaches the patient how to deal with disruption in social circadian rhythms. In our case, sleep management skills become the core objective.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
CBT changes a patient’s thinking pattern. It focuses on the relationship between thoughts and behavior. Cognitive-behavioral therapy uses strategies such as facing fears head-on, learning techniques to calm the body and mind, preparing for difficult situations.
Patients also learn how to embrace other adaptive ways of thinking, engage in calming activities when depressed, and how to stay calm and positive even during a manic episode.
So, at the end of the sessions, a patient can point out warning signs of mood swings and know how to let go of an unhealthy pattern of behavior.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy is a technique that focuses on mindfulness and embracing skills. Mindfulness skills help a patient focus on current occurrences. It allows patients to pay attention to the events happening in their thoughts, impulses, and feelings.
The treatment also helps patients use their senses to understand what is happening around them without judging. Mindfulness skills also help patients focus on healthy life coping skills during a depressing episode. In other words, it teaches the strategies that help patients to stay calm and avoid falling into negative thought patterns and impulsive behavior.
Bipolar Disorder Treatment
Seeking help immediately you suspect you have bipolar disorder is vital. Bipolar disorder is a lifetime condition with unpredictable patterns of ups and downs. Recurring manic and depressive episodes that make living a productive life difficult characterize the illness.
During the manic phase, an individual may be hyperactive and irresponsible, and unproductive during the depressive phase. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment can help avoid getting in such situations. Recovering from bipolar disorder takes time, and medication alone is not enough.
Here is a combination of factors that a bipolar person undergoes.
Getting Accurate Diagnosis
The initial step towards bipolar disorder treatment is getting an accurate diagnosis. Usually, distinguishing between bipolar disorder with other mood disorders such as major depression, borderline personality disorder, and ADHD can be tricky.
So not everyone can diagnose the condition. Mostly, experienced mental health professionals make an accurate diagnosis.
Their experience massively treating bipolar disorder aid in the diagnosis and proper treatment. Diagnosis may include; physical exam to identify any medical problem causing the symptoms.
Also, your psychiatrist may conduct an assessment of your thoughts, behavior patterns, and feelings. Your family and friends may also provide additional information about you. Diagnosis can also entail a mood charting where a patient records their sleep patterns, moods, and other vital factors that assist in offering the proper treatment.
The mental health provider may then make a comparison between the discovered symptoms against the criteria used for bipolar and other related disorders. Usually, the diagnostic and statistical manual is used. At the end of the diagnosis, they will tell if you suffer from bipolar ii disorder or I disorder.
Treatment Phase
Bipolar treatment aims at eliminating the symptoms, restoring a patient’s ability to solve problems, and reducing the possibility of a reoccurrence. A bipolar treatment plan may take place under the following steps;
Medication
Often, a psychiatrist prescribes mood-stabilizing medication to help control the symptoms. The medication help minimize the highs and lows and keep the symptoms under control. Patients also require continuous treatment even after the symptoms are over to avoid relapsing.
If you experience substance abuse problems, your health care provider may prescribe treatment as it is hard to manage bipolar disorder if you abuse drugs. If a patient displays suicidal thoughts, experiences a major depressive episode, or detaches from reality, the psychiatrist may choose hospitalization as the best treatment option.
Psychotherapy
Therapy helps individuals dealing with bipolar disorder cope with difficult situations, manage stress, and regulate their moods. A therapist helps patients find a suitable coping mechanism with life challenges, reducing a depressive episode.
Education
Persons battling bipolar disorder and family members need to understand the illness fully. Understanding signs and symptoms, what to do in an episode, and preventing one from occurring are vital in the discovery journey.
Lifestyle Management
Persons with bipolar disorder should always ensure they keep bipolar mood episodes and symptoms at bay. How? Avoid alcohol and drugs, exercise, avoid stress, maintain a sleep schedule, and eat a diet that elevates moods.
The Final Word
Although the bipolar disorder has no cure, people with bipolar disorder can still live a good life. Taking to a mental health professional is the first step towards getting appropriate help. After the assessment, the health provider will recommend the best treatment plan.
Therapy is a vital bipolar disorder treatment plan. It equips individuals with skills to deal with mood triggers such as stress and traumatic events. Therapy also provides education to family members regarding the illness, how to identify an upcoming episode, and actions to take if it happens.