What do you think?
Rate this book
Mindfulness for Bipolar Disorder: How Mindfulness and Neuroscience Can Help You Manage Your Bipolar Symptoms
In Mindfulness for Bipolar Disorder, psychiatrist and neuroscientist William R. Marchand provides an innovative, breakthrough program based in neuroscience and mindfulness practices to help you find relief from your bipolar symptoms.
If you have bipolar disorder, you may experience feelings of mania or high energy, followed by periods of depression and sadness. These unusual shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels can make it extremely difficult to carry out day-to-day tasks—and ultimately reach your goals. Finding balance may be a daily struggle, even if you are on medication or in therapy. So, what else can you do to start feeling better?
Mindfulness—the act of present moment awareness—may be the missing puzzle piece in effectively treating your bipolar disorder. In the book, you will learn how to actively work through feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress in order to improve the quality of your life. Written by a prominent psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and mindfulness teacher who draws upon his research experience and personal mindfulness practice as a monk in the Soto Zen tradition, this book will provide you with the tools needed to get your symptoms under control.
If you’ve sought treatment for bipolar disorder but are still struggling with symptoms, mindfulness may be the missing piece to solving the bipolar puzzle and taking back your life. This book will help you get started right away.
If you have bipolar disorder, you may experience feelings of mania or high energy, followed by periods of depression and sadness. These unusual shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels can make it extremely difficult to carry out day-to-day tasks—and ultimately reach your goals. Finding balance may be a daily struggle, even if you are on medication or in therapy. So, what else can you do to start feeling better?
Mindfulness—the act of present moment awareness—may be the missing puzzle piece in effectively treating your bipolar disorder. In the book, you will learn how to actively work through feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress in order to improve the quality of your life. Written by a prominent psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and mindfulness teacher who draws upon his research experience and personal mindfulness practice as a monk in the Soto Zen tradition, this book will provide you with the tools needed to get your symptoms under control.
If you’ve sought treatment for bipolar disorder but are still struggling with symptoms, mindfulness may be the missing piece to solving the bipolar puzzle and taking back your life. This book will help you get started right away.
216 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2015
63 people are currently reading
417 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 10, 2018
Mindfulness for Bipolar Disorder: How Mindfulness and Neuroscience Can Help You Manage Your Bipolar Symptoms by Dr. William R. Marchand lays out specific areas for mindfulness practices that be useful in managing bipolar disorder symptoms (and most if the book is also applicable to other mood disorders). I believe mindfulness can be a really helpful thing to incorporate into one’s life, but along with the good stuff I found a fair bit in the book that bugged me as well.
A note on language: The author talks about things like “your everyday bipolar life”, “your bipolar self”, and “being bipolar”. If people who have bipolar disorder want to talk about “being bipolar” because that’s how they conceptualize their self and their illness, that’s totally fine, but when people who don’t have a mental illness start talking about “being” bipolar/depressive/schizophrenic/anxious/personality disordered, it grates on me. It bugs me because it sounds like they’re telling us that we are our illnesses, even though it’s not up to them to define us, our identities, and where our illnesses fit in.
Ok, time to delve into the practices the book suggests.
Daily meditation practice:
This meditation is focused on breathing, and bringing the focus back to the breath any time the mind wanders. This noticing and refocusing is an important part of the practice. The breath serves as an anchor for all of the other meditations described in the book.
Targeting bipolar depression:
This chapter looks at recognizing and moving out of autopilot thinking patterns, which often serve the purpose of trying to avoid emotional discomfort. Instead, the aim is to accept the reality of the moment, unobscured by our own beliefs. By mindfully accepting depressive symptoms rather than fighting them, they are more likely to fade away on their own.
The mindful minute meditation is suggested as a regular practice three times a day plus more often as needed. It involves taking an inventory of the body, autopilot scripts that are playing, and mood, and then finding acknowledgement, acceptance, and presence.
Calming bipolar anxiety:
The book talks about confronting one’s fears of impermanence. “Being present with impermanence is the toll-free expressway to freedom from suffering. This path leads to the solution to the bipolar puzzle and the solution to the puzzle of all our lives.” In my own experience, when I’m depressed, I’m not experiencing fear about impermanence. Quite the opposite, actually; ideas of permanence get me bogged down in hopelessness. Maybe there’s a freight train blocking my toll-free expressway.
