Bipolar disorder is a type of mood disorder which can cause people to go through extreme mood shifts and changes in their thinking, feeling and energy levels.
Here at St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS), our Bipolar Recovery Programme is an online group programme that offers support and education for people living with bipolar disorder or symptoms linked with it.
The programme offers an opportunity to:
- help people to understand the bipolar experience
- enable them to identify and manage their symptoms
- improve their quality of life.
The programme uses models and principles from Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). It is run by a team of mental healthcare professionals with a wide range of experience and expertise, including cognitive behavioural therapists and psychiatric nurses. Support from a multidisciplinary team (MDT), including a consultant psychiatrist, occupational therapist, pharmacist and social worker, is also given.
Overview of the programme
There are four elements to the Bipolar Recovery Programme.
Bipolar Programme Workshop
The Bipolar Programme Workshop takes place while the service user is an inpatient in SPMHS or receiving care through our Homecare service. This single-session workshop is a chance for the service user to develop an initial understanding of bipolar disorder, the signs and symptoms, the phases of recovery, the triggers, and the treatment options available.
Bipolar Recovery Programme
The Bipolar Recovery Programme is a 10-week group programme available to outpatient service users. It involves psychoeducation, which is a process of providing people with information and education about their mental health difficulties. The programme content includes psychoeducation on recognizing changes in mood, sleep hygiene, and awareness of triggers and early warning signs. The programme also provides peer support and guidance through the group experience, which has been found to be very beneficial in the recovery process.
The programme takes place for a full day every Wednesday for ten weeks.
Bipolar Aftercare Programme
The Bipolar Aftercare Programme is a group available to people who have completed the Bipolar Recovery Programme. It gives the service user the chance to continue developing skills around managing their bipolar disorder. This group focuses on developing self-compassion and mindfulness, and provides ongoing supports for service users throughout their recovery.
This aftercare group takes place for a half day on the first Tuesday of every month.
Bipolar Seminar Series
The Bipolar Seminar Series is a series of talks covering topics relevant to people living with bipolar disorder. Its goal is to help service users to manage symptoms of bipolar disorder and their mood. The kinds of topic covered relate to maintaining recovery, managing relapse, and other areas that may be beneficial to people with mood disturbance.
The seminars take place on the third Tuesday of the month for a half day.
How to take part
GPs can refer their patients to the Bipolar Recovery Programme. An MDT can also refer inpatient service users in SPMHS to take part in the programme. The programme team will carry out an assessment to ensure that the programme best suits the person’s needs.
The programme is delivered online through videocalls on Microsoft Teams. Assistance with online attendance is available for service users who would benefit from this.
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