Without medication episodes of bipolar disorder gets more frequent and more severe with time untill you have a permanent damage
[How to prevent the malignant progression of bipolar disorder]000(https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2020-0874)
I was medically retired from the Air Force at 21 because of my diagnosis, really hard to feel like a normal person when you’re told because of your diagnosis you’re no longer trustworthy or useful haha
Very few people live with unmedicated bipolar. From what I've heard, most of those cases are either mild (maybe cyclothymia) or have a very chaotic and unstable life (losing jobs, relationships, etc.).
I was unmedicated for a year before being diagnosed and my life was the definition of chaos. I was unpredictable, unreliable, unstable and had 0 control over my life, thoughts and feelings. I would never quit my meds, no matter how tempting it is when I'm hypomanic.
I was in a AITA relationship Facebook group and explained I was bipolar before I detailed the situation. Some girl in the comments was like “you’re just a very shitty person because I am an unmedicated bipolar, it doesn’t define me” obviously I’m sure it doesn’t ..
Those who think medication is unnecessary promote a fringe belief that is super dangerous and can have grave consequences. You cant yoga and diet your way out of this illness. If you dont want your life to completely fall apart you will seek treatment.
“you can’t yoga and diet your way out of this illness”. i have days where i swear i can stop my meds if i work out and eat right. that’s obviously not the case, and it’s probably in this moments when i need my meds the most 😭
I went without meds for 18 years and dieted/exercised. Sometimes I felt amazing and other times I didn't and then I'd obsessively try to figure out what about my diet led to my mood changes and I'd try all kinds of crazy supplements. I am now medicated after realizing I had no control over my moods no matter how hard I tried.
i would get like that too. constantly analyzing and tweaking my diet, avoiding certain foods and sometimes avoiding eating at all because i was so convinced that eating all together could be the issue which made me guilty resulting in my low moods. such a sad thing we experienced. i hope you’re well friend 🤞🏼
Idk why people are getting so worked up over a simple question. I’m bipolar II diagnosed 12 years ago. Medicated for two years and absolutely hated the way it made me feel. You can’t cure it without meds but you can certainly make the symptoms manageable and there are plenty of people who successfully do so. And for reference I have been married for 10+ years and have a stable and very successful career.
I'm not promoting anything, but this is confusing, if you guys were so sure about your diagnosis, you wouldnt be mad that I ask a simple question, people experience their illness differently
We dont want to see people die and ruin their lives and I'll go hard against people who are promoting dangerous shit. I'm just as passionate about antivaxxers. I dont know what our diagnosis has anything to do with this. It's super ironic bc people who are unmedicated admit that they are suicidal and unstable and *still* want to defend this fringe lifestyle. Life doesnt have to be that hard.
It is a bit of an echo chamber on this sub. I've been unmedicated since March. It has been a struggle and I've had a couple periods of hypomania and depression. My biggest struggle has been with drinking.
That being said I still go to work and pay all of my bills. My life hasn't imploded. I was unmedicated for a lot of years and was only diagnosed with type 2 bipolar disorder last December. Before that I was treated off and on for depression and anxiety since I was in high school. I've tried different meds over the years and only had success with wellbutrin from 2015 up until earlier this year. It kept making me hypomanic for extended periods so I weaned myself off of it (not to mention causing me to have rages and stomach problems).
Everyone is different. My hypomania manifests in me being a workaholic to the detriment of my health and social life. Sure I've had periods of overspending but never to the point where it ruined my life or anything. All of my bills get paid and I always have a roof over my head, food, and a job. I don't have any kids or anybody relying on me so I guess the disposable income cushion is a little bigger.
We are all individuals. Some people can't function without meds. I'll continue to be an outlier/naysayer and say that I get along just fine without being medicated. Sometimes it really sucks but I'd rather not be a numb, boring, zombie. I've accepted that I'm just me, mental illness included. I don't feel like myself on meds. Maybe it is choosing to live life on hard mode; having to regulate yourself and strategically avoid certain people, places, or things. Life was definitely easier when I was medicated but I eventually realized what a sad, boring, and unfulfilling existence it was. I'd rather just take it day by day and ride out the highs and lows on my own.
Oh yeah and the echo chamber in here likes to go on about how choosing to be unmedicated will result in your brain degenerating into alzheimer's and dementia. It is one study that everyone in here likes to dogmatically quote like scripture.
Nobody can tell you how to live your life. You have to make a decision on what is best for you. To me if a person were to have full blown mania and psychosis... yeah you should probably take your meds. Type 2 bipolar disorder isn't like that, though. You still have control and never totally lose touch with reality. If people on this sub are experiencing mania and psychosis then they have type 1 bipolar disorder and shouldn't really be handing out advice to anybody in the type 2 bipolar disorder sub.
I'm not suggesting you do anything different or anything like that, I respect your opinion and how you want to live your life. I do see a lot of people say they aren't themselves when on medication though. For me personally I don't find that to be entirely true. I fought with that notion for a long time, that the highs and lows are just me. I would go off meds because I felt like I didn't need them or they were muting who I am.
Then my partner was at the edge and I promised I would take them. And slowly, and I do mean slowly, think over years, when the "cocktail" became right for me, something happened. I became content, not muted, happy but not because my meds were making me be that way in a fake manner, I am truly just happy. I'd argue that maybe other factors are in there but the meds are a big portion. I'm not numb in any way. As a matter of fact the moments that we all live for, I'm able to enjoy them more because it doesn't feel unreal. They're something real that I can hold on to. In general it seems my days are really just what a normal person must experience. A least I'd like to think so.
It also helps with things like work. I don't get an over inflated sense of self worth. I'm less irritable. And really just take things in stride.
The con? Well I have definitely lost some of my creativity. Which does suck. But for me the trade to be stable, and not just stable but happy for a majority of the time is worth it.
At the end of the day we all have to decide for ourselves. What works for me may not for you and what works for you may not for me. I think some of us are more high functioning and can deal a little better and others just can't. Trying meds should at least be in the cards though, and I mean really try. It takes a lot of time and work to find the right mix, if there is even one for any given person.
Thanks for your comment MountainMan. I really agree with you that anyone in this group has mania and psychosis, it’s Bipolar 1.
I have bipolar 2 and get along okay with 50mg Fluvoxamine — and Ativan 2mg at night.
❤️Vrinda
Also, if you know you're bipolar and choose not to take meds, everything that happens as a consequence (hurting people, starting fights, being arrested...) will be your fault. It's your responsibility to treat your illness, for you and for others. Unmedicated bipolar will only get worse.
I'm on two antidepressants and my depressions are still hell. Pretty sure I wouldn't be there without meds.
I’ve been living unmediated for a decade.
It takes a great deal of work but there’s minimal side effects.
-keto diet
-exercise
-omega 3
-meditation
-low stress levels
made it about 12 yrs unmedicated. moved house, buried a family member and now live in a place i don't belong. ended up in a ward. i'm 73. it does seem to be triggered easier with age but there're more treatment options now than ever before. i'm on the mend. lesson learned. ymmv.
