“How do psychologists treat bipolar disorder?”
I am a 32 year old male. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. How do psychologists treat bipolar disorder?
4 Answers
Hi,
Thank you for your question. Psychologists treat Bipolar Disorder in the following ways. Three types of therapy are especially helpful in the treatment of bipolar disorder:
*Cognitive Behavioral Therapy*- In CBT, you examine how your thoughts affect your emotions. You also learn how to change negative thinking patterns and behaviors into more positive ways of responding. For bipolar disorder, the focus is on managing symptoms, avoiding triggers for relapse, and problem-solving.
*Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy*- IPSRT focuses on current relationship issues and helps you improve the way you relate to the important people in your life. By addressing and solving interpersonal problems, this type of therapy reduces stress in your life. Since stress is a trigger for bipolar disorder, this relationship-oriented approach can help reduce mood cycling. Interpersonal therapy is often combined with social rhythm therapy for the treatment of bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder are believed to have overly sensitive biological clocks, the internal timekeepers that regulate circadian rhythms. This clock is easily thrown off by disruptions in your daily pattern of activity, also known as your “social rhythms.” Social rhythm therapy focuses on stabilizing social rhythms such as sleeping, eating, and exercising. When these rhythms are stable, the biological rhythms that regulate mood remain stable, too.
*Family Focused Therapy*- Living with a person who has bipolar disorder can be difficult, causing strain in family and marital relationships. Family-focused therapy addresses these issues and works to restore a healthy and supportive home environment. Educating family members about the disease and how to cope with its symptoms is a major component of treatment. Working through problems in the home and improving communication is also a focus of treatment.
Other therapies may be helpful as well:
*Electroconvulsive Therapy*- ECT is a brain stimulation procedure that can help people get relief from severe symptoms of bipolar disorder. In ECT, electrical currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can reverse symptoms of certain mental illnesses. With modern ECT, a person usually goes through a series of treatment sessions over several weeks. ECT is delivered under general anesthesia and is safe. It can be effective in treating severe depressive and manic episodes, which occur most often when medication and psychotherapy are not effective or are not safe for a particular patient. ECT can also be effective when a rapid response is
needed, as in the case of suicide risk or catatonia (a state of unresponsiveness). ECT may be an option for bipolar treatment if you don't get better with medications, can't take antidepressants for health reasons such as pregnancy or are at high risk of suicide.
*Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation*- TMS is a newer approach to brain stimulation that uses magnetic waves. It is delivered to an awake patient most days for 1 month. Research shows that TMS is helpful for many people with various subtypes of depression, but its role in the treatment of bipolar disorder is still under study.
*Light and Dark Therapy*- Like social rhythm therapy, light and dark therapy focuses on the sensitive biological clock in people with bipolar disorder. This easily disrupted clock throws off sleep-wake cycles, a disturbance that can trigger symptoms of mania and depression. Light and dark therapy regulates these biological rhythms—and thus reduces mood cycling— by carefully managing your exposure to light. The major component of this therapy involves creating an environment of regular darkness by restricting artificial light for ten hours every night.
*Mindfulness Meditation*- Research has shown that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and meditation help fight and prevent depression, anger, agitation, and anxiety. The mindfulness approach uses meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises to focus awareness on the present moment and break negative thinking patterns.
*Acupuncture*- Some researchers believe that acupuncture may help people with bipolar disorder by modulating their stress response. Studies on acupuncture for depression have shown a reduction in symptoms, and there is increasing evidence that acupuncture may relieve symptoms of mania also.
*Medications* may include mood stabilizers, anticonvulsants, 2nd generation "atypical" antipsychotics, and antidepressants including SSRIs.
Other things you can do to help relieve symptoms of Bipolar Disorder:
*Regular Exercise: *Regular aerobic exercise, such as jogging, brisk walking, swimming, or bicycling, helps with depression and anxiety, promotes better sleep, and is healthy for your heart and brain. There is also some evidence that anaerobic exercise such as weightlifting, yoga, and Pilates can be helpful. Check with your health care provider before you start a new exercise regimen.
*Keeping a Life Chart:* Even with proper treatment, mood changes can occur. Treatment is more effective when a patient and health care provider work together and talk openly about concerns and choices. Keeping a life chart that records daily mood symptoms, treatments, sleep patterns, and life events can help patients and health care providers track and treat bipolar disorder over time. Patients can easily share data collected via smartphone apps – including self-reports, self- ratings, and activity data – with their health care providers and therapists.
Coping with Bipolar Disorder
Living with bipolar disorder can be challenging, but there are ways to help make it easier:
- Get treatment and stick with it—recovery takes time and it’s not easy. But treatment is the best way to start feeling better.
- Keep medical and therapy appointments and talk with the provider about treatment options.
- Take all medicines as directed.
- Structure activities: keep a routine for eating and sleeping, and make sure to get enough sleep and exercise.
- Learn to recognize your mood swings and warning signs, such as decreased sleep.
- Ask for help when trying to stick with your treatment.
- Be patient; improvement takes time. Social support helps.
- Avoid misuse of alcohol and drugs.
I hope this has been helpful!
Best,
Jenna Torres, PsyD
Thank you for your question. Psychologists treat Bipolar Disorder in the following ways. Three types of therapy are especially helpful in the treatment of bipolar disorder:
*Cognitive Behavioral Therapy*- In CBT, you examine how your thoughts affect your emotions. You also learn how to change negative thinking patterns and behaviors into more positive ways of responding. For bipolar disorder, the focus is on managing symptoms, avoiding triggers for relapse, and problem-solving.
*Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy*- IPSRT focuses on current relationship issues and helps you improve the way you relate to the important people in your life. By addressing and solving interpersonal problems, this type of therapy reduces stress in your life. Since stress is a trigger for bipolar disorder, this relationship-oriented approach can help reduce mood cycling. Interpersonal therapy is often combined with social rhythm therapy for the treatment of bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder are believed to have overly sensitive biological clocks, the internal timekeepers that regulate circadian rhythms. This clock is easily thrown off by disruptions in your daily pattern of activity, also known as your “social rhythms.” Social rhythm therapy focuses on stabilizing social rhythms such as sleeping, eating, and exercising. When these rhythms are stable, the biological rhythms that regulate mood remain stable, too.
*Family Focused Therapy*- Living with a person who has bipolar disorder can be difficult, causing strain in family and marital relationships. Family-focused therapy addresses these issues and works to restore a healthy and supportive home environment. Educating family members about the disease and how to cope with its symptoms is a major component of treatment. Working through problems in the home and improving communication is also a focus of treatment.
Other therapies may be helpful as well:
*Electroconvulsive Therapy*- ECT is a brain stimulation procedure that can help people get relief from severe symptoms of bipolar disorder. In ECT, electrical currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can reverse symptoms of certain mental illnesses. With modern ECT, a person usually goes through a series of treatment sessions over several weeks. ECT is delivered under general anesthesia and is safe. It can be effective in treating severe depressive and manic episodes, which occur most often when medication and psychotherapy are not effective or are not safe for a particular patient. ECT can also be effective when a rapid response is
needed, as in the case of suicide risk or catatonia (a state of unresponsiveness). ECT may be an option for bipolar treatment if you don't get better with medications, can't take antidepressants for health reasons such as pregnancy or are at high risk of suicide.
*Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation*- TMS is a newer approach to brain stimulation that uses magnetic waves. It is delivered to an awake patient most days for 1 month. Research shows that TMS is helpful for many people with various subtypes of depression, but its role in the treatment of bipolar disorder is still under study.
*Light and Dark Therapy*- Like social rhythm therapy, light and dark therapy focuses on the sensitive biological clock in people with bipolar disorder. This easily disrupted clock throws off sleep-wake cycles, a disturbance that can trigger symptoms of mania and depression. Light and dark therapy regulates these biological rhythms—and thus reduces mood cycling— by carefully managing your exposure to light. The major component of this therapy involves creating an environment of regular darkness by restricting artificial light for ten hours every night.
*Mindfulness Meditation*- Research has shown that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and meditation help fight and prevent depression, anger, agitation, and anxiety. The mindfulness approach uses meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises to focus awareness on the present moment and break negative thinking patterns.
*Acupuncture*- Some researchers believe that acupuncture may help people with bipolar disorder by modulating their stress response. Studies on acupuncture for depression have shown a reduction in symptoms, and there is increasing evidence that acupuncture may relieve symptoms of mania also.
*Medications* may include mood stabilizers, anticonvulsants, 2nd generation "atypical" antipsychotics, and antidepressants including SSRIs.
Other things you can do to help relieve symptoms of Bipolar Disorder:
*Regular Exercise: *Regular aerobic exercise, such as jogging, brisk walking, swimming, or bicycling, helps with depression and anxiety, promotes better sleep, and is healthy for your heart and brain. There is also some evidence that anaerobic exercise such as weightlifting, yoga, and Pilates can be helpful. Check with your health care provider before you start a new exercise regimen.
*Keeping a Life Chart:* Even with proper treatment, mood changes can occur. Treatment is more effective when a patient and health care provider work together and talk openly about concerns and choices. Keeping a life chart that records daily mood symptoms, treatments, sleep patterns, and life events can help patients and health care providers track and treat bipolar disorder over time. Patients can easily share data collected via smartphone apps – including self-reports, self- ratings, and activity data – with their health care providers and therapists.
Coping with Bipolar Disorder
Living with bipolar disorder can be challenging, but there are ways to help make it easier:
- Get treatment and stick with it—recovery takes time and it’s not easy. But treatment is the best way to start feeling better.
- Keep medical and therapy appointments and talk with the provider about treatment options.
- Take all medicines as directed.
- Structure activities: keep a routine for eating and sleeping, and make sure to get enough sleep and exercise.
- Learn to recognize your mood swings and warning signs, such as decreased sleep.
- Ask for help when trying to stick with your treatment.
- Be patient; improvement takes time. Social support helps.
- Avoid misuse of alcohol and drugs.
I hope this has been helpful!
Best,
Jenna Torres, PsyD
First we have to determine who provided the diagnosis. If a counselor diagnosed you then they should be the individual that is working with you or referring you to a counselor that is best versed and within their scope of practice. If you are self-diagnosing then I again would seek a professional counselor to confirm and address treatment. If you were diagnosed by your primary care provider then I would ask for a referral for a clinical counselor or search for one in your community and ask the individual if they have experience with Bi-polar disorders. Again, it all returns to working with a professional counselor and addressing your individual needs.
You MUST be on medication from a psychiatrist. A psychologist can help you cope until the medication takes effect.
See this link for an elaborate review of your question:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2790718/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2790718/
