Bipolar Disorder involves extreme movements from mania to depression. A recent study has found that people recently diagnosed with the disorder could have a better chance at recovery if they undergo Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach that helps address thought and behavior patterns that people wish to change.
The study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, involved a comparison between two groups of individuals with a recent diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. One group received an average of 14 hours Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, along with the "usual" treatments- medication, and support from psychiatry, a general practitioner, or community mental health teams. The other group (control group) only received the usual treatments, randomly assigned.
The comparison of the two groups revealed that those who underwent CBT recovered better, and they were able to sustain it.
According to Professor Steven Jones of Lancaster University's Spectrum Centre, the results are "very promising." Professor Jones is the lead researcher for this study.
He found that the patients who received recovery-focused CBT showed marked improvement in terms of personal recovery for up to 12 months post-therapy. "This is an important result as better recovery outcomes can allow people to get on with their lives rather than having their lives controlled by their experience of bipolar disorder," Professor Lancaster emphasized.
He added that sustained recovery allows people to feel that they can initiate and manage their own health, participate in activities that are personally meaningful, and understand that recovery is a long term yet fluctuating process.
Optimal treatment, he said, gives people diagnosed with bipolar disorder a chance to return to work and live lives that are fulfilling and flourishing.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is widely used to treat anxiety, depression, substance abuse, social phobias, and eating disorders, among others. Its primary aim is to teach clients to confront and minimize faulty beliefs and help them become aware of automatic thoughts so they could change them.
