Bernard Golden, Ph.D.
Posted December 2008
Bernard Golden, Ph.D. is a practicing psychologist for more than thirty years, with prior experience in psychiatric hospitals and as an Associate Professor at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology.
In 1994 Dr. Golden founded Anger Management Education (www.angermanagementeducation.com). He is the author of Healthy Anger: How to Help Children and Teens Manage Their Anger, Oxford University Press, 2003 (in Polish 2005, Spanish, 2006, Japanese, 2007); Unlock Your Creative Genius, Prometheus Books, 2006; and, coauthored New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder (Editions 1 and 2), Three Rivers Press / Random House, 2000 and 2007. He is a currently working on Anger Management with Self-Compassion and is co-author to Your Bipolar Relationship (Adams Media, winter, 2009).
1) How long have you been helping people with bipolar disorder?
Dr. Golden: I have been working with people with this disorder for over 30 years. My first clinical position was as a psychologist in a community mental health center where I completed my internship. In that role I worked predominantly on the psychiatric inpatient unit.
2) What advice do you have for a person recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder?
Dr. Golden: I emphasize that while they will face many challenges related to the diagnosis, bipolar illness can be effectively managed. Increasingly, new medication and psychotherapy treatments have been developed. In just the last ten years, research in these areas has led to medications with reduced side effects. Similarly, psychotherapy strategies have been identified that address very specific concerns and stages of the illness.
While there are still individuals who may have tried numerous medications and treatment without complete success, there is good reason to be optimistic.
I also emphasized that each individual has a personality separate and distinct from the disorder. How they react to life challenges in general, their expectations and attitudes regarding suffering, and the meaning they give to the illness will greatly impact how effectively they are able to manage the disorder.
3) What advice do you have for the family and friends of someone recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder?
Dr. Golden: I emphasize that bipolar disorder is a real illness that in most cases requires medication as part of the treatment plan. Additionally, I point out that it has a genetic predisposition and is not just a reaction to faulty parenting. It requires the family to give it the proper attention when relating to the family member who has been diagnosed. By this I mean, neither minimizing its impact, nor attributing every aspect of the person's behavior to the illness. Toward this end, I point out the valuable influence they can have in helping to insure that their loved one seeks and adheres to effective treatment. As such, they need to be mindful of whether they communicate shame or compassion in their own attitudes toward medication, mental illness, and the behaviour of their loved one.
I emphasize to the friend or family member, that to some degree, they may need to successfully mourn and grieve, just as the diagnosed individual does, the loss of a certain aspect of his or her identity. The capacity to do so reflects an emotional maturity required by anyone who has had to alter their inner template of how life "should" be in order to adjust to a new life reality.
4) What is the most common mistake that you see a person with bipolar disorder make after receiving initial or prolonged treatment (e.g. coming off medication, drug/alcohol use, etc.)?
Dr. Golden: The most common mistakes are often those related to not fully accepting the diagnosis. This may mean coming off medication when the individual is no longer in a more severe manic or depressive period. It may mean ignoring the need for routine, an important aspect of managing this illness. Not getting the proper sleep or maintaining the appropriate sleep schedule, not being actively mindful of potential triggers, and erratic adherence to medications are just a few examples of not fully accepting the diagnosis. Unfortunately, some individuals need to make many mistakes before they can more deeply accept the diagnosis.
5) In your experience, do you think it is possible for a person diagnosed with bipolar disorder to live a relatively stable and productive life once they are receiving proper treatment?
Dr. Golden: I have seen many individuals with this diagnosis live a relatively stable and productive life. As I emphasized previously, this requires that they become fully committed to the self-monitoring that is essential to proper treatment. I should also emphasize that many individuals may require several different medical consultations and trials with a range of medications before they find the appropriate treatment. While this may be extremely frustrating, the complexity of this illness and each individual's unique reaction to it must be addressed in order to obtain the appropriate treatment.
6) In your opinion, how has the mental health field changed over the past 10 years? Better or worse?
Dr. Golden: In the last ten years, there have been tremendous gains in the development of new medications for bipolar disorder. These provide the prescribing professional an expanded arsenal in what to use for various symptoms and stages of the bipolar illness.
Additionally, there has been increased research into a variety of psychotherapies that address depression, medication adherence, and motivation specific to living with bipolar disorder. There has been an evolution of cognitive therapy as reflected in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness and Behavioural Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Family therapy that also have been shown to effectively treat this illness.
Research and education have expanded the view of bipolar disorder to understand it as a range of disorders that reflect various clusters of symptoms. This has allowed for increased recognition and appropriate treatment of the illness.
Related to this fact, I am often asked my belief regarding whether the diagnosis is being overused or not sufficiently made. I answer "yes" to both of these. I believe that certain individuals are diagnosed with bipolar in error due to a lack of experience and/or knowledge of the medical professional. At the same time, stigma, that lack of knowledge, and the availability of adequate resources also interferes with individuals obtaining the proper diagnosis.
7) Anything else that you would like to add?
Dr. Golden: In my work with clients I help them become aware that they are individuals living with this illness rather than being defined by it. I help them move toward a self-view that encompasses a broad sense of self, one who happens to be faced by the illness. As such I suggest that depression is a state of being and not an identity. The more they develop and foster this attitude, the more they can experience the symptoms as unique, time-limited, experiences that are transient and can be overcome. This perspective is not based on false optimism, but a real recognition of the genuine resilience one can maintain while living with this disorder.
Website
www.angermanagementeducation.com
Published Books
New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder
By Jan Fawcett, Bernard Golden, Ph.D. and Nancy Rosenfeld
Healthy Anger: How to Help Children and Teens Manage Their Anger
By Bernard Golden, Ph.D.
Unlock Your Creative Genius
By Bernard Golden, Ph.D.
based on 1 reviews.
