Sweetie, this is a very difficult question. Therapist cant "treat" bipolar disorder. They can work with us to help us discover where our "behaviors" come from and how to either understand them and learn to live with them or change them to better ourselves.

In the earlier years of my treatment I went through alot of behavior therapies. Even when some of them were not specifically designed for my diagnosis or disorder, I learned a great deal from them. (CBT,DBT,EFT and something my first therapist called cognitive behavioral modification.) I did alot of digging into my past to discover if my environement influenced my behaviors, which they did. Through all of this, I eventually uncovered and worked with my behaviors and was better able to tell what was "me" and what was "the disorder". That has been the greatest accomplishment for me as my disorder may be integrated into my life but it is not my identity and I can discern the difference.

Work WITH your therapist and let her lead you for a while. Take some time to look into your past history and where it took you. It may benefit you more than you know. Your therapists major role is to "guide" you, not tell you or teach you. xo

tats, I recently discovered that I have both bpd and bipolar disorder. The bipolar disorder causes chemical imbalances while borderline personality disorder is more reactive to certain situations. Perhaps, your therapist is only seeing part of the picture? Maybe you should talk to him/her before getting a new one - explaining how you feel.

**GOOD LUCK AND GIANT HUGS**

IMHO, if you aren't comfortable with the therapist you have, get a new therapist.

is your therapist your pdoc?-my pdoc sent me to a therapist who taught me cognitive behavior techniques-my pdoc taught me how to do mood sheets-i'm very happy with my help but sometimes when i'm having a bad day i like to blame the doctors-the botom line is you have to do what you feel comfortable doing

I agree with Cammiecat, if you aren't comfortable with your therapist, you will never be able to make any progress. Mine is great and helps me, as Shelly said, try to identify which is me and which is the BP and helps me try to recognize triggers, etc. If I was not comfortable with her, none of that would make any difference.

Good luck with finding a new therapist.
hugs

No, I have a pdoc and a therapist...md

I am reading all the posts...

Mind is just a going....

I'm beginning to feel like she just doesn't understand bipolar disorder and it's makings. I think I need someone who will say...."hey I feel this is the bipolar talking here, let work on this"...you know?? Maybe I'm looking for reassurance since I seem to still get angry with the illness. I don't know...

I still get angry with this illness too, you are not alone in that thought.

Tats, it is very important that your therapist be familiar with bipolar disorder for her to be able to help you. I wish there was an easy way to explain what I want to say. Bipolar disorder is a "chemical" change that causes us to have episodes. There are many factors in our life that can "trigger" those chemical changes. Sometimes, we have developed learned behaviors, reactions from ptsd, personality characteristics etc. that can contribute to these triggers and the chemical changes. It just isnt as simple as seperating BP and us. It is a matter of figuring out how it is integrated and how to best live with it.

Sometimes, by working on the other things first and eliminating them, we can discover what our triggers are and why we have those specific triggers. It has always been a work in progress for me and the process has been extremely beneficial for me in managing my disorder.

If you are not comfortable with your therapist and you dont feel you can talk to her openly, then a new one is probably a good choice. However, if you believe that maybe she just isnt going in the direction you think she should, you might want to openly discuss it with her first before starting all over with a new one. Be honest and tell her how you feel. Ask her how experienced she is with BP and exactly where she is trying to guide you. Part of our biggest stumbling block in therapy is not being open with our therapist and not being honest. We will get out of therapy what we put into it and it isnt always easy to know what that should be.

I agree with Shelly and the others about having a therapist you are comfortable with and one that is knowledgeable about BP. Believe me it makes all the difference in the world. I think a therapist needs to acknowledge and understand the effects of BP on a person while working with them. I had a wonderful therapist but I wasn't getting what I needed from her so I found a new one that specializes in mood disorders. My past experiences can come into play but it's usually when I am in a depressed phase that they really bother me and things get dark but when I am feeling good those same things just seem to roll off my back. I know the difference and I understand exactly what you are saying. I can totally relate to your doubting the diagnosis when feeling well too. Good luck in whatever decision you make about therapy.