The Bipolar Disorder Workbook: Powerful Tools and Practical Resources for Bipolar II and Cyclothymia

by Peter Forster MD, Gina Gregory LCSW

Overview

Build real-world skills for managing the day-to-day symptoms of bipolar II and cyclothymia through the practical strategies and exercises in The Bipolar Disorder Workbook.

Finding stability and fulfillment while living with bipolar disorder or cyclothymia can be challenging. But with the right tools it's possible to overcome the symptoms associated with these diagnoses. In The Bipolar Disorder Workbook, clinical psychiatrist Dr. Peter Forster and clinical social worker Gina Gregory help you explore how symptoms like hypomania and depression show up in your daily life, and guide you to develop real-world skills for facing these everyday challenges.

The Bipolar Disorder Workbook presents therapeutic ideas, tools, and techniques that draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Divided into 3 easy-to-follow parts, The Bipolar Disorder Workbook will help you identify the patterns of your symptoms, increase the stability of your mood, and successfully manage your bipolar disorder or cyclothymia.

Based on the most up-to-date research on bipolar disorder and cyclothymia, The Bipolar Disorder Workbook offers:

• Compassionate, knowledgeable guidance for understanding bipolar disorder and cyclothymia, including the mood states that define them and an overview of different approaches to treatment.
• Practical checklists, self-assessments, writing exercises and other workbook features for managing the highs and lows, recognizing the warning signs of a mood shift, and minimizing the negative impact of bipolar disorder and cyclothymia on your life.
• Thoughtful suggestions for talking with friends and family and creating a support system through a variety of channels such as a treatment team, community resources, and loved ones.
• "Whole-Health Strategies" for enhancing the connection between your physical health and mood stability.

Though it can take time, deciding to transform one's life is a brave and courageous thing to do. Here, in The Bipolar Disorder Workbook, you'll find the supportive, straightforward guidance you need to find relief from the symptoms of bipolar disorder or cyclothymia, and begin creating the kind of life you want and deserve.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641520638
Publisher:	Callisto Publishing
Publication date:	10/09/2018
Pages:	172
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

DR. PETER FORSTER is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, where he teaches on the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder and supervises the psychiatry residents in the Bipolar Clinic. He is also clinical director of Gateway Psychiatric Services, a multidisciplinary clinic focused on combining medication and psychotherapy in the treatment of people with recurrent mood disorders. He is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and the author of many academic works on the treatment and diagnosis of bipolar disorder, among other topics. He has been an invited speaker at conferences around the United States and in Asia and Europe.

GINA GREGORY, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker who earned her degree from the University of California, Berkeley, with a concentration in community mental health. She first began working with individuals with mood disorders during graduate school in 2011. She has worked at an early-intervention clinic for individuals recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder and at a dual-diagnosis clinic serving adults with substance use and mood disorders, and she continues to serve individuals with mood disorders at Gateway Psychiatric Services. She is committed to supporting people with mood disorders and their families in accessing and developing resources to help them manage symptoms and work toward wellness.

Table of Contents

Introduction vi

How to Use This Book viii

Part I Definitions & Treatment

Chapter 1 Understanding Bipolar II Disorder & Cyclothymia 3

Chapter 2 Therapeutic Treatments 19

Chapter 3 Finding Your Baseline: How Are You Right Now? 37

Part II Managing Hypomania & Depression

Chapter 4 The Experience of Hypomania 57

Chapter 5 Managing Depression: Dealing with Guilt, Hopelessness, & Sadness 75

Chapter 6 Proceed with Caution: Managing High-Risk Behaviors 93

Part III Don't Go It Alone

Chapter 7 Family Matters 113

Chapter 8 Building a Support Network 127

Chapter 9 The Road Ahead: Checking In & Next Steps 137

A Final Word 153

Resources 154

References 156

Index 158

Editorial Reviews

"The Bipolar Disorder Workbook describes practical, straightforward techniques to manage bipolar II disorder and cyclothymia. It incorporates cutting-edge concepts from several different evidence-based modalities such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. I really appreciate that this book also addresses the importance of diet, sleep, and communication skills. Individuals with bipolar II and cyclothymia and their psychotherapists who use this book will be employing, in a systematic fashion, the most effective and current psychosocial interventions. It is clearly written and well-organized. I highly recommend this book."—Descartes Li, M.D., Director, UCSF Bipolar Disorder Program

“The Bipolar Disorder Workbook will empower you by sharing invaluable information that most people spend months, if not years, in treatment trying to glean. If you work through the exercises in this book, you will gain insight into your illness and lessen the negative impact bipolar disorder may have on your life. This book is accessible and easy to read, yet chock full of invaluable information on the specific tools to manage mood swings and common co-occurring issues like anxiety. The workbook covers psychotherapy tools and options (including ACT, CBT), reviews medications commonly used for treatment, and—most helpfully—places an emphasis on practical lifestyle changes that can positively impact your mood across depressive and energized states. In my experience as a psychologist working with mood disorders, people on the bipolar spectrum have immense power to impact their moods for the better; it’s hard work, but it is possible and I believe this workbook provides a powerful tool to help guide the way.”—Jasmine Teleki, PsyD

"The Bipolar Disorder Workbook fills an important gap in the self-help literature by addressing many of the common issues that people with bipolar II and cyclothymia experience. Readers will find an accessible, practical approach here that offers valuable tools and worksheets, and guides the reader through a series of useful exercises, oriented to identifying coping strategies for managing the mood shifts and risky behaviors often associated with mood disorders. Therapists will find this an important addition to their library of self-help books they recommend for patients."—Robert Reiser, Ph.D. co-author of Bipolar Disorder: Advances in Psychotherapy Evidence-Based Practice

"In The Bipolar Disorder Workbook, Dr. Forster and Ms. Gregory have written the quintessential guide for people experiencing symptoms of bipolar II or cyclothymia. This workbook is excellent as a stand-alone resource as well as an adjunctive support to any treatment plan. Their thoughtful approach to educating readers and facilitating management of these often-discouraging conditions is sensible, sensitive, and promises to be highly effective. The authors prompt readers to think about mood-related problems from a position of strength, walking them through a pragmatic and solution-focused process that helps people take control of their treatment and apply strategies for more successful and satisfying values-based living. This book is a must-have for anyone experiencing these problems, as well as for the clinicians who treat them."—Rochelle I. Frank, PhD, Assistant Clinical Professor, UC Berkeley, and co-author of The Transdiagnostic Road Map to Case Formulation and Treatment Planning

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