Argyro Zidianaki, Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist

Do you think it is best to let your patient feel you are in control of their treatment and condition or should they take a more active part managing their condition?

In my opinion it is better for the patient to have a role in managing their illness, as hopefully it will increase their self-esteem. When patients have anxiety symptoms and they manage to feel that they have some control over their symptoms, that helps them to really calm down. In general, I feel that it’s good for the patient to know their illness, and have psychoeducation in order to be able to recognise their symptoms. When they manage to do that, they can have better control over their illness; that’s great priority for people with bipolar I disorder.