Is it possible?

Is it possible to live with Bipolar unmedicated? Can you teach yourself how to make it through situations like self therapy? It is almost like I have a phobia of medicine. Even with anxiety, I will wait until it is extreme before taking something. I know meds can help but feel like I can teach myself to work through it. Anyone else?

I mean you can but it would probably be a lot more difficult than dealing with some uncomfortable side effects. Unfortunately bipolar is neurological and it's very difficult to prevent mania and moreso depression (from my experience), especially when you're stressed or when diet/sleep are not extremely regulated. Bipolar is also very unpredictable so that makes it more complicated. It's your choice but I would never recommend it.

For me, no.

When I am nighly manic and delusional (I do not always have delusions), I need to be somewhere safe and I need to be medicated. Living with the knowledge that I am losing my mind is terrifying and that terror will not abate without meds.

You can't talk yourself out of mania. You just can't. If you're very self-aware, you might be able to see it coming and treat it episode by episode but that would require a tremendous level of knowledge about your illness and how it effects you.

Each person's illness is different and other people may be able to do it, but I can't.

Not for me. But I know there are people here who manage without meds. Hopefully, one of them will drop by and give you some hints.

I just simply can't do it. Maybe one day, but not for now. As much as rationally I know things aren't how I feel they are, I can't change how I feel. For example, if I'm depressed it doesn't matter that I know I'm not worthless, I can't stop the feeling. I wish I could. Same goes for mania.

I know what you mean about not wanting meds, I'm very much like that. But it got to a point where it was unbearable, so I relented and started taking meds. I can't tell you how much better I am! I still get episodes, but not like before.

Best of luck!

I went med and psych free for 7 years after I was first diagnosed. My hypomanias progressed and I ended up having 2 full blown manic episodes (with psychotic symptoms) in the last 18 months of it. The latest one progressed into a very nasty mixed episode and I lost almost everything I had, gf, home, savings. Very lucky to keep my job as well. I've been put on quetiapine for the last month or so (first meds I've ever taken for it) and this last week is the first time in about a year I've been euthymic (I used to be euthymic for at least a few months every year).

My psych says that I naturally handle the illness much better than his average patient, but I still need chemical assistance. I wouldn't recommend going completely med free.

Thank you so much for your inputs. I have been on and off meds for 3 years. I just cant be consistent. Classic I know. I see episodes happening and just keep trying to push through. If there was a med pump to give them to me automatically... fine! but oh well

Hi
I haven't used any med's since 2001 and haven't been manic since end 1998 - start 1999. Was seeing a counsellor for approx 10 years which helped, stopped seeing here last year. Mood still very up and down but just about manageable. Had previously been on a range of meds Droperidol, Haloperidol and Chlorpromazine to manage me during the manic phases (not at same time ) and had been prescribed Lythium but found tremors too severe. Was finally settle onto carbamazapine (tegretol) coupled with Seroxat (Paroxetine). Not sure really why I wanted to come off these meds other than wanting to be totally drug free (at time)
I think the key for me has been that I broke down during periods of heavy cannabis use, haven't experienced mania since that stopped. During the manic periods (2 in total) I also became very psychotic and required hospitalisation. Although both periods of psychoses were different and sort of interesting in their own way.
I sleep ok, eat well and exercise regularly. In some ways I miss the mania as it was very exciting, as would cram so many strange and different experiences into such a short space of time. But defintely don't miss the crippling depression (though still think my mood often dips into depressed states at times)
Not sure if this helps, hope it does.

I survived years without regular meds, but I used alcohol and drugs self medicating. So I guess I was informally treating myself Since I got on meds and stabilized, really stabilized, I recognize relationship and job losses due to my crazy ups and downs in the past. I had no self awareness of my manias then, but I knew when I was depressed.

So, I would say, the mania is the thing to worry about, cus it's very tricky to recognize in yourself when it's full blown. Part of the delusions with me is that I am NOT manic when others see that I am. I would not recommend going unmediated because the severity of moods can change unpredictably. I know im not willing to lose what I have in my life now.

When I first started seeing a psychiatrist for my illness, I wanted to believe I could make it without medication. However, I'm now quite convinced I could not make it without them.

The process of going on medication is quite difficult and can take time. You and your psychiatrist have to find a drug, or mixture of drugs that works for you and has manageable side effects.

Try medication. It may take some trial and error, but when the psychiatrist gets it right, you will get your whole life back.

Take care,

igotthis25 wrote:Is it possible to live with Bipolar unmedicated?

I think it completely depends on how severe your symptoms are.

If during your mania, you think that you're Napoleon, and are saving the world from an alien invasion, then medication is probably a good idea. If, however, you experience mild, manageable hypomania, maybe...

I found this article very inspiring:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelells ... ipolar-ii/

But note that the guy in it has hypomania, not full-blown mania, and its a journalistic account, so I'd take it with a pinch of salt. You don't get to find out what happened to him in the years following the article.

I think that if you have bipolar, the following applies.
1) You can't drink or take drugs
2) You have to have a healthy diet
3) You should meditate every day
4) You should see a therapist
5) You should exercise regularly
6) You shouldn't spend too much time alone
7) You should have a routine

If you do all these things while not on medication but still get episodes that are having a destructive affect on your life, then it seems that medication is probably the only answer, sadly.

On a positive note: advances in medicine are occurring all the time, and our understanding of the human brain is also increasing. Maybe in the future, we'll just be able to get an operation and our symptoms will disappear...