I have begun a journey that is designed to last 21 weeks (with a short break for Easter).  So from now until August, I will be attending a new Bipolar Psychoeducation Group here in Nottingham.  Every week there are different topics to cover, and handouts and possibly even homework that I will share here, to raise awareness and share some of the experience with others.

I talked to the organizers of the group about this blog before I started it, as I felt it was important to not only get permission but to establish the ground rules that I will be abiding by.  My intent is to share knowledge and as such I will be scanning in the printouts and talking about what I learned.

This group is based off of the Barcelona Protocol, named for the city where it was started, but has been adapted to better suit the UK audience (one marked difference is that this group has a ‘peer support’ person who has already been through the course and is there to help guide the group and to model the personal sharing that they’re looking for.  (Fortunately they have me, and well, I am a bit blunt and tend to overshare.  LOL.)

Please understand that while I may be quite open about my own experiences, I will not speak about anyone else in the group.  I believe firmly in anonymity and it needs to be a safe place to discuss our lives and experiences with other people who have the same condition.

Hopefully you’ll find the documents and posts to be helpful.  Bipolar doesn’t go away, but you can still have a life.  The light at the end of the end of the tunnel isn’t always an oncoming train.

Psychoeducation.  That’s a great word, isn’t it?

Credit where it’s due:

The Barcelona Protocol Psychoeducation Manual for Bipolar Disorder adapted for use in the NHS in England.

PARADES Psychoeducation Team

Adapted from the original:

Psychoeducation Manual for Bipolar Disorder by Francesc Colom and Eduard Vieta.  Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2006.