Provides a framework for individualized assessment and treatment of bipolar disorder. This book addresses the complexities of working with individuals with varying histories and clinical presentations, including those who have been diagnosed, those who are symptomatically stable, and those who struggle day to day to achieve symptom remission.
This highly practical and accessible manual presents in step-by-step detail useful cognitive-behavioral techniques for managing bipolar disorder. Designed to enhance - not replace - pharmacotherapy, the treatment modality described emphasizes the importance of educating patients and engaging them as active participants in the therapeutic process. The book provides a conceptual framework for the approach along with explicit instructions for tailoring treatment to each patient's specific needs. It clearly illustrates how to equip clients with a range of practical skills for anticipating, preventing, and ameliorating the symptoms of depression, mania, and hypomania. Organized in sequential order, each chapter of the book builds on the principles discussed in earlier chapters and offers session-by-session instructions for implementing the treatment. Drawing on their vast clinical experience and the latest research, the authors discuss general therapeutic issues and symptom management throughout. Suggested homework assignments and forms for executing interventions are included for optimal clinical utility. The manual first describes the benefits of using an integrated approach to treating bipolar disorder. A succinct overview then discusses the disorder's diagnosis, course, and characteristics. Common psychopharmacological approaches are reviewed, as are methods for enhancing medication compliance and specific interventions for dealing with both cognitive and behavioral symptoms. To address psychosocial stressors, the authors devote two chapters to methods for facilitating communication and solving problems encountered in daily life. The book concludes with clinical vignettes that clearlydemonstrate the principles and techniques described.
Since it is now clear that optimal treatment for the majority of individuals with bipolar disorder requires an approach that integrates pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, it is reassuring to see this revised, updated manual for one of the key psychotherapeutic modalities. As always, Basco and Rush write with extreme clarity. Readers will benefit from their collective wisdom about ways to intervene in this challenging disorder.--Ellen Frank, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and ClinicA thoughtful, readable, and very useful volume. The authors' coverage of issues of compliance and adherence in therapy is comprehensive and compelling, providing a sound basis for preventing relapse. What makes the second edition unique is that the format allows clinicians to apply recommended treatment approaches during different phases of the illness, with patients from the newly diagnosed to those in sustained remission. This book will serve as a useful resource for graduate students as well as more experienced clinicians.--Edward Altman, PsyD, Department of Psychiatry (Retired), University of Illinois at ChicagoThe second edition of this definitive work is even more useful than its predecessor. Focusing on techniques for patients at different stages of their illness and acceptance, this is a 'must' for all clinicians treating bipolar disorder. The best psychoeducational and cognitive-behavioral strategies for helping this population are described and integrated into a coherent framework. The book is full of carefully structured charts, case examples, and patient assignments that will enable clinicians to successfully employ these critically important treatment principles and practices.--Robert Morton Post, MD, Biological Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental HealthTwo experts, including John Rush, one of the pioneers in CBT, have made an excellent book even better....This text is more user-friendly, and has extensive illustrative case material and descriptions of strategic (goal-focused) and technical interventions. The authors take the clinician through the course of the illness and recommend particular interventions for each stage or clinical manifestation of bipolar disorder. For the clinician and teacher of clinical issues, this should be a required text./m-/Arthur Freeman, EdD, ABPP, Behavioral Science Book Service Advisory Board Member-A truly practical resource grounded in a real-world context....A comprehensive guide to the treatment of bipolar disorder from the CBT framework, and which would serve any therapist extremely well in a multitude of settings, both psychological and in more medically oriented multidisciplinary teams. As a resource for therapists specializing in bipolar disorder, or for those wondering how to apply their CBT skills to symptoms of depression and mania, this would be a valuable addition to any bookshelf.--Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 2/14/2007ffI found this book extremely helpful in adding new techniques to my therapeutic armamentarium. I recommend it highly for both the beginning and experienced therapist.--Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 2/14/2007ffBasco and Rush provide an easy-to-follow and flexible set of techniques for treatment of bipolar disorder....For beginning clinicians and practitioners who prefer to work using a more structured approach, a treatment protocol is provided in the Appendix....Vignettes are offered throughout the book to illustrate how to apply the techniques to different types of patients in different stages of the illness.--Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Book Reviews, 2/14/2007