Thoughts on therapy/counseling?

My psychiatrist makes me go to therapy, yet I feel it doenst help at all. The only thing that seems to work to keep me balanced is medication. After all, isn't BP a biochemical problem? Maybe that's why therapy has been so useless so far. Thought? Experiences?

Some therapy I believe is meant to be helpful in BP - I have done a group which had a basis in CBT which was very helpful and I believe DBT can also be useful in BP tho it was designed for BPD. There is a DBT website www.dbtselfhelp.com if you are interested in the DBT stuff. I had more in depth talking therapy for a long time. It was not specifically for BP - more for childhood trauma but it did help me with managing the BP side of things too in terms of how to cope with things. My opinion is that therapy does not harm (if done by a competant therapist) and might well help so I think it is a good thing to do. And like I said it has helped me. but everyone is different and if it is not working for you it might be worth explaining this more to your psych.

Cracked

I went to therapy over the years. I got what i could use to improve myself, then i quit going. As the meds are more the stabilizer and the therapy is what lets me know what is going on with me and what i was doing to others.
But i say go till you learn about BP and you and what it does to others in your life and go from there. It might take years it all depends on how much you put yourself into it. Me i took a few years of on and off therapy, to get what i needed. i even need to go back ocassionally.

This is my first post so I hope I can help/ I went to a couple of therapist that didn't do much for me. My psychiatrist really wanted to me to see one though so I continued trying. I was lucky to find an amazing therapist that I have been seeing now for 4 years and that I trust more than almost anyone in the world. I completely understand feeling that they are not that important, all I can say though is you can find a good one, it will be invaluable...it has made recovery that much easier and contimues to challenge me to get better every day

Therapy has truly aided me. I suggest it to many people in distress

I think it depends a lot on the person. For me personally, I don't find it helpful. BD is one of the most endogenous disorders in MI, which means that meds are usually the best course of action. Still, many people do benefit from therapy, mainly DBT, as was already mentioned.

If your psychiatrist feels so strongly, maybe he/she thinks you could benefit from therapy. But if you feel you're not getting anything from it, why not try a different therapist? I remember reading a study that found that the therapist is the main variable explaining success in therapy. Basically, the therapist's characteristics, such as personality, experience, etc., were much more important to a successful therapy than everything else, including techniques used, school of thought, and so on. I can't seem to find it, though! I'll have to search for it.

And you must be patient. Therapy takes time, but with the right attitude and therapist can work wonders. Good luck!

I have been seeing a therapist pretty much weekly since 12/2010. It was my therapist who kept me alive and hanging on through mixed mania, depression, and mixed hypomania until meds that work for me were found starting in 9/2013. After I stabilized somewhat, it has been DBT therapy which has helped me continue to work on emotional stability issues. Sometimes, as I'm feeling more stable and have fewer crises, I wonder if I need to be seen weekly still, but I don't question it much further than that because I don't trust any part of me that wants to quit meds or therapy. I know they are together helping me feel some stability for the very first time in my life.

So I'm a proponent for therapy. But as others have said, finding the right therapist is the key.

I've been seeing a therapist for 6 months who I don't really feel has helped me... she is trying to teach me the tools I learned in therapy 13 years ago and have been actively using all this time! I think, as a patient, that I am advanced beyond her skill level. I just wrote an email to my p-doc asking for an appointment and expressing that I either need more help from him or to be directed to someone who is very skilled or experienced with Bipolar.
I've learned more about the realities of Bipolar in 3 weeks on this forum than 6 months in therapy. That doesn't tell me therapy isn't good thing, that tells me I need better a therapist!
I really think it is important to deal with the issues that arise from living with any MI, and feel like there is somebody "on my team." This is the first time I have ever really reached out and asked for/demanded MORE help ~ it feels pretty good to advocate for myself.

I have been receiving regular counselling every three weeks for the past 3 years. I can't recommend it enough to people who feel like the may need it.

I have discovered so much about myself that I blocked out, especially during my drug years and my family problems. It has helped me more than I can actually know.

So if you can, get the the support that is offered when you speak to somebody who doesn't know you or will not judge you for anything that you have done. It will help you more then you think it will.

Landor

I've been doing CBT for over a year now (mainly working on the low self esteem model and targeted work on bipolar). Although I do find it helpful in some respects, I think it's had very modest results compared to medication so far. Perhaps it will take more time for me to see a more positive outcome.

I have a really nice, understanding and experienced therapist- and as people have said, this is key. It's certainly been a great benefit to have a safe and non judgemental place in which to examine my worries and deal with them constructively. Previously, I would tend to offload my problems excessively onto my mum or sister, they'd inevitably get frustrated with my negative outlook and in turn I'd get annoyed with their inability to understand my perspective and bipolar-related problems. Clearly, that strategy wasn't working! So, CBT has given me alternative ways of dealing with what they term 'anxious, negative predictions', which make up the bulk of my distressing thoughts.

However, the issue I have with CBT is, although I'm generally able to generate alternative/balanced perspectives in response to my negative thoughts, I have trouble actually believing them! This has been a consistent problem... When presented with the 'evidence', I'm just not sold because it doesn't match how I feel, and my 'emotional reasoning' has the stronger pull. When I've told my therapist and p-doc this, they just say it needs more practice.

Also, my family isn't convinced it's helping at all, which is quite discouraging. When I told my therapist this, she said I'm the most engaged client she has and couldn't really understand their viewpoint.

I'd really love to be able to change my thinking, as my chronic negativity and perfectionism definitely contribute to my self-criticism and me putting a great deal of pressure on myself. Despite being on medication, the stress of this thinking has triggered most of my episodes in the past, so it's something I'm desperate to alter.

I just feel stuck at the point at which I can recognise what's wrong with my thought patterns, but am having difficulty changing them.

It's good to get other people's input on the topic in general. If anyone has any thoughts on CBT specifically, I'd be really interested to hear them... Thanks guys x