Help for Bipolar Disorder - Coaching

Similar to a therapist, the purpose of a life coach involves personal assistance for another towards the facilitation of goal attainment, personal growth and well-being for the client's personal life. Support of a life coach can help in practical areas of life, and though not a therapist or counselor, a life coach can be supportive, and serve as a non-judgmental cog in your support team.

Australian clinical and coaching psychologist Suzy Green, Ph.D., states that "Life coaching is differentiated from business, executive and workplace coaching in that it usually occurs outside the corporate environment and is focused on the individual’s whole of life."

Behavioral change might be more easily initiated with the help of a life coach, and a life coach can help you stick to your plans and goals for recovery. The support of a positive life coach can keep you going when you feel like giving up, and therefore can be emotionally supportive, and help along in affective cognitive change in the individual.

Coaching is an excellent option as part of a support team for persons with mental health difficulties. The services of a coach is less expensive than therapy, and life coaching can work in conjunction with therapy.

A Life Coach provides a helping hand for those with Bipolar Disorder and can contribute to successful recovery.

Professional Life Coach Mary Ruben states, "although bipolar disorder can affect the people around you it's easier to meet these challenges with support from a Professional Life Coach." Ruben states that "by far, most coaching clients pay their coach to be a sounding board to really listen to them and give honest feedback."

The Role of a Life coach and What it Means for Those with Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

The Life Coach serves as a:

A coach, like a counselor and unlike a therapist, is more likely to give advice to clients. A therapist, especially in Talk or Interpersonal therapy is supportive and non-judgmental, but is not likely to give specific advice. Advice can be helpful in ways that therapeutic is also, but a therapist is more likely lead you to the solutions to your problems, based on your own interpretation of the situation, while a coach may actively point out to you the directions that he or she feels will help you.

A coach is more likely to help you with matters of practicality than would a therapist, such as how to organize better your schedule, home or budget, where to go for financial advice, what possible job changes you might consider. A coach can be a type teacher for the individual seeking support.

Although therapist may be important, useful and productive in terms of their approach to healing, a coach, in a instructive capacity, may serve a different function, may helping an individual with bipolar disorder in particular, in ways that are both therapeutic and practical. Note that, although therapy is important, teaching skills is important, as well.

Coaches with Specific Specialties

There are life coaches as well as coaches specific to such disorders as ADHD, and some who specialize in bipolar disorder. Coaches can help teach skills that are practical and useful. Due to the labeling and stigmatization associated with mental illness, many of those suffering from mental illness may have somewhat social skills which need refining.

This may partially be a result of being isolated from others who do not understand or accept their unique problems and personal dilemmas. Feeling that you are the only one out there with these issues, or that no one understands can contribute to inner turmoil. If there are at least one or two people who really do understand, and who have some experience with similar situations, it can do much to lessen the feeling of social isolation.

This type of support can also be achieved through various support groups, however, for some individual support from those who do not themselves have bipolar disorder, might be of help in lessening the feeling of being mentally disabled in some way, or of regression into the world of the mentally ill. In other words, it creates a psychological mental path of stretching out of mental illness, rather than of acceptance of a permanent disability, by maintaining stronger contact with supportive individuals who are not directly part of the mental health system.

Stages of Social Development and How it Relates to Teenagers

Psychoanalytic theorist Erik Erikson created a psychological theory that focused on social development. The stages that he outlined were as follows:

One should note that mental health disorders, such as bipolar disorder, most often begins manifesting itself in one’s late adolescence or early adulthood. For this reason, the crises of "Identity versus Role Confusion" and "Intimacy versus Isolation" may not be resolved well in a person with mental health difficulties when the onset is in late childhood and early adulthood. This means that one might lack a solid identity, and one might feel very isolated, not only due to other people's perhaps unwelcoming tolerance towards those with mental health disorders, but also due to factors of related to healthy social development.

Assistance Developing Social Skills

Note that a counselor, (which is different from a coach) in particular, can work with you in improving your social skills, not only by modeling appropriate social skills for you, but in advising you in terms of the meaning of social interactions, and in role playing with you difficult situations concerning self-disclosure to others regarding mental health difficulties. It is important to know that you must not assume an identity as a "mentally ill person", thus accepting a permanent label, and it is also important that not to isolate yourself, but pursue and maintain healthy, "normal" social relationships.

Employment of a coach can be an aid to greater social development and integration.

