Recently Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder? Counseling Options To Consider

If you have recently received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, either from your primary care doctor or from a psychiatrist, you might find yourself feeling conflicted and confused about the situation. Understandably, you might be relieved to have a name for what has been going on with you, but you might also feel unsure of how to move forward in your life and with treatment. There are many treatment options available when you have bipolar disorder. However, all or most treatment plans call for some kind of therapy or counseling. Get to know more about some of the different counseling options available to you when you have bipolar disorder. Then, you can get the treatment you need as soon as possible.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

One of the most commonly utilized types of counseling for bipolar disorder is known as cognitive-behavioral therapy. This type of therapy has a dual focus. That focus is on the thought patterns a person has and the behavioral patterns that they engage in. In this type of therapy, patients will work with their counselor to find the links between thoughts and behaviors. 

Patients will learn to identify thought patterns that might be negative or problematic as well as recognize behaviors that are detrimental or inappropriate. They will then develop coping strategies and solutions to those issues. The idea is to build self-awareness and self-regulation of thoughts and actions both. By doing so, patients can begin to recognize the thoughts and actions that accompany mood swings and shifts, and therefore, be able to seek out help more quickly to deal with manic or depressive episodes. 

Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy

Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy is another form of counseling that can be quite helpful for individuals with bipolar disorder. This therapy option involves coming up with and keeping up with regular routines to provide structure to individuals with bipolar disorder.

Often, people with bipolar will, for example, stay awake for days on end when manic or sleep all day with depression. These patterns disrupt the person's circadian rhythms and can cause social, behavioral, mental, and physical health issues. While maintaining a set routine is difficult for people with bipolar disorder, it is one of the best things for them. A set routine can help prevent the behaviors that worsen mood swings and can help to provide balance in the person's life. 

In an interpersonal and social rhythm therapy setting, the therapist will help the patient to develop a personalized and individualized routine. This can include coming up with a waking up and bedtime routine, a medication routine, and even account for work and free time (if the individual works). The idea is to provide a fair amount of structure without micromanaging. Once the routine is established, the focus moves to maintaining that routine and potentially adjusting it as progress is made. 

With these therapy and counseling options in mind, you can be sure that you find a treatment provider that can offer you the right kind of services for you and your bipolar disorder management needs. For more information, contact a company like The Counseling Group PL.

Share