How People with Bipolar Think - How to Help - Webinar (Recorded)

Overview: Humans all think, all the time and most people have similarities in thought processes. Most people have reasonable, measured, moderate thoughts. And while there are many variations on these theme, these thoughts occur on a bell curve with most people being in the meaty part of the curve.

Those with bipolar disorder, however, often have very extreme thoughts and their thought processes tend to exist on the very far ends of the bell curve. This can make understanding how a person with bipolar acts very challenging as these actions are driven by thought processes the average person doesn't experience. While these thoughts may seem "crazy" at first, it's important to realize that they are simply an extreme part of the human experience that do fall along a continuum that is experienced by everyone.

Understanding these thought processes is the first step in understanding why a person with bipolar does what he or she does and how you can help a person with bipolar disorder deal with his or her own illness either on a personal or professional level. This knowledge will breed a deeper understanding of the experience of this serious mental illness and increase compassion towards those facing it.

That's where this webinar comes in. This webinar aims to give attendees a look into the mind of a person with bipolar disorder. Attendees will learn about general thought processes present in bipolar disorder as well as specific cognitive distortions such as mental filtering and labeling. Cognitive distortions will be broken down by mood episode. Techniques on how to help someone experiencing distorted thoughts are given and helpful therapies are outlined.

Additionally, attendees are encouraged to ask questions of the instructor who, herself, has been dealing with bipolar disorder for 20 years and openly shares her own experiences with the illness.

Why should you Attend: Bipolar disorder is a serious, chronic, lifelong illness that can be very difficult to deal with both for the person with bipolar disorder and for those around him or her. Bipolar disorder can be particularly challenging for those who wish to help those with bipolar disorder in a personal or professional capacity. Part of the reason for this is the unusual, seemingly non-anticipatable acts of those with bipolar disorder. These acts are typically driven by thinking that those who don't experience bipolar disorder don't understand.

The lifetime prevalence of bipolar I in the United States is approximately 1% while bipolar II is approximately 1.1%. Additional subthreshold bipolar disorders occur in approximately 2.4-4.7% of the population. This is an illness that affects literally millions in the United States and cannot be ignored.

In all cases of bipolar disorder, thought processes of the individual are altered. These altered thoughts may be mood-congruent or simply due to the illness itself. Distorted thoughts can be very harmful to the psyche and lead to harmful actions up to and including suicide. Understanding how people with bipolar think is the first step in helping to stem the pain those with bipolar disorder often feel and preventing regrettable actions such the loss of quality of life or life itself.

This webinar will allow attendees to peek inside the brain of a person with bipolar disorder and gain an understanding of not only how a person with bipolar disorder thinks but also how to help that person. This type of understanding and help can, quite literally, save lives.

Areas Covered in the Session:

Bipolar disorder facts you need to know
An overview of human thinking processes in general Explanation of cognitive distortion
Typical cognitive distortions in bipolar depression
Typical cognitive distortions in bipolar hypomania or bipolar mania
Cognitive distortions that may appear irrespective of mood
Techniques for helping those with bipolar
Additional resources
Q and A