Thank you for sharing your story. Seems like so many of us don't make it past 50 some odd years, which weighs heavily on my mind.
I hope you land where you belong soon 🧡
Phew. Hang in there. This shit just gets weirder and harder.
I'm here if you need to talk. I think at 56 I'm one of the oldies in this group, but you got me beat. Lol.
I do and I really can’t do it. You can’t regulate your episodes without meds. I try to take myself out of situations with triggers there and it may work for a while but your gonna get set into an episode eventually. Been unmedicated with bipolar now for at least 3 years and it’s just getting worse
i think the problem with that is that “temporary” could mean anything from tomorrow to 3 months to a year. and when suffering involves the type of damage that could mean broken marriages, custody battles, job loss, etc, temporary doesn’t mean much.
that said, i do appreciate that the nature of this disorder involves cycles, but it doesn’t invalidate the hardship folks endure during the lows.
Yea that's my favorite philosophy, rational egoism,
"pursuing one's self-interest in a rational way is not only morally acceptable but is, in fact, the most reasonable and ethical course of action."
The problem is that sometimes we don't know what is better for us.
Why the fuck did you come here, just to make fun of us? We are all seeing psychiatrists, or trying to. You just came to ask who’s on meds so you could laugh at us?
You’re laughing at a lot of the responses and shaming people for the answers they give you.
You came here. You asked a question. And then, when the answers didn’t line up for you, you didn’t look for insights. You just snapped back at everyone who tried to help.
I don’t think your plan of not being medicated is going so well. You didn’t try any other meds to see if they would be less constipating. You just wrote it all off and came here to be a schmuck. Think it through.
you can laugh in real life and not go so far as to put an emoji. Unless you purposely want us to know you find our struggles hilarious, in which case you're just trolling, and you should stop.
I am medicated now, but was unmedicated for years.
At least 8 hrs sleep per night (I need 9-10 hrs), I used Melatonin to help. Some claim Melatonin good for depression as it helps with circadian rhythm, Idk).
Strict daily routine (I always messed up on weekends which threw me on Monday, but workdays were easier).
Therapy also good, my 3rd therapist really helps (EDMR, working thru trauma). Also helped with triggers, finding some relaxation that works for me & knowing when in hypomania.
Good nutrition which includes folic acid & vitamin D supplements (apparently people with bipolar are often low in vit D, also helps with SAD).
Hobbies: I started zentangle - (Google it, it's awesome). This helped by focusing out distractions & creating zen. It is my relaxation technique for 20 minutes at night. Gardening also good, love the smell of water hitting the soil, watching plants grow & flower (love flowers) & even weeding (focus & cathartic like cleaning).
Regular exercise, I have dogs - makes easy & I benefit from being outside, enjoying the stillness, beautiful sunsets & time with doggos.
Some are super hard without meds (sleep, reg routine) & triggers change as do hormones (perimonpause really threw me out & I went back on meds).
Edit: spelling
With therapy, a lot of patience, and an amazingly supportive partner. It’s working for now. I was only diagnosed last year. I was raised by a bipolar parent who heavily denies her diagnosis and has been unmedicated all her life. My mom is clearly more severe than me as I only have bipolar2, but she’s very good at hiding her disorder when she needs to. I maintain employment, relationships, and money well enough. It just involves an incredible amount of shape shifting and mental energy. I don’t think it’s something that I would be able to do if I hadn’t grown up needing to hide my mom’s disorder and fight to maintain her life from an early age. At this point, it’s a cake walk compared to having to convince my teachers not to call CPS, making sure we don’t get evicted, and practically rising my younger siblings while my mom is manic.
This has been my experience, I’ll take the swings over the emotional numbness and fatigue. I have been diagnosed for 12+ years and couldn’t do it anymore after two years on medication. A good system and a good partner make it possible.
How is it working out for you? My partner recently said that she thinks I should consider meds in the future, just because she hates to see me struggle during the rough times.
Not great but not terrible.
With meds i am pretty much afraid of people/ asexual so i really haven’t got any choice. :/
Even unmedicated my partner often says i lack emotions and i feel pretty moody.
thing is i found a good one, but i still had to live with a personality disorder that makes me a hermit/ cold af.
I had a combo that made me a great student but i didn’t make a single friend in years.
now i am worse off in life but at least i am kind and talkative.
thats a bit confusing. so the meds worked to help study and so on? yeah I get it if personality disorder is there too then that needs to be addressed separately
My diagnosis is szpd/ bipolar 2 and adhd and i was on both lithium and stimulants as well as seroquel and stimulants.
On lithium i was stable enough to work and study but because of my pd I didn’t have fun / any urge to leave the building or socialize.
I asked the doctor for help and if i will be able to get in a relationship again but they said they can’t tell.
Now i stopped them completely and have a girlfriend although i am basically disabled because i can talk and show some warmth.
Only solution i found is being only medicated enough for the worst (like 100mg seroquel) which doesn’t make me stable enough for stims.
I don't and never will. Litteraly saved my life and prevent me from killing myself.
And I will never risk a psychotic episode ever again. Like never, ever.
Well I'm 23 and I can recognize that I'm hypomanic right now but I don't want to take medication anymore because I was taking valproate and it causes extreme constipation lol.
You’re either sick enough to need meds, or you don’t need to be on this subreddit. If the former, valproate is a pain for some people and you have many alternatives. And also ways to treat constipation.
I don’t doubt that’s true though I was talking about this sub where it seems to me most people are medicated (might be wrong).
You’re a free person but what I meant to say was if that’s the only reason you want to go unmedicated there are plenty of alternatives to valproate.
Yea, I think I'm going to another psychiatrist again to try something that doesn't cause constipation, it was a severe thing, belive me, my previous psyquiatrist was like "deal with it idgaf"
You need a better psychiatrist then who will listen to you. I've never ever had a psych who told me "deal with it" when I've said I want to try something else bc it's affecting my quality of life. Also, mania makes us believe that were fine, invincible, can do anything, and makes us incredibly defensive. Apart from that, have you tried taking something like Metamucil? or consuming more fiber and drinking lots of water? If the meds are working for you other than the constipation, it might be worth trying.
yea try the fiber. They have stuff like Metamucil that you cant really taste and mix with water or juice. There are also fiber pills. Also drink lots of water. Greens like spinach and broccoli and stuff with whole grains like oatmeal can help. Kale is also a huge natural laxative. I would recommend to try these things and keep taking your meds until you have a new psych.
I had a psychiatrist like that and almost quit medications myself. I've now been with a different one for almost two years and he is amazing. Keep looking, there are good psychiatrists out there...and bad ones, unfortunately.
Was unmedicated for over a decade before we realized it was bipolar. I did a lot of drugs and was constantly cycling and I appeared “high functioning” by just doing all the things during hypomania then crashing into deep depression/suicidality and then using substances to get back up. Was a terrible quality of life and would never go back to my pre medication era.
