Bipolar Self-management Course

By Sandra Kiume
March 23, 2006

MDF: The Bipolar Organization offers a self-management course for people with bipolar disorders in the UK. Workshops, led by two people who have the diagnosis themselves, are held in locations across the country and teach these subjects:

Session 1- Describes the principles of self-management and the aims and objectives of the course. Discusses the personal expectations of the participants and the nature and impact of manic depression.
Session 2 - Identification of triggers and warning signs.
Session 3 - Coping strategies and self-medication.
Session 4 - Support networks and action plans.
Session 5 - Strategies for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and drawing up an advance directive.
Session 6 - Complementary therapies, coping strategies and finalising action plans.

The intent is to teach people the triggers and warning signs of an impending manic or depressive episode and have an action plan to put in place to prevent them or reduce the severity of symptoms. Knowledge is empowering and helps people gain control of their illness.

There is a 12 pound administrative fee, but MDF will pay reasonable travel expenses for its members.

It’s a terrific model of its kind from a non-profit self-help organization, and hopefully other groups like America’s Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance and Canada’s various provincial bipolar support groups will pick up on it.

2 Comments to
“Bipolar Self-management Course”

Angela Ashley at 3:13 pm on March 24th, 2006

I am very interested to obtain this
information and help but have one question:

Does this distinguish between Bipolar 1
and Bipolar 2 (which we are advised are
significantly different diseases)?

Sandra Kiume at 11:03 pm on March 26th, 2006

Hi Angela - The course is not about diagnosis, but I’m sure would cover the different strategies needed for Bipolar I and II. They’re actually not as different as you might think. Studies show that most people have more depressive episodes than mania/hypomania, and depression is the same in both. The main difference is that full-blown mania has some symptoms that hypomania doesn’t. But both follow cycles and patterns that use the same self-management ideas, so this course would be helpful for either.