When did you decide to stick to treatment

Whatever treatment is for you and whatever sticking to it has meant.

I'm 23, was diagnosed bipolar ii 5 years ago and medicated inconsistently until the last couple years, during which (at my bare minimum) taking lamictal daily has done me well. I still use hard drugs sometimes - I have a nasty rave habit - and that makes taking the seroquel difficult on those nights. Using hard drugs makes other parts of my life difficult too. Fully sticking to my treatment would mean sobering up, and I hope I get there soon. I feel really proud of myself for staying on meds for over two years now. When I was diagnosed this seemed unimaginable and my life is far less chaotic these days.

Your turn

I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder about five years ago. I am on risperidone. I think that, to me, sticking to my treatment means simply taking my meds. I have gone through periods where I do not take my meds and it does not end well, and I have ended up in the hospital. The key is to find a good psychiatrist. If you find one that you trust, then it is good to take their advice. If they say not to use drugs, then it is probably best not to use. Of course, that is easier said than done. I do know that my meds can stop working at any time. So, it is good if there is someone you trust that can tell you if they notice a difference in your mood. So, anyways, for me, sticking to my treatment means following the advice of the professionals.

I decided to stick with it whenever I just wanted the hallucinations and anxiety to go away. I've always been a big believer in psychology, and I knew it would eventually work for me. I had crippling anxiety, as well as mood stuff, psychosis, and intense anger.

Being clean and sober was a requisite for my continued treatment. Without that, they would have yanked the prescriptions, discharged me and I had nowhere else to go. I was tired of being bounced around and being all over the map.
I saw the magic of recovery and stability returning to other people that I went through program with and I wanted that for myself in the worst possible way.
Follow the winners. I did have the support and love of family and friends, but they could not fix me.
I sensed that there was hope in doing what I was being told to do, so I did my best. That was 27 years ago, one day at a time and although life isn't perfect, it saved me from certain hell.
Best of luck to you.

Thanks Wally

I guess part of my curiosity too was how old you guys were / how long ago that was for you. My registration for this board aligning with the night before my birthday last year - a low of lows for me - was definitely not a coincidence. As time moves on, as I get older and have less opportunity to f- around, or at as least doing so comes with more consequences, sobriety and seriousness looms closer. It seems less avoidable if I want to keep on keeping on. But I attribute my current ambivalence / lack of seriousness to being young.

I want more than anything to be in love and have a family. I could never keep up these shenanigans if I succeeded there. Nor would I want to. I think.

I have always been compliant with meds. I gave up smoking pot in college and have been much more stable since. Therapy helped a little but I found it stressful after a while rehashing the past over and over.

I feel sometimes that I have no choice because my family depends on me. I am married and have 3 kids. Youngest is 12. I'm 42. I didn't get treatment till 2013, but I got truly stable (as stable as is possible), in 2014. I was diagnosed in 2013. Sometimes I do just want to go off my meds. But I know the consequences. Doesn't mean I don't think to go off them, I just decide to be compliant. On difficult times I just force myself and eventually I feel better. I can go out and enjoy life. I don't mean to say I don't have my "days of mood swings," but over all I feel better than before.

From the very beginning....I was in a bad way. Meds keep me alive. I’m compliant, don’t drink or do street drugs, etc. Still struggle but have a great pdoc, a supportive partner and my meds don’t overly sedate me or cause weight gain.

I’ve had extreme episodes on meds. I can’t fathom a good outcome going off meds....for me.

I was in my late 20’s when I was diagnosed....I’ve been in treatment for several years.

I am 35 and got diagnosed and started treatment in 2014. I have been taking everything that I have been prescribed over the last 3 years (which has been A LOT), and after an insane amount of horrible side-effects I decided I'm not going to be taking anti-psychotics anymore. I am "not allowed" to take antidepressants so I am just on a mood stabilizer. I take it every night, and will for the rest of my life.

3 weeks ago. I was partially non-compliant since July because I refused to take antipsychotics. Now I take lithium and sertraline and I'm not planning on leaving it without medical guidance.