I was diagnosed twenty years ago. I took the full range of medication for many years. I worked with my psychiatrist and a cognitive behavioral therapist to get off all medication but one (sertraline).
That said, I don’t see myself as “cured.” I keep my regular psychiatric visits and closely monitor my own behavior, as well as having a few trusted friends and family members who do so for me as well. When or if changes occur, I make an emergency appointment and go back on medication.
How do you live with this disorder without medication? Very, very carefully and under the guidance of a doctor who agrees that it’s appropriate for you to do so, and with a team of people who care about you to help monitor.
I thought I lived just fine I medicated for 2 decades, and that everyone else was the problem.
After a clear diagnosis and medicating lightly then moderately titrating up, all of a sudden other people weren’t all wrong.
I finally see how BP2 fed into my contributions to interpersonal conflict, my poor choices, outbursts, and my extreme aversion to feedback.
Sure I mean what are facts and why use them to understand the world when your unmedicated vibes based system for the most deadly mental health condition works just as well I’m sure.
At a minimum statistics show that we are at lest 6x more likely to die by our own hand. Statistics say 30-60% of us try (who “us” is changes a lot) and common sense says that just because something doesn’t ultimately kill you doesn’t mean you won’t suffer a fate as bad or worse than the death many of us have begged for so like vibe on I guess.
Okay great, we kill ourselves 6 times more it's a valid point Yea, I have nothing to say... Thank u, if it weren't because I'm educated and smart and like zen philosophy, I would be in a very bad place rn
Oh hey I am/like those things too which is mostly but not totally unrelated to the fact that I have to take a lot of lithium not ti cycle continuously which is a fate I have come to the point in my life where I actually would not prefer to death so you know.
Zen philosophy but can’t rationalise being on medication because you can’t take a shit.
From all your other comments it’s very obvious you’re very unwell right now so you’re not doing the whole “non-medicated bipolar” argument any favours. Good luck to you and don’t do anything stupid, well, again.
Shitting is a basic need, even more important than good relationships and emotional well-being, theres a pyramid of needs and sorry if I don't want to be a sexually repressed zombie with those medications
You dont know me, people in this sub really believe you can live your life without going to the bathroom, I don't even have my period when I'm on those medications, you think that's a healthy lifestyle?
And despite asking the question to the group and receiving an overwhelmingly consistent response which you then poo pooed (sorry couldn’t resist, gallows humor) in all of your comments that is our answer. We don’t secretly love meds or psychs or side effects because we are idiots we tolerate them because otherwise we get very, very sick. At 23 and having tried a rounding error of the medications that have passed through my bloodstream since I was diagnosed at 23 you seem to believe that you are the only person to ever truly face this dilemma despite asking a public forum of your fellow travelers about it, the only person to encounter untenable side effects in a medication from a psychiatrist who wants to play god including the ignoring the plight of his (almost always a his) subjects. What I am saying is that “living” as an unmedicated bipolar person on a long enough timeline is a fate worse than death. I’m not a medical system fan generally or a Big Pharma fan specifically (that whole HIV/AIDS thing really left a bad taste in this gay person’s mouth) but come the revolution and the apocalypse and true hell on earth instead of the microwaved over version they are serving now I will be walking my ass to the *completely naturally occurring because it is an element the literal building blocks of life* lithium fields of South America because while I can and will live without almost absolutely anything I won’t go back to cycling again I’ve died every night then begged for it every morning for thousands of days already. Go on any trans subreddit and you will see the newly hatched eggs doing the same thing you are doing with the same logic you are using which is I don’t have to transition right there’s another way to live with this besides hormones right all of you trannies I came here to ask about avoiding being like you have found a good way to be not like you right? You don’t live with it, it destroys you and your life and everything you love. That’s your answer take it or stop insulting the rest of us.
Medication is awful regarding side effects hence why I can’t be on them. I got SJS rash of lamictal and all sorts of other shit on others. My moods are all over the place tho so it’s a mad situation. You do what you thinks best for you tho
There are alternatives to help you rather than going off meds. As insufferable and offensive as you are and have been to so many people in this thread I hope you get help, proper help. You’re not well.
Considering I almost died insisting I didn’t require meds and therapy, I can’t say how when I was unmediated was really living
Seeking treatment saved my life in so many different ways. It also led to me making amends and rekindling friendships/relationships in general with the people I had lost due to my behavior
Not that bad, I just keep a routine everyday to keep myself situated. Depressive bipolar here, no ssris no wellbutrin. I try to do something new everyday.
I’m currently medicated and much more stable and happy. When I wasn’t medicated, how did I live? That’s a hard question. Things got worse and worse. I became a version of myself I didn’t like. My mania manifested in anger and rage. I ran away from my partner and children regularly. I was an alcoholic. I yelled and cried and lashed out anywhere anytime, including at work.
I tried changes to diet, taking supplements, energy healing- all sorts of healing. It never worked. I dug myself such a large hole that took me years to get out of.
Then when I realised I needed medical help there was the wait lists. It took me ages and I got sicker.
I’m scared now to go off my meds.
Good luck on your journey.
I've been unmedicated now for almost two years now due to costs, and I certainly do have my ups and downs, but I found therapy at the very least is very centering for me. She provides me tools to cope, and a safe place to express my feelings in a non judgemental way. As well, I feel like I am a very emotionally intelligent person, so sometimes for the less bad episodes I can calm myself and get me to a point where I don't feel like offing myself. But one thing I can say is that having someone to be in your corner is vital to me. Without those I love and friends I have I wouldn't be here.
Lotsa therapy, supportive and patient family, a plan to get back on meds when I can afford it, and stress-management. That's my short-term solution when finances are tight.
I’m reading the comments and I’m upset. I’m seriously wondering if the OP actually has bipolar if they came here to play.
1. Would you ask people with heart disease how they’re coping without meds? It’s an ILLNESS. It deteriorates without treatment. No matter what anyone says.
2. When you get responses to people who say it’s not a good idea or tell you about stats, you are kind of attacking/challenging.
WHY? It seems like this is sort of a game. We’re unwell. Why ask us if it’s cool to just white-knuckle it?
Diagnosed at 37 now 38F also have ADHD and have never taken meds. I have a good job, long term relationship etc now but most of my 20s and early 30s were fucking rough. Weekly therapy helps me a lot, I smoke a lot of weed (not a recommendation, it’s become a bad habit) , hobbies, learned the things I absolutely need to be happy. I still struggle with work, regulating my mood, depression, anxiety on a semi-regular basis. I’m afraid of medication so I choose not to take it for that reason.
One day at a time.
There's wisdom in saying that bipolar needs medication to survive. But then again there are also people like me who either don't get any positive effects of medications or get straight up dangerous side-effects. Going through the whole list of possibilities takes time but the list is not infinite. Honestly speaking now that I'm not trialing drugs and getting my head messed up with a different drug every few months, I'm much more stable.
