CBT, either individual or group, can be an effective type of therapy for managing bipolar symptoms.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that can help manage bipolar disorder.

Psychotherapy may involve one-on-one interactions with a therapist or group sessions that include the therapist and other people with similar issues.

Although there are many approaches, they all involve helping people manage their thoughts, perceptions, and behavior. Psychotherapy is also a resource for finding healthy ways to manage their problems.

Usually, the core treatment for bipolar disorder is a combination of medication and psychotherapy. CBT is one of the more common types of psychotherapy.

CBT can help treat bipolar disorder by addressing:

  • depressive symptoms that occur as part of periods or episodes of depression
  • feelings of guilt or other negative thoughts and beliefs about manic episodes
  • feelings of losing friends or relationships

This can reduce overall distress and decrease manic or depressive episodes. It can also create awareness of one’s mood, emotions, physical sensations, and common indicators of a manic episode.

This awareness can help you plan accordingly for manic episodes by:

  • setting an appointment with a psychiatrist
  • engaging in behaviors that facilitate relief, such as proper sleep and self-care
  • making practical plans to mitigate risks associated with bipolar disorder, such as giving money and credit cards to a trusted friend if you have a history of spending behaviors

People can use CBT in a number of ways, including:

  • managing symptoms of mental health conditions
  • preventing behaviors that can result in those symptoms
  • learning effective coping techniques to help manage emotions and stress
  • acting as an alternative treatment until finding a good medication regimen

In fact, research has found CBT to be an effective tool for bipolar disorder. One study found that CBT helped:

  • lower the bipolar disorder relapse rate
  • improve depressive symptoms
  • decrease mania severity
  • improve psychosocial functioning

The primary goal of CBT is to teach you ways to approach thoughts differently so that when they do come, you don’t have to buy into them or let yourself believe your negative thoughts.

CBT works to identify thoughts that contribute to your emotional distress and influence you to behave in negative ways.

For instance, believing others are judging you contributes to social anxiety and could lead you to avoid others, thus losing opportunities to form social relationships and develop beneficial sources of social support.

Once you learn to identify these thoughts, you can learn to challenge them by generating alternative explanations and seeking evidence for them. These approaches then lead to more realistic or balanced thoughts, less emotional distress, and behaviors that are more appropriate to your context.

Looking at thoughts more objectively can relieve the experience of difficult negative emotions because thoughts and emotions are shown to be linked and affect each other.

The therapy is generally short term and directly focused on eliminating or managing specific problems. It involves contributions from you and the therapist.

During a CBT session, you and the therapist will work together to:

1. Determine the problem

This can be mental health condition symptoms, work or relationship stress, or anything else that’s bothering you.

2. Examine the thoughts, behaviors, and emotions associated with these problems

Once you identify the problems, you will work with the therapist to begin examining how you’re reacting to your thoughts about them to affect your emotions and actions.

3. Spot negative or inaccurate thoughts, behaviors, and emotions

There are several ways you can perceive or handle something that worsens a problem. This can include thinking negatively about yourself or focusing on the negative aspects of a situation or occurrence.

4. Change your reaction

During a session, you and the therapist work together to replace these with more objective, realistic, or balanced thoughts. This can include attempting to view a situation more objectively, which can generate positive thinking or at least strengthen your coping skills in challenging situations.

CBT can be effective for nearly everyone in various situations.

Psychotherapy is available in many settings, including hospitals and private practices. CBT is one of the more common types of therapy. Many employers offer psychotherapy through their employee assistance programs.

There are no direct physical side effects to psychotherapy.

However, if you decide to try CBT, you must be prepared to talk openly with a therapist or even a group of people. Some people may find this uncomfortable.

CBT is a popular treatment that can be applied to a wide range of issues, including the management of bipolar disorder.

CBT treatment focuses on identifying problems and your reactions to them. It then helps you replace these reactions with more objective, balanced thoughts. This can create self-awareness and strengthen coping skills.

Therapy is generally used alongside medication when treating bipolar disorder, but it’s important to speak with your doctor or a mental health professional to determine the best treatment plan for you.