Managing Bipolar Disorder: 2 Psychology Backed Methods For Effective Treatment

Alexandra Gold, Ph.D.

/

Mental Health, Depression

Living with bipolar disorder is not easy, but the good news is that there are certain things that can help in managing bipolar disorder. More specifically, there are two types of psychological methods that can really help you deal with this. Let’s find out more about how to treat bipolar disorder and tips for managing bipolar disorder.

This new blog column aims to provide a “deep dive” into the science-backed, therapeutic skills that can help people with bipolar disorder lead healthy and enriched lives.

Mood-stabilizing medication is the cornerstone of bipolar disorder treatment, yet several years of scientific research on bipolar disorder have also told us that there is an important role for certain psychological therapies in the treatment of this condition.

Specifically, skills-based psychological interventions that teach people tangible tools for managing their bipolar disorder and reaching their life goals have scientific support for improving treatment outcomes in bipolar disorder when combined with medication treatment.

Such skills-based psychological interventions may include:

Related: Bipolar Disorder: 10 Facts Everyone Should Know And Be Aware Of

2 Effective Skills-Based Psychological Interventions For Managing Bipolar Disorder

1. Psychoeducation

Effectively managing a medical condition requires education about the ins and outs of that condition, and bipolar disorder is no different. The goal of psychoeducation for bipolar disorder is to provide people with education on their bipolar disorder and how they can best manage it.

Psychoeducation provides information on the importance of taking medications as prescribed, recognizing warning signs and triggers for mood episodes (depression or (hypo)mania), and problem-solving strategies for intervening on these triggers.

What bipolar disorder feels like and managing bipolar disorder — What suffering from bipolar disorder really feels like

2. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, CBT

Recognizing the relationship among thoughts, feelings, and behaviors is the foundation of CBT for bipolar disorder. The goal of CBT for bipolar disorder is to help people recognize how shifts in thinking patterns and mood during mood episodes (such as episodes of depression and (hypo)mania) can have a direct impact on behaviors and, in turn, negatively impact one’s health.

CBT for bipolar disorder provides tools for recognizing the relationship between specific thought patterns and mood states, changing problematic thought patterns, and learning behavioral skills that can help with mood stability.

In each blog post, I will pull from these and other skills-based psychological interventions to present how different therapeutic skills could be applied to help address common treatment topics in the management of bipolar disorder.

This blog column is intended as an educational resource where people with bipolar disorder, their loved ones, and their clinicians can learn about the types of skills-based interventions that may be applied to treat bipolar disorder.

Related: Everything You Need To Know About Bipolar Disorder

Information on the “gold standard” (no pun intended) skills-based psychological interventions that can help people with bipolar disorder should be readily accessible to all. I hope that the information readers learn here can help them find effective treatments for managing bipolar disorder.

Want to know more about how to deal with bipolar disorder? Check this video out below!

Dealing with bipolar disorder through some of the best strategies out there

References:

Geddes, J.R., Miklowitz, D.J., 2013. Treatment of bipolar disorder. Lancet 381, 1672–1682.

Miklowitz DJ, Efthimiou O, Furukawa TA, Scott J, McLaren R, Geddes JR, Cipriani A. Adjunctive Psychotherapy for Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review and Component Network Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry. 2021 Feb 1;78(2):141-150.

Novick DM, Swartz HA. Evidence-Based Psychotherapies for Bipolar Disorder. Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2019 Jul;17(3):238-248.

Stafford N, Colom F. Purpose and effectiveness of psychoeducation in patients with bipolar disorder in a bipolar clinic setting. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl. 2013;(442):11-8.

Written By Alexandra Gold Ph.D.
Originally Appeared On Psychology Today

Managing Bipolar Disorder Psychology Backed Methods pin

Alexandra Gold, Ph.D.