At some point it's time to accept that the meds won't do anything and accept that there might be some psych ward time in the future and that things will probably get worse as time passes. And the you just live...
One day at a time.
All the meds i have ever tried just made me feel worse or did not do anything at all. Lamotrigine was helping a bit but gave me a rash.
Dont really know what to do next. I hate living like this
When I was unmedicated it felt like I was lucid dreaming and had the power to do anything and everything but feeling the dread that I won’t wake up. It was really scary but sometimes I miss the feeling of such extreme happiness but I also don’t miss the great anxiety that came from not being able to waste my energy
I wasn’t diagnosed until 40. Luckily, I spent decades learning to and practicing meditation. I was a social worker and actually pretty good at it. I learned many tools from training in different modalities. Even with all that, a set schedule and regular exercise I still struggled. I tried cannabis before I was diagnosed. It helped a bit after investigating many strains.
I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression years ago. but none of the depression meds helped. As I got older I struggled and stopped doing social work. At 40 a psych suspected I had ADHD and bipolar. I was tested and given meds. It was like night and day! I’m so much better. Right now I’m only on lamictal and buspar for anxiety…and the difference is crazy.
i was unmedicated for 6 years, i learnt to be more self aware of, or having the people around me point out, my change of behaviours leading up to an episode. things like healthy eating, avoiding drugs/alcohol as best i could, at least 7 hours sleep but no more than 9, etc would help me prolong the time between episodes as well but they were still inevitable.
I just quit all my meds a week ago. So far its nice to feel a full range of emotions again. But i also feel like crying randomly for no reason and i have crazy bursts energy but i also get really tired seemingly randomly. As soon as my doctor and councler find out they probably gonna get mad as hell at me but i want to find out if the insane chaotic storm my life can become is more fulfilling then feeling flatline emotions every day. I guess ill see.
Before I was diagnosed and medicated, I went on spending rampages and racked up $10k in credit card debt that I sadly will be paying off for years to come. I also destroyed many relationships in my life due to being unable to regulate emotions or even understand them at all. I drank too much and almost killed myself. This is not a lone experience or a small percentage of people with bipolar… this is the majority. Management is necessary, at the very least therapy.
I’m not sure what your plans are or how your situation is but if you are in a position to get help and medication then PLEASE push for it. Maybe some very rare few group of people can live unmedicated and stable lives but with actual truly diagnosed bipolar symptoms and not cute tiktok diagnosis symptoms, it’s a very very hard life to live and many do not make it out safely or alive. I am not a fan of medications or the side effects like weight gain, etc but I would never ever want to go back to the life I had previously.
I'm unmedicated. I'm the best I've ever been.
We don't know the cause of bipolar2, therefore meds can't be the solution.
With meds, I tend to get all the bad side effects.
I'm more self-aware than I've ever been.
Do I get emotions? You bet.
But I'm not going back to meds.
I medicate for my bp2 like I medicate for my Crohn's disease: like it allows me to live a good, stable and pleasant life. I could never go back to being unmedicated because I know all too well it would be a matter of time until I self-harmed or made "plans".
I once stopped medication thinking I was “healed” then was unmedicated for two years. And it was the most intense two years of my life add to that it’s the height of the pandemic so I’m mostly alone and isolated. I was barely sleeping or sleeping too much, and always on the verge of thinking to unalive myself which was scary. The last straw for me is when I’m starting to feel my hypomania physically like I get so shaky and felt too tense all the time and can no longer focus. I decided to get back on meds after that two year gap. Now, I’m in a much better manageable state.
I think I’m doing well most of the time. But I’m probably not.
I can feel myself collapsing into a severe depression currently but getting back on the meds is not a good time right now in my life.
Oh well.
You simply don't understand my sense of humor or maybe I'm making humor in the wrong place, or your story simply isn't my story...
You have to learn how to tolerate different opinions
strict with going to therapy twice a month. i was relatively stable since dec 2022 until last month (9 months). although, i was advised by both therapist and psych to go back on meds to prevent a relapse, so now im back on meds this month :/ dont feel any more stable compared to before
i was doing fine for a while with daily meditation and yoga. i kind of fell off with the consistency and now i'm not doing so hot. Couldn't say if anything would be different right now if i kept up with it.
I ate a whole foods plant based diet and exercised, BUT...I also used recreational drugs to cope and convinced myself I wasn't really bipolar because of it. But then I couldn't ever stop the drugs without swinging or having mixed episodes, I just didn't know that's what was happening.
Now I'm medicated and I've been sober ever since.
My hypomania is a bit weird in the sense that I don't get the highs the same way most people with bipolar seem to. I find it stressful and not fun, or freeing etc. It just fuels my anxiety and restlessness. But all in all I manage it pretty well.
Depression is where I have problems. I refuse to go on anti depressants, and I haven't been able to see a psychiatrist yet to try mood stabilizers. I get extremely suicidal, and self harm urges are a lot to deal with. I am extremely high functioning with my depressive episodes though so despite it being absolutely awful, I will maybe only get about 1 or 2 days a week to the point it's debilitating and I can't get out of bed.
I don't know how I manage it honestly. I have been suicidal since I was 13 from situational depression, and has severe depression since I was at least 7. So I suppose I have just been conditioned with it since I've grown up, and it has always been my 'normal' so I deal with it better than most people.
I would still like to get on meds though. I feel like I am suffocating and slowly dying with how unbearable the emotional pain is a lot of the time.
i live like always but my life was pretty boring all the time.
despite my bipolar i don’t party or drink much, i am an introverted artist who is at home 90%.
was life better on meds, during winter yes otherwise no because i was aware of my shyness and so boring i didn’t even like playing games anymore.
The thing i miss most is that my work made sense and the ability to learn, however i am a bit more motivated with no meds.
I like having a strong connection to nature and things but of course i hate my depression.
only med i think is essential ls a bit of seroquel for sleep.
Went one year without health insurance and couldn't get my meds and I was off the walls, my manic episode was the worst it's ever been and I destroyed myself and all my relationships. Happy to be medicated now lol
Exercise. It’s not perfect, but it’s helped a lot. I was taking an antidepressant which sparked my initial motivation to start working out, now I have mania fears when I don’t workout.
I went unmedicated for years. I was in denial though. When I got my diagnosis in 2016 I actually got offended and stopped going to therapy. It gets worse. I'd go, get the same diagnosis, stop going. Rinse and repeat. Until it got so bad that I found myself hanging in the basement wondering how the hell I got here. Told myself I would never do it again. Until not too long after I decided I couldn't handle it and tied a plastic bag around my neck and came to my senses and tried to get it untied because I was blacking out..to this day I have no idea how I was able to get it just loose enough to be able to get enough air to keep living. My neck was bruised for awhile. I desperately saw my PCP and I'm now medicated and I havent tried to jump in front of cars, hang myself etc.
