The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bipolar Disorder: Using DBT to Regain Control of Your Emotions and Your Life.

 

In 2007, I decided to develop a group for bipolar disorder based on DBT skills. The positive feedback from clients was so encouraging that I decided I could help a wider range of people by writing a workbook, so that people could read about and teach themselves these skills.

 

From the Publisher

A powerful new therapeutic approach, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), has proven to be the most effective treatment for the mood swings and impulsive behavior symptomatic of borderline personality disorder. This therapy is now being put to use to help those with other emotion regulation problems and mood disorders. This is the first book to apply DBT treatment to bipolar disorder, a chronic, complex mental illness that has much in common with borderline personality disorder.

 

The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bipolar Disorder presents a complete program for the treatment of bipolar disorder that shows readers how to manage painful emotions, handle suicidal behavior, stop self-injury, control impulsive and mood-dependent behaviors, and learn positive and healthy coping techniques such as mindfulness, distracting skills, and self-soothing skills. The workbook stresses the importance of radical acceptance, which, in the case of bipolar disorder, is the knowledge and acceptance of the fact that readers may not be able to live the lives they had envisioned because of the disorder. The practical worksheets, exercises, mood charting, and life charting tools in this groundbreaking workbook provide readers with the skills they need to handle this highly unpredictable disorder and make plans for a stable future. Though the DBT skills presented can greatly help those with bipolar manage their symptoms, the author highlights the importance of being under a doctor's care and continuing to take medication while completing this DBT program. The book also includes information for friends, family, and caregivers to help them understand the disorder and be supportive.