Bipolar disorder is a condition in which people go back and forth between periods of a very good or irritable mood and depression. Used in conjunction with mood stabilizing medications, cognitive behavioral therapy is useful in treating conditions like bipolar disorder. The symptoms of bipolar disorder can hurt your job and school performance, damage your relationships, and disrupt your daily life. Recognizing the problem is the first step to getting it under control. The most effective treatment strategy for bipolar disorder involves a combination of medication, therapy, lifestyle changes, and social support. CBT can help you to make sense of overwhelming problems by breaking them down into smaller parts. This makes it easier to see how they are connected and how they affect you. How you think about a problem can affect how you feel physically and emotionally. It can also alter what you do about it. This ‘vicious circle’ can make you feel worse. CBT can help you to break this vicious circle of altered thinking, feelings and behavior.