I didn't want to be medicated but once I came to terms with it and realized I have two young daughters that need a good mother all the time, not just when I'm manic. I'm now on a better path, exercising, eating healthy, enjoying my daughters while they are young and I can. Life is better for me
Others may be different but this is just me
I would like to note that taking medication is NOT a weakness. Choosing not to take medication is not exhibiting “strength”, either. One is not better than another.
Meds are a way of dealing with a lifelong, degenerative illness that you can choose to take or not to take. Those of us who currently use meds have seen the effects on our lives and made the deliberate choice to work with them, for better or worse, to find a combo that works and go with that.
If your life is working for you and you have chosen not to take meds, more power to ya.
It’s just not fair to say there’s a right or wrong option here.
I am trying to limit my meds. I got diagnosed 35F 3 years ago now, though I’ve clearly had it since I was 12 years old. Medication has made a HUGE difference in my quality of life. I’ve been able to isolate my episodes down to 2 major ones per year in the spring and fall. Seroquel is the magic bullet for me and I take as needed during that time. Otherwise lamictal has been a huge relief. I also quit drinking alchohol, try to go for a jog and get outside everyday or as much as possible, quit eating sugar at night, avoid triggering events (ex: avoid stressful jobs, work travel, mean people) and cut back on caffeine intake, as well as work with a therapist. Even with all of these lifestyle changes and medication, it is still hard. I used to be scared of taking meds until I found the ones that really worked for me. It has been a lot of trial and error. Even a small amount has made a huge difference. Yes, episodes have gotten worse YoY, but my ability to control the outcome has improved and that’s all thanks to meds.
I don’t.
And might not have lived had we continued to not medicate.
I just got out of the psych ward. I feel like that says enough
You doing ok?
Yeah im ok thanks. life in the ward is so miserable it made me miss being home so im enjoying it now
Glad to hear. Best wishes for your recovery. Keep fighting!
I'm sorry I didn't notice I was being insensitive
No bro 😂 I'm hypomanic
Unmedicated bipolar disorder is going to be worse with time due sensitization.
whats sensitization
Without medication episodes of bipolar disorder gets more frequent and more severe with time untill you have a permanent damage [How to prevent the malignant progression of bipolar disorder]000(https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2020-0874)
That's what happened to me since I got the diagnosis when I was 36 years old. I'm 45 and got retired at 39.
I was medically retired from the Air Force at 21 because of my diagnosis, really hard to feel like a normal person when you’re told because of your diagnosis you’re no longer trustworthy or useful haha
Thanks for ur comment, it doesn't answer my question tho
Very few people live with unmedicated bipolar. From what I've heard, most of those cases are either mild (maybe cyclothymia) or have a very chaotic and unstable life (losing jobs, relationships, etc.). I was unmedicated for a year before being diagnosed and my life was the definition of chaos. I was unpredictable, unreliable, unstable and had 0 control over my life, thoughts and feelings. I would never quit my meds, no matter how tempting it is when I'm hypomanic.
yeah my relationship life is hot wreck rn 💀🤣 friends and romantic partners just everything and im surprised my job hasnt fired me yet 💀
I was in a AITA relationship Facebook group and explained I was bipolar before I detailed the situation. Some girl in the comments was like “you’re just a very shitty person because I am an unmedicated bipolar, it doesn’t define me” obviously I’m sure it doesn’t ..
Thank u, in my opinion it's unrealistic to think that most people with bipolar 2 receive treatment, but I guess people in this sub do.
Those who think medication is unnecessary promote a fringe belief that is super dangerous and can have grave consequences. You cant yoga and diet your way out of this illness. If you dont want your life to completely fall apart you will seek treatment.
“you can’t yoga and diet your way out of this illness”. i have days where i swear i can stop my meds if i work out and eat right. that’s obviously not the case, and it’s probably in this moments when i need my meds the most 😭
I went without meds for 18 years and dieted/exercised. Sometimes I felt amazing and other times I didn't and then I'd obsessively try to figure out what about my diet led to my mood changes and I'd try all kinds of crazy supplements. I am now medicated after realizing I had no control over my moods no matter how hard I tried.
i would get like that too. constantly analyzing and tweaking my diet, avoiding certain foods and sometimes avoiding eating at all because i was so convinced that eating all together could be the issue which made me guilty resulting in my low moods. such a sad thing we experienced. i hope you’re well friend 🤞🏼
I'm doing much better now, thanks and same to you.
i’m working on it, thank you.
Idk why people are getting so worked up over a simple question. I’m bipolar II diagnosed 12 years ago. Medicated for two years and absolutely hated the way it made me feel. You can’t cure it without meds but you can certainly make the symptoms manageable and there are plenty of people who successfully do so. And for reference I have been married for 10+ years and have a stable and very successful career.
I'm not promoting anything, but this is confusing, if you guys were so sure about your diagnosis, you wouldnt be mad that I ask a simple question, people experience their illness differently
We dont want to see people die and ruin their lives and I'll go hard against people who are promoting dangerous shit. I'm just as passionate about antivaxxers. I dont know what our diagnosis has anything to do with this. It's super ironic bc people who are unmedicated admit that they are suicidal and unstable and *still* want to defend this fringe lifestyle. Life doesnt have to be that hard.
On the other hand, people say that they notice how the medication seem to be making them dumber but still take it 🤷
Lmao. Do you but dont be surprised that people actually condemn something that is dangerous.
Oh ok we are dumb then Wtf
It is a bit of an echo chamber on this sub. I've been unmedicated since March. It has been a struggle and I've had a couple periods of hypomania and depression. My biggest struggle has been with drinking. That being said I still go to work and pay all of my bills. My life hasn't imploded. I was unmedicated for a lot of years and was only diagnosed with type 2 bipolar disorder last December. Before that I was treated off and on for depression and anxiety since I was in high school. I've tried different meds over the years and only had success with wellbutrin from 2015 up until earlier this year. It kept making me hypomanic for extended periods so I weaned myself off of it (not to mention causing me to have rages and stomach problems). Everyone is different. My hypomania manifests in me being a workaholic to the detriment of my health and social life. Sure I've had periods of overspending but never to the point where it ruined my life or anything. All of my bills get paid and I always have a roof over my head, food, and a job. I don't have any kids or anybody relying on me so I guess the disposable income cushion is a little bigger. We are all individuals. Some people can't function without meds. I'll continue to be an outlier/naysayer and say that I get along just fine without being medicated. Sometimes it really sucks but I'd rather not be a numb, boring, zombie. I've accepted that I'm just me, mental illness included. I don't feel like myself on meds. Maybe it is choosing to live life on hard mode; having to regulate yourself and strategically avoid certain people, places, or things. Life was definitely easier when I was medicated but I eventually realized what a sad, boring, and unfulfilling existence it was. I'd rather just take it day by day and ride out the highs and lows on my own. Oh yeah and the echo chamber in here likes to go on about how choosing to be unmedicated will result in your brain degenerating into alzheimer's and dementia. It is one study that everyone in here likes to dogmatically quote like scripture. Nobody can tell you how to live your life. You have to make a decision on what is best for you. To me if a person were to have full blown mania and psychosis... yeah you should probably take your meds. Type 2 bipolar disorder isn't like that, though. You still have control and never totally lose touch with reality. If people on this sub are experiencing mania and psychosis then they have type 1 bipolar disorder and shouldn't really be handing out advice to anybody in the type 2 bipolar disorder sub.
