Therapist who is bipolar

Will some of their stories hit too close to home? These are questions that will be on my mind as I progress through the next three years of this program.

Accepting my diagnosis has been difficult for the past six years. Yet I am still striving to be better about being compliant with them. I am proud to say that I was able to transition back into school after a four-year gap, as well as learn how to live in a completely new area that is across the country from my home. Although I experienced another hypomanic episode last spring semester, I am also proud to say this was the most conscious that I was of my symptoms.

People with bipolar disorder are believed to have overly sensitive biological clocks, the internal timekeepers that regulate circadian rhythms. When these rhythms are stable, the biological rhythms that regulate mood remain stable too. 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. Most alternative treatments for bipolar disorder are really complementary treatments, meaning they should be used in conjunction with medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes. Here are a few of the options that show promise:. 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. 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.

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