January 26, 2017 • Volume 10, Issue 4 • Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines
Reality Check: Recognizing Changes in Your Behavior
When someone close to you expresses concerns about your behavior—that you’re sleeping more, socializing less, acting irritable—do you pay attention or brush it off?
What’s known in the lingo as ‘lack of insight” can be a major barrier to maintaining wellness. If you can’t recognize when you’re beginning to slip off balance, you won’t take necessary countermeasures.
Those around you often recognize subtle changes before you do. That’s why mental health experts suggest developing a written agreement with a trusted friend or family member that you will take specific actions (such as calling your treating practitioner) if the other person observes certain symptoms.
Of course, it’s also important to educate yourself and assemble a coping toolbox. In one randomized controlled trial at the University of Toronto involving 204 participants with bipolar I or bipolar II, both group psychoeducation and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) led to a reduction of symptoms and lower likelihood of relapse.
Dialectical behavior therapy—a form of CBT focusing on mindfulness, gaining greater awareness of one’s emotions, and cultivating coping skills—has also been shown to reduce symptoms of bipolar depression, enhance emotional self-control, and result in fewer hospital visits and admissions for mental health reasons.
In “Mixed Mental Messages,” columnist Stephen Propst recalls gaps between his self-perceptions and what others were seeing. He saw no problem sleeping three or four hours a night. Others worried that he was on the verge of self-destructing.
He’s put together a list of mistaken attitudes you might recognize in yourself, matched with statements that will promote recovery. Read “Mixed Mental Messages” >>
My Diagnosis: A Label or ‘Get Out of Jail Free Card’?
Many people see the bipolar disorder diagnosis as a label that puts a person in a box. Julie sees this differently and explains what she felt when there was finally an explanation for why she acted. Watch Julie Fast’s video blog >>
15 Rules For Parents to Manage Bipolar Rage in Their Children
During manic episodes, children with bipolar disorder will feel anger and rage—and with greater intensity—rather than elation or euphoria that is common in adults. Bipolar in children combine the depressive and manic states together to form ‘aggressive depression.’ Here’s a look into bipolar rage and the best strategies for parents and caregivers. Read more >>
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