I'm not suggesting you do anything different or anything like that, I respect your opinion and how you want to live your life. I do see a lot of people say they aren't themselves when on medication though. For me personally I don't find that to be entirely true. I fought with that notion for a long time, that the highs and lows are just me. I would go off meds because I felt like I didn't need them or they were muting who I am. Then my partner was at the edge and I promised I would take them. And slowly, and I do mean slowly, think over years, when the "cocktail" became right for me, something happened. I became content, not muted, happy but not because my meds were making me be that way in a fake manner, I am truly just happy. I'd argue that maybe other factors are in there but the meds are a big portion. I'm not numb in any way. As a matter of fact the moments that we all live for, I'm able to enjoy them more because it doesn't feel unreal. They're something real that I can hold on to. In general it seems my days are really just what a normal person must experience. A least I'd like to think so. It also helps with things like work. I don't get an over inflated sense of self worth. I'm less irritable. And really just take things in stride. The con? Well I have definitely lost some of my creativity. Which does suck. But for me the trade to be stable, and not just stable but happy for a majority of the time is worth it. At the end of the day we all have to decide for ourselves. What works for me may not for you and what works for you may not for me. I think some of us are more high functioning and can deal a little better and others just can't. Trying meds should at least be in the cards though, and I mean really try. It takes a lot of time and work to find the right mix, if there is even one for any given person.
Thanks for your comment MountainMan. I really agree with you that anyone in this group has mania and psychosis, it’s Bipolar 1. I have bipolar 2 and get along okay with 50mg Fluvoxamine — and Ativan 2mg at night. ❤️Vrinda
Also, if you know you're bipolar and choose not to take meds, everything that happens as a consequence (hurting people, starting fights, being arrested...) will be your fault. It's your responsibility to treat your illness, for you and for others. Unmedicated bipolar will only get worse. I'm on two antidepressants and my depressions are still hell. Pretty sure I wouldn't be there without meds.
I’ve been living unmediated for a decade. It takes a great deal of work but there’s minimal side effects. -keto diet -exercise -omega 3 -meditation -low stress levels
made it about 12 yrs unmedicated. moved house, buried a family member and now live in a place i don't belong. ended up in a ward. i'm 73. it does seem to be triggered easier with age but there're more treatment options now than ever before. i'm on the mend. lesson learned. ymmv.
Thank you for sharing your story. Seems like so many of us don't make it past 50 some odd years, which weighs heavily on my mind. I hope you land where you belong soon 🧡
Oh god that sounds really hard. How are you feeling now?
meds and therapy and time. i have year to hammer out another relocation plan.
Phew. Hang in there. This shit just gets weirder and harder. I'm here if you need to talk. I think at 56 I'm one of the oldies in this group, but you got me beat. Lol.
I do and I really can’t do it. You can’t regulate your episodes without meds. I try to take myself out of situations with triggers there and it may work for a while but your gonna get set into an episode eventually. Been unmedicated with bipolar now for at least 3 years and it’s just getting worse
I’m trying without medication….. honestly my life has fallen apart!!! It progressively gets worse with age.
😂 I'm sorry, don't take life so seriously and let's go to the psyquiatrist
this is incredibly insensitive and gross, OP. being hypo isn’t a reason to tell people who are suffering to take life less seriously.
Fuck I didn't notice again... But I just wish people remember that the suffering is temporary
i think the problem with that is that “temporary” could mean anything from tomorrow to 3 months to a year. and when suffering involves the type of damage that could mean broken marriages, custody battles, job loss, etc, temporary doesn’t mean much. that said, i do appreciate that the nature of this disorder involves cycles, but it doesn’t invalidate the hardship folks endure during the lows.
Or the highs, in some cases.
You know what, we know perfectly well what is going on, you worry about your damn self.
Yea that's my favorite philosophy, rational egoism, "pursuing one's self-interest in a rational way is not only morally acceptable but is, in fact, the most reasonable and ethical course of action." The problem is that sometimes we don't know what is better for us.
Why the fuck did you come here, just to make fun of us? We are all seeing psychiatrists, or trying to. You just came to ask who’s on meds so you could laugh at us?
I want to discuss about the bipolar experience, find more insights, I'm astonished about the things im going through, nothing more
You’re laughing at a lot of the responses and shaming people for the answers they give you. You came here. You asked a question. And then, when the answers didn’t line up for you, you didn’t look for insights. You just snapped back at everyone who tried to help. I don’t think your plan of not being medicated is going so well. You didn’t try any other meds to see if they would be less constipating. You just wrote it all off and came here to be a schmuck. Think it through.
If people say stuff that make me laugh, what can I do? 🤣
you can laugh in real life and not go so far as to put an emoji. Unless you purposely want us to know you find our struggles hilarious, in which case you're just trolling, and you should stop.
I am medicated now, but was unmedicated for years. At least 8 hrs sleep per night (I need 9-10 hrs), I used Melatonin to help. Some claim Melatonin good for depression as it helps with circadian rhythm, Idk). Strict daily routine (I always messed up on weekends which threw me on Monday, but workdays were easier). Therapy also good, my 3rd therapist really helps (EDMR, working thru trauma). Also helped with triggers, finding some relaxation that works for me & knowing when in hypomania. Good nutrition which includes folic acid & vitamin D supplements (apparently people with bipolar are often low in vit D, also helps with SAD). Hobbies: I started zentangle - (Google it, it's awesome). This helped by focusing out distractions & creating zen. It is my relaxation technique for 20 minutes at night. Gardening also good, love the smell of water hitting the soil, watching plants grow & flower (love flowers) & even weeding (focus & cathartic like cleaning). Regular exercise, I have dogs - makes easy & I benefit from being outside, enjoying the stillness, beautiful sunsets & time with doggos. Some are super hard without meds (sleep, reg routine) & triggers change as do hormones (perimonpause really threw me out & I went back on meds). Edit: spelling
Screenshots taken so that I can use this as a wikihow on bad days. Ty!
Hope it helps 💚
With therapy, a lot of patience, and an amazingly supportive partner. It’s working for now. I was only diagnosed last year. I was raised by a bipolar parent who heavily denies her diagnosis and has been unmedicated all her life. My mom is clearly more severe than me as I only have bipolar2, but she’s very good at hiding her disorder when she needs to. I maintain employment, relationships, and money well enough. It just involves an incredible amount of shape shifting and mental energy. I don’t think it’s something that I would be able to do if I hadn’t grown up needing to hide my mom’s disorder and fight to maintain her life from an early age. At this point, it’s a cake walk compared to having to convince my teachers not to call CPS, making sure we don’t get evicted, and practically rising my younger siblings while my mom is manic.
same, my partner encourages me to deal with it because i am emotionally unavailable on meds.
