Presentation and rules of the group

The goal of Session 1 is to take contact with the group and to explain the existing rules to the members. These rules are basic for the good functioning of the group, and are also intended to create a good environment that would facilitate patient participation. Although one of the scientific fathers of group treatment, Yalom, openly defines the bipolar patient as “one of the worst calamities that may befall a group, ” the truth is that our experience indicates quite the contrary. The bipolar patient usually adapts very well to the psychoeducation group, especially if we achieve proper homogeneity/heterogeneity balance among the members concerning age, sex, seriousness, etc. To date, there are many patients who have become perfectly integrated in the functioning of the group, taking a participative role and being extremely collaborative and respectful to the other group members and the therapist. This is not at all strange: our patients correctly integrate in the group because they understand immediately that they may get great benefits from the experience, that both of them and their disorders will be quickly accepted and understood, and that in the psychoeducation program the aspects of great interest to them are being worked on. This is something that probably did not happen in Yalom's groups.