A person suffering from bipolar disorder displays extraordinary mood swings and emotional floats between the feelings of depression, mania, and normal behavior. Such condition may be triggered by combination of neurological, biological, emotional, and environmental factors. It is essential to consult doctor to help persons suffering from bipolar disorder which may otherwise cause harmful effects on the lives of individuals and their families. The doctors usually make psychological assessments on basis of various symptoms and their duration to diagnose presence of bipolar disorder in a person.
Bipolar disorder treatment is comprised of medication and psychotherapies. However, it has been found that a significant number of people suffering from such disorder do not respond to standard medications. For instance, patients with history of drug abuse are not provided standard medication as it increases the risk of drug abuse. The treatment of bipolar disorder can require implementation of psychotherapies by psychiatrist. Cognitive behavioural therapy is one of the most effective therapies for bipolar disorder treatment.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioural therapy is an effective means of treating variety of psychological problems such as anxiety, personality, eating, substance abuse, and psychotic disorders. The therapy basically focuses on recognizing triggers and causes of extraordinary mood swings in a person and teaching him techniques to cope up with such episodes of psychological imbalance.
Following are essential steps to conduct Cognitive behavioural therapy
1-Making a contact with the patient
Every treatment demands an effective communication between doctor and patient for quick recovery of patient. In order to make CBT effective, a communication with patient is foremost step towards success. In such contact, doctor encourages and convinces patient that his problem is curable and patient can get rid of his problem with his support. A psychiatrist draws a complete plan to help patient and convince him to promise to follow all the things as prescribed by him.
2-Recording the emotional floats
Psychiatrist keeps an eye on patient’s emotional floats or mood swings. For this, he provides psychological assessment worksheet in which patient has to fulfill various things such as duration of mood change, sleeping hours, level of anxiety etc.
Psychological assessment worksheet helps doctor to diagnose duration, reasons and stimulants that arouse emotional imbalance in a person. When therapist is able to understand mood cycles of patient, then he prescribes medicines and other treatment as required. In many cases, the therapist provide reading material to patient by which he/ she be able to understand how thoughts affect emotions and how emotions should be balanced. Such reading material helps in developing positive rationale in patient and also in reducing depressive and manic episodes.
4-Recognizing the Triggers
Triggers refer to anything that stimulate maniac or depressive episode. It can be emotions, times of the year, situations, environments, events etc. Psychiatrist helps patient to recognize the triggers, understand their effects and learn to avoid them.
CBT is an effective alternative to medication. It not only decreases depressive and mania episode as faced by patients but also helps them to gain confidence and positive attitude for life.