Avoidance is described as a cause of suffering, and the suggested meditation practice involves sitting with an anxiety-provoking idea. This sounds similar to imaginal exposure work. The steps in the meditation are:
1) Focus on breath as an anchor for around 5 minutes.
2) Bring into awareness a moderately anxiety-provoking situation.
3) Observe what happens, including thoughts and bodily sensations. Notice when shifts to autopilot occur and then refocus.
4) Watch anxiety begin to fade. However, don’t hold onto a preference for it to go away.
Observing your thinking pattern:
This chapter focuses on autopilot, an idea that’s similar to negative automatic thoughts in cognitive behavioural therapy. Autopilot learns from our past experiences, and one of its jobs is to protect us from getting hurt. While this can be useful at times, it can prevent us from taking risks and lead to us getting stuck. It’s useful to recognize how much we’re driven by autopilot, and see autopilots as just thoughts that are neither good nor bad. Rather than suppressing them, we should try to be fully present.
The steps of the recommended meditation are:
1) Focus on the breath.
2) Expand awareness to physical sensations and then sensory input.
3) Watch your thoughts like clouds in the sky.
4) Relax in mindful awareness.
Working with mania and desire:
While desire is a major source of motivation, it can also underlie discontent and dissatisfaction. Autopilot scripts are often aimed at wanting to be different, and satisfaction doesn’t last long after desires are fulfilled. Mindfulness allows desire to be seen as empty of substance; satisfying it doesn’t lead to true happiness.
The recommended meditation involves the same first 2 steps as in the previous chapter. Then you bring a desire-provoking situation to mind, imagine an open space in your awareness where it can be present, and notice what arises in you.
Managing irritability and anger:
In this chapter, thoughts and emotions related to desire and aversion are identified as causing the most problems in bipolar disorder. It’s important to learn to be present with these emotions rather than try to suppress them, and recognize that thoughts and emotions don’t define who we are as people.
Mindfulness is presented as a way to find freedom from fearing your symptoms; it is this fear that tends to trigger autopilot. The author goes so far as to suggest welcoming your symptoms, since they’re present anyway, and this will make it more likely that they will move along. I’m uncomfortable with this choice of words, as I see a considerable difference between accepting what is and actively welcoming it to come and join the party.
Rethinking your bipolar self:
Mindfulness gives distance from thoughts about self, which can fluctuate and often become more frequent with depression and mania; instead, these thoughts are allowed to just run in the background. Mindfulness can allow you to be less attached to your own viewpoint, moving from an egocentric to a wider perspective.
The author explains that, “The answer to suffering is to move into mindful awareness, where you can be fully present with reality without needing to fix or change it.” I think this is overly simplistic, and based on some of the other books I’ve read recently (A Fearless Heart and The Book of Joy), compassion is a major piece that’s missing here.
Furthermore, mindfulness “means experiencing at a deep level that, in each moment, the universe and everything in it – including you – is perfect as it is.” From where I stand this is a load of crap. It’s quite a large leap from acceptance to perfection. If you consider the Buddhist idea that compassion is a wish for others and the self to be free from suffering, to see everything as perfect in the moment appears to deny the suffering of others and thus is an uncompassionate stance.
Being bipolar and happy:
In this chapter, Dr. Marchand writes that ,“Mindfulness can teach you to view your illness as a gift.” While it seems that what he’s trying to say is that there are things we gain from our illness experience, in my mind calling it a gift makes light of the very real pain and suffering people with mental illness and their loved ones experience. Acceptance of the illness can be a powerful thing, and can allow us to see that there are things we gain from our illness, but that is very different from framing it as a gift.
