Why Accepting a Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder Is So Difficult —and What Actually Helps

One of the biggest challenges in treating bipolar disorder is actually accepting the diagnosis. Because, of course, if you don’t believe you have an illness, you won’t focus on managing it. Psychotherapist Sheri Van Dijk, MSW, RSW, has run a group for individuals with bipolar disorder for over a decade. When she starts teaching the skill of Radical Acceptance, about 95 percent of her clients say they’re currently struggling or have struggled with accepting their diagnosis. Because acceptance is hard. And it’s hard for various reasons. It’s hard because acceptance entails grief and loss. “[T]here is a loss of what the person expected for their life that they think they might not achieve now, given this extra challenge they’re facing,” said Van Dijk, who has a private practice in Newmarket, Ontario. There’s also grief and loss about changes in lifestyle, such as taking medication, eliminating substances and not being able to work while achieving stability, she said. People might not want to give up what they perceive to be the positive parts of manic episodes, “which can make them feel great, alive and very creative,” said Michael G. Pipich, MS, LMFT, a psychotherapist who specializes in mood disorders in Denver, Colo. It can be hard to accept that this euphoric experience is actually part of a mental illness, he said. “For many, it’s the only way for them to get anything done before they get depressed again. So they will often deny there is any kind o...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Bipolar Disorders Family General Psychotherapy Self-Help Stigma Treatment accepting bipolar disorder accepting diagnosis bipolar disorder self-help bipolar disorder tips bipolar disorder treatment family support Source Type: news