How Family Therapy Can Help With Your Teen's Bipolar Disorder

If you have a teenage son or daughter that has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and overcome by the diagnosis. After all, bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness that requires life-long management and treatment. However, rather than dwell on the negatives, it is important to focus on what you can do for your teen with bipolar disorder. What you may not know is that family therapy is an option that may be beneficial to your child and the family as a whole. Learn some of the ways that family therapy can help with your teen's bipolar disorder. Then, you can contact a family therapy clinic as soon as possible to get your first family appointment scheduled. 

Increased Understanding of the Disorder

One of the many benefits of family therapy for your teen with bipolar disorder is that your teen and the whole family will gain a greater understanding of the disorder. You will all learn, for example, the signs of depression and mania to watch out for in your child.

This awareness will help you all to be able to act quickly if and when an episode of depression or mania is hitting. You will be able to schedule additional therapy, reach out to a psychiatrist, or even check your child into the hospital as necessary early on in the episode. 

Better Communication Skills

Another fantastic benefit of family therapy is that you will develop better family communication skills. Your teen with bipolar disorder will learn how to communicate their thoughts and feelings to you in productive ways.

You will be able to communicate with your teen in a way that is non-threatening and supportive. All of this will lead to fewer conflicts and better management of your teen's bipolar disorder.

A Strong Safety Plan

In family therapy, you, your teen, and their therapist can work together to develop a safety plan in case of severe episodes. This plan will list out the signs to watch out for, coping strategies to use when these signs emerge, resources to contact, and even your child's reasons for living or reasons for seeking help during an episode. 

Everyone in the family should know the safety plan backward and forward and know where to find the written copy of the safety plan in case of an emergency. This will ensure that your child is as safe as possible and knows what to do if mania or depression comes along.

Family therapy can benefit your teen with bipolar disorder (and the family as a whole) in a variety of ways. Now that you know some of those ways, the next step is to contact a family therapy clinic to schedule your initial appointment.