Author Description

This highly practical and accessible manual presents in step-by-step detail useful cognitive-behavioral techniques for managing bipolar disorder. Designed to enhance - not replace - pharmacotherapy, the treatment modality described emphasizes the importance of educating patients and engaging them as active participants in the therapeutic process. The book provides a conceptual framework for the approach along with explicit instructions for tailoring treatment to each patient's specific needs. It clearly illustrates how to equip clients with a range of practical skills for anticipating, preventing, and ameliorating the symptoms of depression, mania, and hypomania. Organized in sequential order, each chapter of the book builds on the principles discussed in earlier chapters and offers session-by-session instructions for implementing the treatment. Drawing on their vast clinical experience and the latest research, the authors discuss general therapeutic issues and symptom management throughout. Suggested homework assignments and forms for executing interventions are included for optimal clinical utility. The manual first describes the benefits of using an integrated approach to treating bipolar disorder. A succinct overview then discusses the disorder's diagnosis, course, and characteristics. Common psychopharmacological approaches are reviewed, as are methods for enhancing medication compliance and specific interventions for dealing with both cognitive and behavioral symptoms. To address psychosocial stressors, the authors devote two chapters to methods for facilitating communication and solving problems encountered in daily life. The book concludes with clinical vignettes that clearly demonstrate the principles and techniques described.