Negotiate Self-Disclosure Gradually

In terms of honesty and mental health disorders, in addition to getting support from a coach and/or a therapist, one should learn how to negotiate self-disclosure with one’s friends and acquaintances, if one wants to share with them one’s circumstances as it relates to bipolar disorder. This can entail self-revelation that is tentative, incremental and gradual. Many people will accept a mental disorder in another, but the way that it is disclosed may be of significant importance.

It should be noted, that it is not necessary to disclose details surrounding one’s mental health condition with everyone. By having a few individuals with whom you can regularly talk openly about mental health issues, such as a coach, someone who might be available by phone at convenient times, it can relive the individual with bipolar disorder from feeling he needs to talk about mental health issues with those with whom there really is no need to discuss such matters.

Support Should be Provided by Family and Friends for Any Family Member who Displays Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder.

Additionally, for those who are friends, family and acquaintances of individuals with bipolar disorder, it should be noted that supportive, concerned and understanding friends are of much value. One supportive friend and one-time mentor of an adolescent with serious mental health difficulties, built a successful relationship with the struggling adolescent by not addressing issues from the standpoint of a mental health disorder, she addressed issues with the adolescent as she would anyone else. In other words, she treated the adolescent who had been labeled with a mental health disorder, as she would anyone else. The adolescent appreciated it, she was being patronized, but afforded respect, honest and frankness, and it served to be both therapeutic and productive.

Conclusion on Help for Bipolar Disorder and Coaching

Receiving coaching for Bipolar Disorder from a life coach, then, can be enormously helpful, whether that be a life coach who specializes with individuals who have been labeled with bipolar disorder or otherwise. If you have any difficulty in finding a specialized bipolar disorder coach, a coach who is trained in working with clients who have been diagnosed with ADHD might also work well.

Many of the issues that such a coach may address can be related to both bipolar disorder and ADHD, as these two diagnoses can have similar some similar symptoms or can be perceived as running concurrently. Overall, support from a coach, in addition to a therapist may be ideal, but utilizing a coach without conjunctive therapy may result in substantial benefits as well.

References for Help for Bipolar Disorder - Coaching

1. Fleming, J., Ph.D. 2004. Erikson’s Psychosocial Developmental Stages. Southwest Psychometrics and Psychology Resources. http://swppr.com/Textbook/Ch%209%20Erikson.pdf

2. Green, S. Ph.D. June, 2007. Evidence Based Life Coaching: Psychologists Wanted. Australian Psychological Society. http://www.psychology.org.au/publications/inpsych/life_coaching/

3. Rubin, M. 2011. Bipolar Life Coach. http://www.marcyrubin.com/Bipolar_Life_Coach_Home_Pag.html

Other Resources for Help with Bipolar Disorder - Coaching (off-site)

1. How to Overcome Bipolar Disorder Through Self-Help Methods.

2. Murray,G., Suto, M., Hole, R., Hale, S., Amari, E., Michalak, E. E.(2010). Self-Management Strategies Used by ‘High Functioning’ Individuals with Bipolar Disorder: From Research to Clinical Practice. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy. Wiley Interscience.

3. Self Help in Mental Health: 10 Healthy Ideas to Manage Life's Pressures. Mental Health America.

4. STRESS: COPING WITH EVERYDAY PROBLEMS. (2012). Mental Health America.

Other Resources, Books, for Bipolar Disorder

New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder: Your Friendly, Authoritative Guide to the Latest in Traditional and Complementary Solutions Jan Fawcett, Bernard Golden, Nancy Rosenfeld

Why some get worse rather than better taking antidepressants and precautions. Seeing both sides of atypical antipsychotics, and other medications that affect neurotransmitters; effective lifestyle changes, coping with stigma; guide to various forms of psychotherpay.

Drawing Together to Manage Anger, by Marge Eaton Heegaard
Drawing Together to Manage Anger has very helpful ideas in anger management. The more we get away from violence of all types, it can be of help in controlling anger. Art captures the eyes in a kind way, and can help some to develop self-control, especially when combined with other positive lifestyle changes and attention to spiritual and social needs.

Pages Related to Help for Bipolar Disorder - Coaching (on-site)

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Bipolar Disorder and Antidepressants

Bipolar Disorder and Children, Sharna Olfman

Bipolar Disorder Treatment, Children and Teens

Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder Overdiagnosed

Self Help for Bipolar Disorder

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