Experienced researchers and clinicians from a wide variety of theoretical background have come together to give a comprehensive analysis of couples diagnosed with major psychopathology, personality disorders, and social challenges. Bipolar disorder, panic disorder, psychosis, sexual disfunction, physical illness, narcissisistic/borderline diagnoses --these are among the common problems addressed in this text as the contributors tackle the complex task of assessment, offering definitions, interpretations, interventions and instructive case material along the way.

Experienced researchers and clinicians from a wide variety of theoretical background have come together to give a comprehensive analysis of couples diagnosed with major psychopathology, personality disorders, and social challenges. Bipolar disorder, panic disorder, psychosis, sexual disfunction, physical illness, narcissisistic/borderline diagnoses --these are among the common problems addressed in this text as the contributors tackle the complex task of assessment, offering definitions, interpretations, interventions and instructive case material along the way.

This essential handbook describes effective treatments for a particularly challenging clinical population: couples struggling with both relationship distress and individual mental health difficulties. Distinguished scientist-practitioners provide detailed accounts of their respective approaches, reviewing conceptual and empirical foundations as well as clinical procedures. Included are well-established treatments for couples in which one or both partners has anxiety, mood disorders, schizophrenia, substance abuse, sexual dysfunction, or physical aggression. Also covered are emerging couple-based approaches to managing personality disorders, PTSD, difficulties related to aging and physical illness, and other problems. Following a standard format to facilitate comparison across treatments, each chapter is illustrated with detailed case material. Provided are powerful insights and tools for couple and family therapists, clinicians providing individual therapy, and students in any mental health discipline.

People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) can be intensely caring, warm, smart, and funny—but their behavior often drives away those closest to them. If you're struggling in a tumultuous relationship with someone with BPD, this is the book for you. Dr. Shari Manning helps you understand why your spouse, family member, or friend has such out-of-control emotions—and how to change the way you can respond. Learn to use simple yet powerful strategies that can defuse crises, establish better boundaries, and radically transform your relationship. Empathic, hopeful, and science based, this is the first book for family and friends grounded in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), the most effective treatment for BPD.

The Disordered Couple, Second Edition, focuses on couples with psychiatric disorders and/or relational disorders that significantly impact their relationship, mental health, and well-being. It is the first and only book to provide mental health professionals and trainees with cutting-edge, culturally sensitive, and evidence-based clinical strategies for working effectively with disordered couples. While maintaining its focus on disordered couples, this second edition adds several new features and considers key trends that have impacted the structure of couples and families since the original edition appeared, including the influence of social media and technology, legalization of same-sex marriage, increases in the availability of Internet pornography, and changes in societal norms regarding romantic relationships. The disorders covered reflect revisions to the DSM-5 and both psychiatric disorders and relational disorders, and the book highlights clinically relevant and culturally sensitive intervention practices for working with a wide variety of disordered couples. Chapters also include a section on specific multicultural implications for the type of couple discussed. With proven strategies for effectively assessing, conceptualizing, and implementing treatment with disordered couples, this book is an essential reference for marital, clinical, counseling, and psychiatry professionals, as well as trainees in these areas. The Disordered Couple, Second Edition, will be of great assistance to mental health professionals in providing disordered couples with the most up-to-date, culturally sensitive, and relevant clinical care.

Your partner’s attention deficit disorder (ADD) may not seem like a big deal at first, but eventually, the dynamics surrounding his or her impulsivity, forgetfulness, distractibility, and restlessness can really strain your relationship. You don’t want to act like a parent, yet you may feel like you can’t rely on your partner to get things done. Loving Someone with Attention Deficit Disorder is your guide to navigating a relationship with someone with ADD so you can create healthy boundaries while remaining sympathetic to your partner’s symptoms. An essential resource for every couple affected by ADD, this book will help you: • Understand medication and other treatments • Recover quickly when your partner’s symptoms frustrate you • Establish personal boundaries to avoid excessive caretaking • Identify and take care of your own needs so you can feel more relaxed

You hear and read a lot about ways to improve your relationship. But if you've tried these without much success, you're not alone. Many highly reactive couples—pairs that are quick to argue, anger, and blame—need more than just the run-of-the-mill relationship advice to solve their problems in love. When destructive emotions are at the heart of problems in your relationship, no amount of effective communication or intimacy building will fix what ails it. If you're part of a "high-conflict" couple, you need to get control of your emotions first, to stop making things worse, and only then work on building a better relationship. The High-Conflict Couple adapts the powerful techniques of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) into skills you can use to tame out-of-control emotions that flare up in your relationship. Using mindfulness and distress tolerance techniques, you'll learn how to deescalate angry situations before they have a chance to explode into destructive fights. Other approaches will help you disclose your fears, longings, and other vulnerabilities to your partner and validate his or her experiences in return. You'll discover ways to manage problems with negotiation, not conflict, and to find true acceptance and closeness with the person you love the most. This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit — an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

Maintaining a relationship is hard enough without the added challenges of your partner’s bipolar disorder symptoms. Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder offers information and step-by-step advice for helping your partner manage mood swings and impulsive actions, allowing you to finally focus on enjoying your relationship while also taking time for yourself. This book explains the symptoms of your partner’s disorder and offers strategies for preventing them and responding to these symptoms when they do occur. This updated edition includes a new section about the medications your partner may be taking so that you can understand the side effects and help monitor his or her bipolar treatment. As a supportive partner, you deserve support yourself. This book will help you create a more balanced, fulfilling relationship. Improve your relationship by learning how to: • Identify your partner’s symptom triggers so you can prevent episodes • Improve communication by stopping irrational “bipolar conversations” • Handle your partner’s emotional ups and downs • Foster closeness and connection with your partner

Offering practical advice straight from the couples counseling room, Eva A. Mendes provides an insider's view into what couples and counselors can do to help make an ASD relationship last. She outlines the challenges faced in an ASD relationship and provides strategies that can improve the lives and marriages of couples on a daily basis.

The scenario is all too common: Girl meets guy (or Guy meets girl). Guy is smart, charming, and maybe even endearing. Girl falls in love. As the relationship progresses Guy's serious personality problems begin to surface. She gets longer and more vivid glimpses of habits and tendencies she didn't notice at first. With about 15% of the adult population suffering from one or more personality disorders -- that's over 16 million potential relationship partners, says the National Institutes of Health -- finding the right partner and maintaining a healthy love relationship is harder work than we thought! Crazy Love sheds light on the odd but surprisingly common disorders of personality so that readers can become better informed and more careful when entering or continuing a relationship. Johnson and Murray tell us why so many of us are attracted to personality disordered partners, and--most important--they offer strategies for detecting and avoiding such potential disasters. They also recognize the needs of readers who are already in committed relationships with personality-impaired partners, and offer hope in the form of healthy survival strategies and tips for making the relationship more livable.