Happiness is presented as something that “is always available to you right here and now… From the viewpoint of mindful awareness you can be happy and joyful in this very moment… That is the gift of mindfulness.” I’ve ranted before about the idea that happiness is a choice. I’m not saying that mindfulness can’t make it easier to find happiness, but I strongly disagree with the assertion that happiness is always available to everyone at any given moment if you only think in the right way. According to Dr. Marchand, this is as simple as doing a meditation that begins with the breath, then expands the awareness, and “now allow happiness and joy to arise”. The ad slogan “thanks, Captain Obvious” jumps to mind. How remarkably unhelpful.
So in the end, for me the irksome in this book tended to drown out the good, but I still believe in the benefits of mindfulness, and I’m going to continue to work on incorporating it into my life.
Originally published on Mental Health At Home
https://mentalhealthathome.wordpress....
A note on language: The author talks about things like “your everyday bipolar life”, “your bipolar self”, and “being bipolar”. If people who have bipolar disorder want to talk about “being bipolar” because that’s how they conceptualize their self and their illness, that’s totally fine, but when people who don’t have a mental illness start talking about “being” bipolar/depressive/schizophrenic/anxious/personality disordered, it grates on me. It bugs me because it sounds like they’re telling us that we are our illnesses, even though it’s not up to them to define us, our identities, and where our illnesses fit in.
Ok, time to delve into the practices the book suggests.
Daily meditation practice:
This meditation is focused on breathing, and bringing the focus back to the breath any time the mind wanders. This noticing and refocusing is an important part of the practice. The breath serves as an anchor for all of the other meditations described in the book.
Targeting bipolar depression:
This chapter looks at recognizing and moving out of autopilot thinking patterns, which often serve the purpose of trying to avoid emotional discomfort. Instead, the aim is to accept the reality of the moment, unobscured by our own beliefs. By mindfully accepting depressive symptoms rather than fighting them, they are more likely to fade away on their own.
The mindful minute meditation is suggested as a regular practice three times a day plus more often as needed. It involves taking an inventory of the body, autopilot scripts that are playing, and mood, and then finding acknowledgement, acceptance, and presence.
Calming bipolar anxiety:
The book talks about confronting one’s fears of impermanence. “Being present with impermanence is the toll-free expressway to freedom from suffering. This path leads to the solution to the bipolar puzzle and the solution to the puzzle of all our lives.” In my own experience, when I’m depressed, I’m not experiencing fear about impermanence. Quite the opposite, actually; ideas of permanence get me bogged down in hopelessness. Maybe there’s a freight train blocking my toll-free expressway.
Avoidance is described as a cause of suffering, and the suggested meditation practice involves sitting with an anxiety-provoking idea. This sounds similar to imaginal exposure work. The steps in the meditation are:
1) Focus on breath as an anchor for around 5 minutes.
2) Bring into awareness a moderately anxiety-provoking situation.
3) Observe what happens, including thoughts and bodily sensations. Notice when shifts to autopilot occur and then refocus.
4) Watch anxiety begin to fade. However, don’t hold onto a preference for it to go away.
Observing your thinking pattern:
This chapter focuses on autopilot, an idea that’s similar to negative automatic thoughts in cognitive behavioural therapy. Autopilot learns from our past experiences, and one of its jobs is to protect us from getting hurt. While this can be useful at times, it can prevent us from taking risks and lead to us getting stuck. It’s useful to recognize how much we’re driven by autopilot, and see autopilots as just thoughts that are neither good nor bad. Rather than suppressing them, we should try to be fully present.
The steps of the recommended meditation are:
1) Focus on the breath.
2) Expand awareness to physical sensations and then sensory input.
3) Watch your thoughts like clouds in the sky.
4) Relax in mindful awareness.
Working with mania and desire:
While desire is a major source of motivation, it can also underlie discontent and dissatisfaction. Autopilot scripts are often aimed at wanting to be different, and satisfaction doesn’t last long after desires are fulfilled. Mindfulness allows desire to be seen as empty of substance; satisfying it doesn’t lead to true happiness.
The recommended meditation involves the same first 2 steps as in the previous chapter. Then you bring a desire-provoking situation to mind, imagine an open space in your awareness where it can be present, and notice what arises in you.
Managing irritability and anger:
In this chapter, thoughts and emotions related to desire and aversion are identified as causing the most problems in bipolar disorder. It’s important to learn to be present with these emotions rather than try to suppress them, and recognize that thoughts and emotions don’t define who we are as people.
