Therapy for Bipolar Disorder
Life’s a real struggle when you can’t predict your moods.
Consistency… it isn’t easy to maintain schedules, appointments, and regular hobby work.
Relationships… you avoid criticism and complaints. It’s hard doing your share of chores. You struggle with maintaining consistent emotional balance and maintaining a positive tone in relationships since your self-esteem is often low.
Holding a job… going to work on time each day can seem overwhelming.
Anything requiring delayed gratification can generally seem too overbearing to do.
You often feel frustrated since you don’t feel “good enough” to accomplish in your areas of interest.
It doesn’t seem fair…
You’re probably frustrated to the point of wanting to give up… and none of this is your fault!
Ashley* was a 26-year-old college student working at a print shop on campus. She had struggled with bipolar tendencies since high school but decided not to take medication for it since she didn’t like the side effects.
She struggled with low self-esteem. She had been through several boyfriends in the past six months – they left her because of the unpredictability of her erratic emotions. Her grades were mostly Cs in her general education major.
Ashley felt it was almost impossible to get out of bed and study in the mornings, and she didn’t know what she wanted out of her future. Every few weeks, she would feel elated about trying to make life improvements, so she would use her credit cards to overspend on unnecessary items that she felt would make her happy. She often felt that life’s deck was stacked against her, like she didn’t have a chance at succeeding in the real world.
Life seemed hopeless.
As Ashley and I began therapy, I listened closely to her about her frustrations and desire to feel more stable. I helped her learn to recognize mood changes, how to cope, and how to maintain effective daily schedules even when she was not feeling motivated. I also helped her use friends and family to get support when she needed it.
Before long, many of her grades rose to Bs. She began having more success in dating and was on time for work and class almost daily. Her feelings about herself began improving, which she said was largely from our focus in sessions on her strengths and positive attributes. She got help applying her education for a future profession and became more confident in her general abilities. She finally felt she was living the life she wanted.
If you’re struggling, therapy is the place to go.
There are several things you’ll learn and do in therapy to stabilize your mood and improve your overall quality of life.
Identify and appreciate your strengths…
You will feel more comfortable progressing by doing what you are already good at. I’ll teach you how to do this and increase your confidence. As we discuss and apply your best attributes, you’ll learn to appreciate who you are like never before. This will help you stabilize your feelings and moods, find more meaning in life, and know which direction to go for success.
Recognize your mood changes…
Moodiness can sometimes come before you’re fully aware; by then, it may be too late. I’ll help you recognize signs your moods are shifting and what needs doing to prevent them from getting out of control. Moods are closely related to daily satisfaction, so you need control over them. We’ll discuss how to create stable positive moods and handle momentary disruptions when they come. You’ll feel and live better!
Reach out to stay stable…
When you’re struggling, asking for help can be hard. We’ll determine your best support to reach out to when you’re struggling. Your stability will improve, and you’ll feel safe among those you care about.
Rely on social support…
Friends and family can be the missing link between you and success with maintaining positive moods.
Talking with those you care about can help lift your moods and bolster your confidence. I’ll help you create habits of staying in touch with loved ones to improve your daily moods.
Take up enjoyable activities or hobbies…
Having some fun each week is fundamental to stable moods. Plus, the more you engage in hobbies, your talents will increase, and you’ll feel more confident and productive. Together, we’ll decide what you’d like to spend time on for personal enrichment. Your self-esteem will improve, and you’ll look forward each week to time you can spend with your personal interests.
Use your coping skills…
One of the most important things in overcoming bipolar disorder is using effective coping skills to stabilize moods. When you start to feel upset, down, or just out of the ordinary, you can use coping skills to help you return to feeling pleasant and in control, which is important for having a good day. I’ll teach you how to cope using grounding, positive visualization, journaling, naming positive attributes, and goal setting. Using these will empower you to stay productive and positive without losing control.
Debra* was a 34-year-old medical office manager.
She missed a lot of work because of her depression. She was even written up for it.
But her work suffered even between those bouts of depression. During these times, she got overly excited, unnecessarily reorganizing the office or implementing a new work process for others to follow.
It became hard for others to keep up with her, and her erratic behavior damaged her relationships. Her self-esteem was terrible because she didn’t have the impact she wanted at work and in her personal life.
In therapy, I helped Debra learn to recognize when her moods were changing and to reach out for help to stay stable. She started taking medications that helped and learned the skills she needed to improve her moods and be more dependable. Her work and relationships improved.
I helped Debra see her good attributes and use them to her benefit. Let’s do the same for you!
It’s time for you to radiate with confidence!
Now is the time to act. You know your happiness is worth it. Are you ready to improve your life like never before?
To answer your questions and help decide if we are a good fit to work together, call me right away for a free 15-minute consultation! (986) 529-4054.
*Names and stories represent a composite narrative and do not reflect an actual client.