Balance and Connection: Bipolar Disorder and Psychoanalysis in Psychiatric Practice

Bipolar disorder comprises a pattern of symptoms characterised by disproportionate changes in mood, possible psychosis and various other symptoms at different times. Biopsychosocial management approaches often involve medication (e.g. lithium), psychological therapy (e.g. cognitive-behaviour therapy) and social interventions (e.g. social work support). Psychoanalytic contributions to the understanding of bipolar disorder have come from a range of therapists, including Karl Abraham, Sigmund Freud, Otto Fenichel and others. In recent years, emphasis has been placed on identifying the defence mechanisms most commonly associated with mania, and the relationship between pharmacological and psychoanalytic approaches to the disorder (e.g. links between lithium blood levels and mental processes).…