title: Toward caring for oneself in a life of intense ups and downs: a reflexive-collaborative exploration of recovery in bipolar disorder.
abstract: In this article, we discuss processes of recovery in bipolar disorder. We utilized a hermeneutical-phenomenological approach developed within a reflexive-collaborative framework to examine what individuals do to promote improvement and positive change in their own lives. The study was designed and carried out in collaboration with an expert-by-experience group of 12 coresearchers with firsthand experiences of mental distress and recovery. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 participants who acknowledged having lived and dealt with a bipolar disorder. Four core themes were drawn from our analysis: (a) handling ambivalence about letting go of manic states; (b) finding something to hang on to when the world is spinning around; (c) becoming aware of signals from self and others; and (d) finding ways of caring for oneself. Interrelationships between the four themes, along with limitations, strengths, and implications of the study are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. marius.veseth@gmail.com
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Veseth
authors.forename: Per-Einar
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Binder
authors.forename: Marit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borg
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Davidson
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care