Mindfulness is presented as a way to find freedom from fearing your symptoms; it is this fear that tends to trigger autopilot. The author goes so far as to suggest welcoming your symptoms, since they’re present anyway, and this will make it more likely that they will move along. I’m uncomfortable with this choice of words, as I see a considerable difference between accepting what is and actively welcoming it to come and join the party.
Rethinking your bipolar self:
Mindfulness gives distance from thoughts about self, which can fluctuate and often become more frequent with depression and mania; instead, these thoughts are allowed to just run in the background. Mindfulness can allow you to be less attached to your own viewpoint, moving from an egocentric to a wider perspective.
The author explains that, “The answer to suffering is to move into mindful awareness, where you can be fully present with reality without needing to fix or change it.” I think this is overly simplistic, and based on some of the other books I’ve read recently (A Fearless Heart and The Book of Joy), compassion is a major piece that’s missing here.
Furthermore, mindfulness “means experiencing at a deep level that, in each moment, the universe and everything in it – including you – is perfect as it is.” From where I stand this is a load of crap. It’s quite a large leap from acceptance to perfection. If you consider the Buddhist idea that compassion is a wish for others and the self to be free from suffering, to see everything as perfect in the moment appears to deny the suffering of others and thus is an uncompassionate stance.
Being bipolar and happy:
In this chapter, Dr. Marchand writes that ,“Mindfulness can teach you to view your illness as a gift.” While it seems that what he’s trying to say is that there are things we gain from our illness experience, in my mind calling it a gift makes light of the very real pain and suffering people with mental illness and their loved ones experience. Acceptance of the illness can be a powerful thing, and can allow us to see that there are things we gain from our illness, but that is very different from framing it as a gift.
Happiness is presented as something that “is always available to you right here and now… From the viewpoint of mindful awareness you can be happy and joyful in this very moment… That is the gift of mindfulness.” I’ve ranted before about the idea that happiness is a choice. I’m not saying that mindfulness can’t make it easier to find happiness, but I strongly disagree with the assertion that happiness is always available to everyone at any given moment if you only think in the right way. According to Dr. Marchand, this is as simple as doing a meditation that begins with the breath, then expands the awareness, and “now allow happiness and joy to arise”. The ad slogan “thanks, Captain Obvious” jumps to mind. How remarkably unhelpful.
So in the end, for me the irksome in this book tended to drown out the good, but I still believe in the benefits of mindfulness, and I’m going to continue to work on incorporating it into my life.
Originally published on Mental Health At Home
https://mentalhealthathome.wordpress....
September 16, 2021
I don't have bipolar but I am a mindfulness and meditation teacher and try to keep reading around the subject and learning new things.
This was fascinating to get the basics of mindfulness but in a very scientific way. Learning the psychological definition of bipolar and how mindfulness can be specifically applied was also interesting.
This was fascinating to get the basics of mindfulness but in a very scientific way. Learning the psychological definition of bipolar and how mindfulness can be specifically applied was also interesting.
May 15, 2017
This is essentially an empowering book . Clear and precise explanations are given for the practice of mindfulness techniques in everyday life. As such, you dont have to be bipolar to benefit from most of these exercises.
February 7, 2021
I mostly enjoyed this book.
I like how this book is sectioned and divided; very well written with great explanations and proven points. In the first part (while explaining the BD and its subtypes), the author included and listed other researches which I respect so much! So, it is not one of those it-is-because-I-say-it-is self help books.
I, also, enjoyed chapter 2 where the author explains genetics, brain structure, neurons, brain functioning, and how it is related to BD. It changed my perspective when reading and learning about BD from the scientific field, not only talking and reading about the causes of BD.
Now...
The whole point of the book is a mindfulness plan or basically - meditation. The author explains the autopilot thoughts or monkey mind and never expresses his attitude towards it – he even emphasizes several times that it is not bad or good. But, the negative attitude is clear since the monkey mind serves as something that meditation or mindfulness is „fighting“ against.
The author focuses on depression, anxiety, desire/mania which are all causes of BD, but sometimes I felt like BD is not part of the book and it is gone out of the blue and „everyone should read this book“, so I was lost at some moments.