Dr. Gold is a Clinical Fellow in Psychology at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in the Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation. She has experience in delivering cognitive-behavioral-based psychotherapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, psychoeducation, and mindfulness. Dr. Gold maintains an active research program, primarily focused on intervention development for adults with mood disorders and substance use disorders, and she shares her expertise through media. She completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Boston University, with several years of training at the Boston University Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. She completed her predoctoral internship at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in the Cognitive Behavioral Scientist Program. Dr. Gold received her Master of Arts in Psychology at Boston University and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Cognitive Science at Georgetown University.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Up Next

Do you often find yourself setting high expectations and hoping for the best, only to be left disappointed and disillusioned when things don't go as planned? If so, you may unknowingly be falling for the dark side of hope.

According to new research, there's a dark side to hope that we all need to be aware of. Sure, hope can be a great motivator, but there are downsides of hope as well.

The two faces of hope

READ FULL ARTICLE ⇲

Up Next

Music is truly one of the most underrated things when it comes to reducing stress and anxiety. It has the potential to help with your stress, anxiety, and even depression. Let's find out how music can reduce stress or how listening to music can reduce stress.

Key Points

Music interventions are very easy and inexpensive to integrate in both our daily lives and in medical settings. Research shows that listening to music can have a significant effect on alleviating anxiety and stress. Non-lyrical music with a slow tempo is one of the most effective music interventions for stress reduction.

<

READ FULL ARTICLE ⇲

Up Next

Your childhood trauma wounds can haunt you for the rest of your life. Unresolved attachment trauma in adults is more common than you think, however, knowing the signs of attachment trauma in adults can help you understand yourself more and take the necessary steps to heal.

Key Points

Childhood trauma often refers to traumas experienced in the family of origin during the formative years of our development. Although many traumas result from abuse or neglect, not all are. Some childhood traumas, such as emotional neglect, were not done purposefully. Some parents might not even have known.

<

READ FULL ARTICLE ⇲

Up Next

Do you often feel worried or afraid for no apparent reason? Do you find it difficult to relax? Do you feel that everyone is observing you most of the time? Then you just might struggle with anxiety. But what causes anxiousness? Let’s find out.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a natural response to stress and a normal part of the human experience. It is a feeling of fear, unease, and apprehension that can be accompanied by physical sensations such as a rapid heartbeat, sweating, and trembling.

Anxiety can make us worry unnecessarily leading to intrusive, obsessive and uncontrollable thoughts. It can result in feelings of fear, tension, rapid heart rate, sweating,

READ FULL ARTICLE ⇲

Up Next

You deserve to prioritize your mental health, and sometimes that means taking a step back from the daily grind. That's where taking a mental health day comes in - a day off work or other responsibilities to focus on yourself and your well-being.

Is it okay to take a mental health day?

Mental health is just as important as physical health, yet it's often overlooked or pushed aside. However, ignoring your mental health can have serious consequences, affecting everything from your work and relationships to your overall quality of life.

Taking a mental health day is absolutely okay and normal.

It's absolutely fine to take a break from work or other responsibilities to prioritize

READ FULL ARTICLE ⇲

Up Next

Feeling pain is natural as a human being. However, do some people feel pain more? Sometimes, some people's perception of pain is stronger compared to others. Why do some people feel pain more than others?

Key Points

People feel pain because of how the brain interprets input transmitted to it from all of the senses. There are significant individual differences in perceptions of pain. Listening to music has the ability to reduce one's perception of pain.

Pain has a protective role. Because of pain, we can receive warnings that trigger our reflexes to escape potential dan

READ FULL ARTICLE ⇲

Up Next

Do you feel sad and upset on your birthday? Do you ask yourself “Why do I feel depressed on my birthday?” Birthdays are often considered to be joyous occasions, a day filled with excitement, celebration, and anticipation of the year ahead.

However, for some people, birthdays can be a source of sadness and depression. In fact, there is a term for this condition: birthday depression.

A lot of people tend to experience birthday depression on the days prior to their special day, on their birthday and even after the day has passed. Let’s find out why this happens and how to cope with it.

What is birthday depression?

Birthday depression meaning:

READ FULL ARTICLE ⇲