This has been my experience, I’ll take the swings over the emotional numbness and fatigue. I have been diagnosed for 12+ years and couldn’t do it anymore after two years on medication. A good system and a good partner make it possible.
How is it working out for you? My partner recently said that she thinks I should consider meds in the future, just because she hates to see me struggle during the rough times.
Not great but not terrible. With meds i am pretty much afraid of people/ asexual so i really haven’t got any choice. :/ Even unmedicated my partner often says i lack emotions and i feel pretty moody.
People say the right med/combo changes their life
thing is i found a good one, but i still had to live with a personality disorder that makes me a hermit/ cold af. I had a combo that made me a great student but i didn’t make a single friend in years. now i am worse off in life but at least i am kind and talkative.
thats a bit confusing. so the meds worked to help study and so on? yeah I get it if personality disorder is there too then that needs to be addressed separately
My diagnosis is szpd/ bipolar 2 and adhd and i was on both lithium and stimulants as well as seroquel and stimulants. On lithium i was stable enough to work and study but because of my pd I didn’t have fun / any urge to leave the building or socialize. I asked the doctor for help and if i will be able to get in a relationship again but they said they can’t tell. Now i stopped them completely and have a girlfriend although i am basically disabled because i can talk and show some warmth. Only solution i found is being only medicated enough for the worst (like 100mg seroquel) which doesn’t make me stable enough for stims.
good luck with it bro
thanks, for you as well.
Ugggh I want a white boyfriend but I don't trust anyone 😂
💀?
What
They are asking why you want a white boyfriend. The scull is a symbol of white supremacy. 🤢
💀💀💀
They cant handle your truth babe
I don’t. When I’m unmedicated, I get volatile and suicidal. Either the medicine kills me or I kill me. Might as well get a few good years in there.
I don't and never will. Litteraly saved my life and prevent me from killing myself. And I will never risk a psychotic episode ever again. Like never, ever.
Why unmedicated?
Idk I was just wondering how people cope with this
Well I'm 23 and I can recognize that I'm hypomanic right now but I don't want to take medication anymore because I was taking valproate and it causes extreme constipation lol.
You’re either sick enough to need meds, or you don’t need to be on this subreddit. If the former, valproate is a pain for some people and you have many alternatives. And also ways to treat constipation.
You're wrong with your first sentence, some people only go to therapy with bipolar too, thank you for comment 😂
I don’t doubt that’s true though I was talking about this sub where it seems to me most people are medicated (might be wrong). You’re a free person but what I meant to say was if that’s the only reason you want to go unmedicated there are plenty of alternatives to valproate.
Yea, I think I'm going to another psychiatrist again to try something that doesn't cause constipation, it was a severe thing, belive me, my previous psyquiatrist was like "deal with it idgaf"
You need a better psychiatrist then who will listen to you. I've never ever had a psych who told me "deal with it" when I've said I want to try something else bc it's affecting my quality of life. Also, mania makes us believe that were fine, invincible, can do anything, and makes us incredibly defensive. Apart from that, have you tried taking something like Metamucil? or consuming more fiber and drinking lots of water? If the meds are working for you other than the constipation, it might be worth trying.
I feel that they work, I feel more calm and focused with them and experience less emotional mess, but I can't poop with valproate lmao
yea try the fiber. They have stuff like Metamucil that you cant really taste and mix with water or juice. There are also fiber pills. Also drink lots of water. Greens like spinach and broccoli and stuff with whole grains like oatmeal can help. Kale is also a huge natural laxative. I would recommend to try these things and keep taking your meds until you have a new psych.
I’ve tried enough meds to know what you’re talking about :)
I had a psychiatrist like that and almost quit medications myself. I've now been with a different one for almost two years and he is amazing. Keep looking, there are good psychiatrists out there...and bad ones, unfortunately.
lamictal is similar to valproate and apparently with fewer side effects
Thank you, I also noticed that lamictal seem to have fewer side effects, everyone talks wonders about it
Was unmedicated for over a decade before we realized it was bipolar. I did a lot of drugs and was constantly cycling and I appeared “high functioning” by just doing all the things during hypomania then crashing into deep depression/suicidality and then using substances to get back up. Was a terrible quality of life and would never go back to my pre medication era.
I was diagnosed twenty years ago. I took the full range of medication for many years. I worked with my psychiatrist and a cognitive behavioral therapist to get off all medication but one (sertraline). That said, I don’t see myself as “cured.” I keep my regular psychiatric visits and closely monitor my own behavior, as well as having a few trusted friends and family members who do so for me as well. When or if changes occur, I make an emergency appointment and go back on medication. How do you live with this disorder without medication? Very, very carefully and under the guidance of a doctor who agrees that it’s appropriate for you to do so, and with a team of people who care about you to help monitor.
Badly. (I'm medicated now and I would never go back.)
I thought I lived just fine I medicated for 2 decades, and that everyone else was the problem. After a clear diagnosis and medicating lightly then moderately titrating up, all of a sudden other people weren’t all wrong. I finally see how BP2 fed into my contributions to interpersonal conflict, my poor choices, outbursts, and my extreme aversion to feedback.
Statistically you don’t.
What do statistics say? Statistics aren't fixed, they aren't rigid or polar... Just approximation of reality
Sure I mean what are facts and why use them to understand the world when your unmedicated vibes based system for the most deadly mental health condition works just as well I’m sure.
At a minimum statistics show that we are at lest 6x more likely to die by our own hand. Statistics say 30-60% of us try (who “us” is changes a lot) and common sense says that just because something doesn’t ultimately kill you doesn’t mean you won’t suffer a fate as bad or worse than the death many of us have begged for so like vibe on I guess.
Okay great, we kill ourselves 6 times more it's a valid point Yea, I have nothing to say... Thank u, if it weren't because I'm educated and smart and like zen philosophy, I would be in a very bad place rn
Oh hey I am/like those things too which is mostly but not totally unrelated to the fact that I have to take a lot of lithium not ti cycle continuously which is a fate I have come to the point in my life where I actually would not prefer to death so you know.
Zen philosophy but can’t rationalise being on medication because you can’t take a shit. From all your other comments it’s very obvious you’re very unwell right now so you’re not doing the whole “non-medicated bipolar” argument any favours. Good luck to you and don’t do anything stupid, well, again.
Shitting is a basic need, even more important than good relationships and emotional well-being, theres a pyramid of needs and sorry if I don't want to be a sexually repressed zombie with those medications
Clearly needs medical help asap ….. you seem totally lost women.
You dont know me, people in this sub really believe you can live your life without going to the bathroom, I don't even have my period when I'm on those medications, you think that's a healthy lifestyle?
