Overview
Group therapy provides benefits that medication alone cannot and helps improve symptoms and enhance social functioning. Group therapy can help enhance insight in bipolar patients, increase life quality, and reduce suicidal ideation. Patients who attend group therapy compared to those who don’t also report better symptoms control and less use of emergency services or need for hospitalization.
There are various benefits that group therapy offers in general for mental health treatment. These include –
It provides support. Having bipolar disorder can be a very isolating experience. Knowing others also go through similar challenges can be a huge sense of relief.
It acts as a sounding board. Group members come with various perspectives on your situation that helps you see how you come across to others, which helps you deal with problems better.
It promotes social skills.
Bipolar disorder affects a patient’s interpersonal functioning. Moreover, groups provide the playground for members to practice better social skills that enhance their relationships outside the group setting as well.
It can propel you forward. Hearing from other members about their successes can propel other group members strive harder towards managing their disorder and can also give an example of a better quality of life living with it.
It makes you aware of yourself. In a group, members hold a mirror to each other which helps members uncover their own blind spots that otherwise remain blocks in overcoming their issues.