While medication remains the bedrock treatment for bipolar disorder, a few different types of psychotherapy have been modified especially for people with this condition. The therapies that have been tested include helping patients work on family coping and relationships; learn to understand and reorder their own distorted thinking; and develop strategies for managing mood swings.

The best therapy programs include these four common features.

* Providing a solid structure for each day
* Avoiding overstimulation and getting enough sleep
* Resolving any family conflicts that contribute to symptoms
* Learning to recognize the warning signs of manic and depressive episodes

Until quite recently talk therapy had a minor role to play in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Many patients describe hospitalizations combined with high doses of mood-flattening drugs, but little effort to understand the sometimes irrational thoughts of people with the disorder.