http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness-based_cognitive_therapy

Maybe the best thing you could do would be to read up on mindfulness technique by Jon Kabot Zinn. He has some great books on amazon used not so expensive.

thanks yall for responding it was very informative. really appreciate it. :)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a process to change they way you perceive yourself and situations. It operates on the belief that your beliefs and interpretations of your world influence your mood. You feel the way you think. If you judge yourself poorly then you will dislike yourself and have low self-esteem. If you perceive something as a threat, you will react aggressively.

I find that one of my biggest fears (and issue) as someone with bipolar is that I interpret situations and events differently than they really are. Or at least differently than the others involved do. This leads to exaggerated and/or inappropriate responses. When I recognize that this has happened, I feel more crazy..and the cycle begins again.

CBT helps you curb your crazy...so to speak.

I find mindfulness to be an exercise in self-awareness. I could be wrong, but I belief the first step is finding a calmness inside...however that works for you and then fully and wholeheartedly taking responsibility for yourself by being aware of yourself and practicing empathy and forgiving yourself and other people for the wrongs you perceive.

Observing, accepting, learning, and moving on...and refraining from being arrogant about it.

DBT I like better than CBT. It includes mindfulness, teaching yourself to tolerate distressing moments of life, how to soothe yourself.
Try this website http://www.dbtselfhelp.com/html/dbt_skills__defined_.html
CBT is okay. It goes into the relationships between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Try this website
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=About_Treatments_and_Supports&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=7952
I hope this helps. To me, DBT is better but I have used both at different moments in my illness.
The NAMI website is a good way to research meds, therapies, illnesses.

ACT is very good for intrusive thoughts and breaking up other unwanted thoughts etc. Is even a extremely long post on DS on someones experience and knowlegde on it dealing with all things chronic pain. So give an example of how powerful that mindfulness treatment is. As with all good posts on DS for some reason was closed down http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Chronic_Pain/forum/14047175-acceptance-and-commitment-therapy-act

Been awhile since I read that post but one self help book to read based on it is The Happiness Trap - Dr Russ Harris. Is a post by someone here raving on it in the archives. But struggling to do much at the moment never mind a serious search.

A book I read before I tried CBT that my CBT therapist put me on to the happiness trap and ACT was Stop thinking Start living - Richard Carlson. It'll give a sort idea of what your trying to get to with the mindfulness approaches.

I'm all about taking tools that work - from many programs!

Alanon and the 12 steps, taught me how to live - when life sucks.

CBT, DBT and the like - teach me how to remove triggers, that always sabotage me...

For me, wishing my thoughts would change - and actions follow, didn't work. I had to force change and pracitise removing thoughts or taking their power away - and even thought it is hard - to change our own behavior, it works!

Its gets easier and easier, I still lose the plot - but a lot less, and shorter bouts! Sometimes I catch myself in the middle, or recognize what I didn't try, or do - afterwards... but reflection, setting up tools to work Before - well, that is hope to me! Removing triggers and try and not suffer....... pain, well that is inevitable, not swinging or stay stuck there - rewards!

I agree NAMI has lots of info on many, including their own Peer-to-Peer class, with a strategy of skills to improve our lives - all free too! MI - is expensive!

My tool box - is a big mixture of what works for ME - a big one, the Serenity Prayer - I use it like Q&A - What can't I change? Other people .... what can I change, or work on - ME! Wisdom, comes with growing pains, and doing things different - then I WANT TOO! LOL My brain is totally against me, hence I know its a Mental Illness - because it makes no sense! I'm smart and hard working, I refuse to let depression and bipolar - convince me, I'm NOT! Oy, hard work - but worth it!!!!! ((((BIG HUG))))

Looking for choices and solutions? That is hope, and more control, more peace, more of a life.. : )

Sorry, love trying and fighting this dis-ease! I tend to go on and on, as I have tried and failed, learned and grown..... It CAN get better, and the IT is YOU!!!! : )

CBT has some good uses, but I think that DBT and ACT have been far more helpful for me. McKay has a book that combines the best of CBT, DBT, and ACT (Mind and Emotions), and I really like it.

Mindfulness is about being present in the moment. I use it a lot for grounding myself and calming myself down during panic attacks. It can be as simple as listing all the colors you see, feeling different textures, or doing some deep breathing and concentrating on the breath!

yall are awesome. I never knew there was so much out there in different therapies, I had hit a roadblock and now I have hope and more looking to do. BIG HUGS for everyone!

Did CBT for years with different therapist, for me it didn't help.
I tried DBT once, but got very frustrated, because I found myself not being able to put DBT into practice, it frustrated me, because I am very impulsive, and before I realize it I'm out of control, and I was told to focus on the flame of a candle, count five things in a room, meditate.
When I'm out of control, I can't concentrate, so it only frustrated me.
Clonopin helps. A lot of folks have success with DBT, its kindof the in vogue therapy presently.