Resources for CBT and ISRT?

I've been reading a lot on "mindfulness" with bipolar which speaks to me as a Buddhist...now I just can't stop taking in information on ways to help bipolar symptoms.

I'm looking for books and websites with information on cognitive behavioral therapy for bipolar or interpersonal and social rhythm therapy for bipolar. Where should I start looking?

Hi,

I finished about 18 months of CBT around this time last year, and one of the resources my therapist used with me in the sessions, and set for homework, was:

http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/consumers.cfm (Specifically the 'Improving Self Esteem' and 'Keeping your Balance' modules, the latter of which is for bipolar)

I was also given this book when I was first diagnosed, which uses CBT techniques as a basis:
'Overcoming Mood Swings' by Prof Jan Scott

Finally, this website I stumbled across has a good range of CBT type resources:

http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/index.html

I don't have any experience of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy but hopefully someone who has will be able to chime in. Hope this gets you started... CBT especially is a huge area so I'm sure there are plenty of more resources out there. Obviously if you have access to a therapist, that would be a bonus, but I found most of the techniques fairly straightforward to understand (applying them regularly less so!) x

Thank you Ennui! The first website with exercises to work through is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. Something I could do on my own or with a therapist. I've had some CBT with a therapist but it was at a time in my life and treatment that I wasn't very receptive so I'd like to give it another go. I have The Feeling Good Handbook by David Burns but it's quite an undertaking so I was looking for a less intimidating place to start, so thank you!

I can't find much on interpersonal social rythym but I've heard it can be so effective for bipolar and am curious if establishing an even more solid routine would help my anxiety and irritibility. I'd love to find a workbook or some charts I could fill out every day...Lately I can't tell if I'm irritable hypo or irritable anxious, but my pdoc said the treatment is the same so it doesn't matter anyway. How is your new anxiety diagnosis fitting you? I know you said initially you were upset by it and I was just wondering how you were doing with it. I found out about my anxiety diagnosis by looking up some diagnostic codes on a bill I received so it was surprising to see, but didn't surprise me really because I'd been having panic attacks outside of mood episodes.

You're very welcome, BrainStorm! Yeah, the first website I listed seems to have a lot of detailed info and exercises to work through on various topics, so should be quite helpful. I know what you mean about having CBT at the wrong time though- I first got offered it when I was in a deep depression, and was in such a dark place and so cognitively slowed that I really couldn't engage with it in any meaningful way. Luckily for this latest period of CBT, I was mostly stable and it made such a difference to be starting from that point.

I've looked around online since and can't seem to find any resources online for Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (only descriptions of what it entails), but there may be some out there. I haven't done any of this type of therapy, but my pdoc says regular routines around sleeping and eating are particularly important for bipolar.

Sorry you're dealing with anxiety and irritability and hope you find something that's effective. I've been in a mild mixed episode for a few months now, so I know what that feels like. My Quetiapine IR is reining it in but not eliminating it, unfortunately. I'd switched from the extended version to try and combat the extreme sedation, but it seems this different preparation just isn't working as well.

Because my mood hasn't been right for ages, it's hard to know what's anxiety from the mixed episode and my 'normal' level of anxiety... I'm still not convinced that my anxiety's a separate disorder, but I know I do have a major problem with it, and I'm not as upset by the diagnosis as I was. I suppose whatever the cause, it's just important I find something to help it- I'm still on a waiting list for therapy but haven't been offered any anxiety meds. Thanks for asking x