However, I like the idea of the mindfulness plan – being aware of the present moment and I think that meditation is very well and thoroughly described, as well as explained.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with BD, but even if you are not – it will make you understand your mind and your thoughts.
I like how this book is sectioned and divided; very well written with great explanations and proven points. In the first part (while explaining the BD and its subtypes), the author included and listed other researches which I respect so much! So, it is not one of those it-is-because-I-say-it-is self help books.
I, also, enjoyed chapter 2 where the author explains genetics, brain structure, neurons, brain functioning, and how it is related to BD. It changed my perspective when reading and learning about BD from the scientific field, not only talking and reading about the causes of BD.
Now...
The whole point of the book is a mindfulness plan or basically - meditation. The author explains the autopilot thoughts or monkey mind and never expresses his attitude towards it – he even emphasizes several times that it is not bad or good. But, the negative attitude is clear since the monkey mind serves as something that meditation or mindfulness is „fighting“ against.
The author focuses on depression, anxiety, desire/mania which are all causes of BD, but sometimes I felt like BD is not part of the book and it is gone out of the blue and „everyone should read this book“, so I was lost at some moments.
However, I like the idea of the mindfulness plan – being aware of the present moment and I think that meditation is very well and thoroughly described, as well as explained.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with BD, but even if you are not – it will make you understand your mind and your thoughts.
May 30, 2015
The BEST in its class. This you've got to read. Excellent book with tools that are unparalleled. Easy to read, definitely not boring. Written for REAL people in a way that is easily relatable. Also has meditations and anecdotes, which are wonderful. Five stars. I say get it today. Worth the investment.
May 30, 2015
Insightful, Inspiring. Fast moving. Leaves you with tools your didn't even know existed. My friend shared this book with me and I'm so glad I read it. Now I see why mindfulness can change everything. Thank you for writing this, Dr. Marchand. Now to decide what to read next!
March 14, 2019
Great read. While at times the book oversimplifies the intricacies of living with bipolar disorder, it does well on its introduction of mindfulness as a coping tool. The chapters are scaffolded to ease the reader into the elements of mindfulness and attempts to provide a clear outline of bipolar disorder at all ranges of its spectrum. At times, however, descriptions and details were drawn out beyond need. Thus, the content often dipped into redundancies. The scenarios, though useful at surface level, lacked the depth and intimacy needed to allow meaningful/human connections for the reader. The narratives do well providing context and initial meaning, but the lack of detail around the subjects’ experiences—successes, hurdles, and failures— idealize the outcome and limit/ exaggerate the possibilities of mindfulness as a coping mechanism. In some sections, this lack of detail and overarching optimism, patronized the very intricate, very intense and difficult to overcome symptoms of bipolar disorder. Granted, bipolar disorder is not monolithic, making it very difficult to outline it with exact precision. Yet, It is because of this fact that it is crucial to provide malleable paradigms when contextualizing the syndrome. I began using mindful meditation to cope with anxiety symptoms about a year ago. Overall, the book expanded my perspective in relation to mindfulness and how I can apply it to alleviate specific symptoms at specific times. Mindfulness for Bipolar Disorder: How Mindfulness and Neuroscience Can Help You Manage Your Bipolar Symptoms
December 8, 2020
For someone who has been managing for 13 years, growing, stumbling back again, with my own mental conditions this book had some insightful points. In particular "autopilot" mentality was a big eye opener. Naming the voice and the cycle of thoughts that distract me from living and loving the moment. Mindfulness is interesting 1. applying it in today's world of 2.8 million things seemingly going on in our lives. Practicing it through meditation is something that I've tried, like in the past but fell off the habit.
The environmental factors of your life are much less the reason or less impactful in our lives than our own minds and thoughts. That is a big big factor I pulled from this book.
I'm going to try to incorporate this into my life. Saturdays and Sundays why can't I focus on that for a starting point?
I am not jealous as much as wishful the World was a different place in its understanding of mental illnesses when I was going through the worst patches. If you're not doing well and or managing your conditions, stop the bs "being strong" mentality. Read this book and never stop learning and trying to improve your life through understanding something that will be a part of you for your whole life.
