Cure for Bipolar? Impossible?

I give credit to researchers trying to figure out what causes Bipolar and treatment for it. I feel like it is more of part of who I am rather than a typical "curable" illness. More of how my brain/personality is rather than something you can fix with a Bipolar vaccine or something. I also think that with the amount of money that goes to pharmaceutical companies and the industry they don't really want a cure anyways. I feel this is similar for cancer. Why have a cure for cancer when you can make billions with treatments for it. So I'm somewhat cynical but I have an optimistic feeling the treatment for bipolar will improve this century.

z7z wrote:I feel like it is more of part of who I am

This is how I feel. It would be lovely to get cured and work a full-time job and all that but I don't even know who I would be anymore. I often wonder which personality is me. Am I normally bubbly? Quiet? Am I really that introverted? And so on.

I'd love to be cured. I remember who I was the years before my mental break. That man shines through when my meds are working. For me my bipolar = a challenge in how well I function. I'm still me with bipolar, just not as functional. My personality is not the same thing. I am pretty introverted, but still warm and friendly. Some days I feel like I have social energy. Sometimes I have less. I'm an artist. I love creating and sharing my paintings with others. I love reading non-fiction. I love the outdoors.

The bipolar seems more like a layer of depressive or manic crap that gets layered on top of who I am inside. The core of who I am is always there.

^ About that, I "get" who I am. I love music, video games, painting, drawing, photography, nature, etc. I think I am a nice person in general, but before I was on meds I was awfully irritable all the time. Really quick to anger and my anger is explosive. I guess that's part of bipolar? Or maybe that's just my personality? I don't know.

Jellybeanery wrote:^ About that, I "get" who I am. I love music, video games, painting, drawing, photography, nature, etc. I think I am a nice person in general, but before I was on meds I was awfully irritable all the time. Really quick to anger and my anger is explosive. I guess that's part of bipolar? Or maybe that's just my personality? I don't know.

hmmm I'd agree you're a nice person! I know for myself, when Im stable I'm really not so irritable (not expressing my fury/rage/anger is something I'm working on). So for me, when it comes out its def a part of the disorder and I guess I don't count that as "me." Even though i know I have those emotions inside I guess the ME is the emotion, but like you the explosive feeling is the disorder. I will admit, this stuff is kind of mind bending and hard to figure out and untangle.

This may be an example of my black and white thinking though. The way that I hold the ME and the DISORDER. I really just don't mix the two ideas , they're incredibly separate for me.

spring cleaning helps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rlmuazHsxc

Hi,

I am very new to the forum but I felt this should be a topic I begin my introduction in since it is my ultimate goal to “unpack” this illness and try to determine if it truly is reversible by correcting various chemical imbalances naturally.

I’m turning 53 this year and it has been less than six months since my diagnosis. I was a bit overwhelmed at first, having come from a generation who viewed any mental illness as basically a death sentence for having any sort of functioning life. It was something that happened to a relative of a friend, not to you. After the initial shock, I began my research - that is what I do when I encounter anything alien to me. I research...sometimes obsessively, but that’s another thread altogether. As I read, I began to understand and personally relate most all of my “nonsensical behaviors” over the years with a typical manic, hypomanic or depressive cycle as well as the rapid cycling experiences. I also realized I was changing. The cycling was getting faster and it had begun to seriously affect my life on a daily basis instead of the every few years’ major bridge burning sessions I had done in the past.

So, what now? I did not want to begin experimenting with a psychiatrist and just randomly throwing chemical darts on a board to see what stuck. I am one of those rarely blessed people who doesn’t “have” to work or provide an income for my well being or a family. My children are grown and have families of their own and my husband is amazing and loves me unconditionally. My life has given me advantages I did not want to squander; so it is my goal to discover if cure is possible and if so, is it possible without synthetic chemicals that all come with a trail of devestating side effects worse than effecting whatever symptoms they were designed or randomly discovered to slow or stop. Obviously I’m in the early stages of this journey and still adjusting to my new situation. The cycling continues to decrease in time between switches are somehow chemically thrown to jerk me into the up, down or numb sections of this rollercoaster I’m stuck riding in, but, I’m able to positively alter the emotional turmoil that comes with the highs and lows with varying degrees of success using natural supplements and good nutrition. I’m not advertising what I’m doing yet because the data is still all over the place but, my hope in joining this forum, is to learn what others have tried, what they struggle with and what genuinely helps them. I am grateful for any and all guidance and responses. I will report on successes and non-starters as soon as there is enough data to produce a solid finding.

Thank you.

With Hope,

D

Hello, Delta!

I am sorry to say there is no cure for bipolar disorder. I believe proper diet and exercise work a tad, as well as having a healthy sleep cycle and routines. But I have read in numerous places that bipolar disorder gets worse over time while it is untreated, as it seems to have happened happened with you-

Delta13 wrote:The cycling was getting faster and it had begun to seriously affect my life on a daily basis instead of the every few years...

I understand about not wanting to take meds, but maybe therapy could benefit you. They always say journaling is a good idea and/or using mood trackers. And noticing your triggers, and avoiding these. And be careful with supplements! Some of these should be avoided, St. John's Wort especially.

I believe they already have a cure (for bipolar and tons of other chronic conditions), but they're hiding it because they're greedy bastards and they're making so much money off of ###$ Seroquel and other medications. ERADICATE THE PENNY!

Thank you for the above replies. In response, I do journal most every day and it does help quite a bit to pick up on patterns, obvious triggers and just deconstructing the day. I am not yet convinced there is no way to balance brain chemistry naturally. (See Gracelyn Guyol’s book). I do not agree with all of her findings but I do believe she is on the right track.

As to a cure being surpressed from public knowledge; I just don’t have any evidence for or against that statement. Do I believe major pharmaceutical companies skew studies for their benefit and manipulate the FDA for approval? That would be a resounding YES. However, purposely hiding cures for mental disorders or other chronic illnesses such as cancers, diabetes type I and various other diseases that have been mentioned in similar theories; I’m just not sure either way. Anything is possible, I guess. It would just seem that some country somewhere would be able to discern the same findings and get the word out where big pharma is not in such control. But, Big Brother May be everywhere.

I have been in therapy and it helps somewhat. So far, I only take two prescriptions tied to my mental condition and two more for thyroid and estrogen deficiencies caused by being “older”. I am in the process of testing whether or not some amino acids such as tyrosine, tryptophan and histidine supplements will make a difference in lessening or stopping the rapid cycling. I also take lithium oratate as opposed to lithium carbonate which I simply cannot tolerate. So far, it has been the one supplement I know makes a huge positive difference. I am pleased with that, at least. It mainly assists with the manic cycles. I spend less on shopping sprees where I used to not even remember the shopping...just packages showing up every day for several days or finding bags of things in my closet I had no memory of buying. It got to the point I wondered if I had DPD. But, so far, that has been ruled out. Since adding the lithium, that little nugget of behavior has nearly stopped all together. Both myself and the hubby are happy about that.

I’m not giving up. I will keep searching as long as there is any hope. And...there is ALWAYS Hope.

D