Family-Focused Treatment
Wednesday September 3, 2008
In the September 2008 edition of the Archives of General Psychiatry, a research team presented findings about using family-focused treatment with teens who have bipolar disorder. For the teens and their families randomly assigned to the family-focus treatment group, they participated in 21 sessions over a 9 month period. During the sessions, the families were educated about the disorder and treatment. They participated in communication training and they worked on problem-solving skills. This study found that teens in this group spent fewer weeks in depressive episodes.
I realize I am extrapolating a bit beyond the scope of this study, but I think this emphasizes the importance of the whole family being involved in a treatment plan. Do you think family-focused treatment – therapy sessions in which the whole family participates – would help you and your family? ~ Kimberly
Comments
I started showing signs at a very young age. I went into therapy at age 13. My family didn’t get involved, I was “forced” into therapy and then a “hospital” environment so they could figure out exactly why I was so deeply affected. The problem was exacerbated when I was sent back home with no more therapy and everyone ignoring me and the abuse that was going on continued. Between my mainia and the abuse I couldn’t deal, and then the fact that my parents “ignored” the entire thing made it worse. I felt like I was the plague. If parents would get involved I think it would definitely help. For 20 years I carried a chip on my shoulder towards both of my parents because I felt they never wanted to help me help myself when I didn’t know how to. I was a child and they were adults and they expected me to have the answers I didn’t have. Proper therapy of the entire family would definitely would have helped so much more. I would have healed earlier and perhaps have gone on to accepted the proper treatment for bi-polar earlier instead of fighting it for so many years. I made it through the struggle alone but now realize that I never did anything wrong when for so many years I thought I was a bad person for being bi-polar. I now accept my disease for what it is and take excellent care of myself. I have gotten my Masters Degree and working on my PH D. I have blossomed and pray that others can find that the answer to the disease is within themselves. The peace they are looking for is within themselves. You must not let the disease control you….you must control the disease.