This book only has 179 pages of story content. The others are great exercises to work through.
The environmental factors of your life are much less the reason or less impactful in our lives than our own minds and thoughts. That is a big big factor I pulled from this book.
I'm going to try to incorporate this into my life. Saturdays and Sundays why can't I focus on that for a starting point?
I am not jealous as much as wishful the World was a different place in its understanding of mental illnesses when I was going through the worst patches. If you're not doing well and or managing your conditions, stop the bs "being strong" mentality. Read this book and never stop learning and trying to improve your life through understanding something that will be a part of you for your whole life.
This book only has 179 pages of story content. The others are great exercises to work through.
April 7, 2023
2.5 rounded up
I'm having a hard time rating this because of my mixed results/feelings.
I may go back and try the deeper stuff again.
There were very simple and quick meditations that I could understand and that were somewhat effective. The meditation and mindfulness techniques I have learned in group and with a therapist were traditional and when I finished we moved on to something else, rather talking about the experience. The beginning of the book was not like that at all and I started out feeling really encouraged.
Unfortunately by the end I felt overwhelmed and frustrated.
For me it felt like:
Just do these meditations and you'll feel better.
Stop being in "auto pilot" and change your perspective.
You'll be happy.
Why aren't you happy yet?
I guess my perspective on perspective is needed some help.
I'm having a hard time rating this because of my mixed results/feelings.
I may go back and try the deeper stuff again.
There were very simple and quick meditations that I could understand and that were somewhat effective. The meditation and mindfulness techniques I have learned in group and with a therapist were traditional and when I finished we moved on to something else, rather talking about the experience. The beginning of the book was not like that at all and I started out feeling really encouraged.
Unfortunately by the end I felt overwhelmed and frustrated.
For me it felt like:
Just do these meditations and you'll feel better.
Stop being in "auto pilot" and change your perspective.
You'll be happy.
Why aren't you happy yet?
I guess my perspective on perspective is needed some help.
August 26, 2019
This book has helped me a great deal with my ongoing recovery from bipolar disorder and I will be rereading it. It has helped me to better understand the auto-pilot thinking I go through, and it has aided my meditation practice.
January 29, 2018
the context stood in th this book about neuroplasticity and meditation was useful, but a lot of the attitude throughout is kind of " do this thing and everything will be ok!"
September 13, 2019
I enjoyed this presentation of mindfulness meditation. It was an easy read, and the mindful minute exercise has been particularly useful.
April 25, 2021
this was interesting.
November 16, 2021
3 1/2 out of 5 stars
January 27, 2022
The book has a lot of excellent information but it is very slow to read. I kept picking it up and putting it down rather than reading it all the way through.
February 16, 2024
I loved the information. I will definitely read this book again.
July 4, 2022
I thought this book did exactly what it set out to do. It is an excellent resource for individuals with bipolar and other mental illnesses. I think the author covered mindfulness with great detail and helped it feel like something anyone can apply. I also appreciated how he described how to use mindfulness to manage specific aspects of bipolar (mania, anxiety, depression, etc).
July 13, 2023
I do have Bipolar II, and I’ve now read this book twice, with excitement and high hopes at the start, and disappointment and a deeper depression at the end.
Truly sitting with and fully experiencing my most negative feelings has yet to give me any freedom - rather I find myself being sucked deeper into the pit.
I find (healthy) distraction is a much more effective tool for depression. And when I’m manic - sitting mindfully - you’ve got to be kidding!
I do practice Mindfulness when my mood is stable and I find it very beneficial.
However in my practical experience, at the extremes of this illness Mindfulness is not helpful. Yet another false hope.
Truly sitting with and fully experiencing my most negative feelings has yet to give me any freedom - rather I find myself being sucked deeper into the pit.
I find (healthy) distraction is a much more effective tool for depression. And when I’m manic - sitting mindfully - you’ve got to be kidding!
I do practice Mindfulness when my mood is stable and I find it very beneficial.
However in my practical experience, at the extremes of this illness Mindfulness is not helpful. Yet another false hope.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews