What natural remedies work for you guys?

I understand that bi-polar is a chemical imbalance. I know plenty of people have had success with prescription drugs with treating their symptoms of BP. I am wondering if anyone has dealt with their symptoms in other ways and have had lasting success. The more I learn ( and there has been years upon years of research ) the more I'm convinced that if you are just doing everything right for your physical health most of your mental health issues are resolved considering you control your emotions at the end of the day and you control your mind. Its tough to swallow but I have been diagnosed before as bi-polar and I feel that at a young age that gave me more of a reason to act bi-polar and just accept what an "authority figure" told me. But when you look at how they diagnose you and your treatment options you are never told to just eat better, exercise more, deal with your stress more effectively etc, we just jump onto drugs immediately. ( not everyone but its like the doctors assume to just go to that ) I would just like to know what others think about being "bi-polar" and if you question the "disease" and have tried other methods to handle it in this rapidly changing world. I'm not knocking people who have been diagnosed because I have as well and still have problems. I just have never really seeked out others with this problem.

My impression of people who push natural remedies for bipolar disorder are trying to sell something, as in a book. The same can be said of drug companies and their drugs though so at the end of the day, it's "Who do you want to trust?"

The major thing I've heard that I trust is to keep a regular schedule, especially sleep.

If you're looking for an example of someone who has had lasting success using a non-pharmaceutical option, I'll have to quietly excuse myself.

A couple of other things...

"Fish is brain food." and mindfulness meditation may be worth looking into... There was a third I thought of but it escapes me at the moment...

And... I should also say that it's best to talk to a professional... They're are some that are more into the natural stuff than others. Psychologists are more likely to be on board with it than psychiatrists I believe...

Hi,

My opinion is that, although it's difficult to deny the mind-body connection, healthy living alone isn't usually enough to control what is fundamentally a neurochemical problem with the brain. For me, managing bipolar disorder isn't a matter of willpower or purposeful control over emotions (to be honest, if it were that simple, I'd have done it a long time ago!)

From what I know, it has a strong genetic component and is often triggered by stressful life events, so a mixture of medication and talk therapy is usually most effective and I'm currently following this line of treatment.

As for lifestyle issues, as Exiled says, a regular sleep schedule is very important. Try to get a sufficient amount of sleep too- easier said than done, I know. A healthy diet, regular mealtimes and daily exercise can help. For me, trying to reduce my stress levels is one of the most helpful things I can do, yet it's so difficult to achieve... CBT is helping me slowly reframe some of my perfectionism and self criticism, and I also do daily guided meditations that I find free on youtube.

I also think social support from family, friends, members of support groups etc. is essential, and hopefully you're lucky enough to have this in your life.

However, everyone's experience is different and there may be others out there who manage to control their bipolar through natural means only. Good luck and I hope you find treatment of whatever kind that's effective. Take care.