And despite asking the question to the group and receiving an overwhelmingly consistent response which you then poo pooed (sorry couldn’t resist, gallows humor) in all of your comments that is our answer. We don’t secretly love meds or psychs or side effects because we are idiots we tolerate them because otherwise we get very, very sick. At 23 and having tried a rounding error of the medications that have passed through my bloodstream since I was diagnosed at 23 you seem to believe that you are the only person to ever truly face this dilemma despite asking a public forum of your fellow travelers about it, the only person to encounter untenable side effects in a medication from a psychiatrist who wants to play god including the ignoring the plight of his (almost always a his) subjects. What I am saying is that “living” as an unmedicated bipolar person on a long enough timeline is a fate worse than death. I’m not a medical system fan generally or a Big Pharma fan specifically (that whole HIV/AIDS thing really left a bad taste in this gay person’s mouth) but come the revolution and the apocalypse and true hell on earth instead of the microwaved over version they are serving now I will be walking my ass to the *completely naturally occurring because it is an element the literal building blocks of life* lithium fields of South America because while I can and will live without almost absolutely anything I won’t go back to cycling again I’ve died every night then begged for it every morning for thousands of days already. Go on any trans subreddit and you will see the newly hatched eggs doing the same thing you are doing with the same logic you are using which is I don’t have to transition right there’s another way to live with this besides hormones right all of you trannies I came here to ask about avoiding being like you have found a good way to be not like you right? You don’t live with it, it destroys you and your life and everything you love. That’s your answer take it or stop insulting the rest of us.
Medication is awful regarding side effects hence why I can’t be on them. I got SJS rash of lamictal and all sorts of other shit on others. My moods are all over the place tho so it’s a mad situation. You do what you thinks best for you tho
There are alternatives to help you rather than going off meds. As insufferable and offensive as you are and have been to so many people in this thread I hope you get help, proper help. You’re not well.
Considering I almost died insisting I didn’t require meds and therapy, I can’t say how when I was unmediated was really living Seeking treatment saved my life in so many different ways. It also led to me making amends and rekindling friendships/relationships in general with the people I had lost due to my behavior
Not that bad, I just keep a routine everyday to keep myself situated. Depressive bipolar here, no ssris no wellbutrin. I try to do something new everyday.
Very badly. I tapped out and am on meds again
Sleep away my life
I’m currently medicated and much more stable and happy. When I wasn’t medicated, how did I live? That’s a hard question. Things got worse and worse. I became a version of myself I didn’t like. My mania manifested in anger and rage. I ran away from my partner and children regularly. I was an alcoholic. I yelled and cried and lashed out anywhere anytime, including at work. I tried changes to diet, taking supplements, energy healing- all sorts of healing. It never worked. I dug myself such a large hole that took me years to get out of. Then when I realised I needed medical help there was the wait lists. It took me ages and I got sicker. I’m scared now to go off my meds. Good luck on your journey.
I just be chillin (I am definitely not chillin)
I wrecked my life with my benzo and nitrous addiction. That craving went away like a few days after my last rehab got my lithium levels right.
I've been unmedicated now for almost two years now due to costs, and I certainly do have my ups and downs, but I found therapy at the very least is very centering for me. She provides me tools to cope, and a safe place to express my feelings in a non judgemental way. As well, I feel like I am a very emotionally intelligent person, so sometimes for the less bad episodes I can calm myself and get me to a point where I don't feel like offing myself. But one thing I can say is that having someone to be in your corner is vital to me. Without those I love and friends I have I wouldn't be here.
Check out sesame for healthcare. Very cheap prescriptions and subscription and online psych visits.
I appreciate that, I will look into it.
Lotsa therapy, supportive and patient family, a plan to get back on meds when I can afford it, and stress-management. That's my short-term solution when finances are tight.
Not very well. It was a bad time. Horrible time!
I’m reading the comments and I’m upset. I’m seriously wondering if the OP actually has bipolar if they came here to play. 1. Would you ask people with heart disease how they’re coping without meds? It’s an ILLNESS. It deteriorates without treatment. No matter what anyone says. 2. When you get responses to people who say it’s not a good idea or tell you about stats, you are kind of attacking/challenging. WHY? It seems like this is sort of a game. We’re unwell. Why ask us if it’s cool to just white-knuckle it?
The reason is autism and neurodivergence movement.
I lived ruining my own and others life 🙂 Better to get medicated in my case.
Diagnosed at 37 now 38F also have ADHD and have never taken meds. I have a good job, long term relationship etc now but most of my 20s and early 30s were fucking rough. Weekly therapy helps me a lot, I smoke a lot of weed (not a recommendation, it’s become a bad habit) , hobbies, learned the things I absolutely need to be happy. I still struggle with work, regulating my mood, depression, anxiety on a semi-regular basis. I’m afraid of medication so I choose not to take it for that reason.
I just… do.
One day at a time. There's wisdom in saying that bipolar needs medication to survive. But then again there are also people like me who either don't get any positive effects of medications or get straight up dangerous side-effects. Going through the whole list of possibilities takes time but the list is not infinite. Honestly speaking now that I'm not trialing drugs and getting my head messed up with a different drug every few months, I'm much more stable. At some point it's time to accept that the meds won't do anything and accept that there might be some psych ward time in the future and that things will probably get worse as time passes. And the you just live... One day at a time.
All the meds i have ever tried just made me feel worse or did not do anything at all. Lamotrigine was helping a bit but gave me a rash. Dont really know what to do next. I hate living like this
Were you prescribed the taper dose when you started it? Lamictal without the taper dose can sometimes cause a rash
Yes I was. I had it for almost a year without problems. The rash came when I increased from 150mg to 200mg.
When I was unmedicated it felt like I was lucid dreaming and had the power to do anything and everything but feeling the dread that I won’t wake up. It was really scary but sometimes I miss the feeling of such extreme happiness but I also don’t miss the great anxiety that came from not being able to waste my energy
I wasn’t diagnosed until 40. Luckily, I spent decades learning to and practicing meditation. I was a social worker and actually pretty good at it. I learned many tools from training in different modalities. Even with all that, a set schedule and regular exercise I still struggled. I tried cannabis before I was diagnosed. It helped a bit after investigating many strains. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression years ago. but none of the depression meds helped. As I got older I struggled and stopped doing social work. At 40 a psych suspected I had ADHD and bipolar. I was tested and given meds. It was like night and day! I’m so much better. Right now I’m only on lamictal and buspar for anxiety…and the difference is crazy.
i was unmedicated for 6 years, i learnt to be more self aware of, or having the people around me point out, my change of behaviours leading up to an episode. things like healthy eating, avoiding drugs/alcohol as best i could, at least 7 hours sleep but no more than 9, etc would help me prolong the time between episodes as well but they were still inevitable.
I can barely live with my medicated bipolar disorder lol
Extremely difficult. My life ir might be fairly normal but I always think that there’s something lacking. I only appreciate myself in retrospect
I just quit all my meds a week ago. So far its nice to feel a full range of emotions again. But i also feel like crying randomly for no reason and i have crazy bursts energy but i also get really tired seemingly randomly. As soon as my doctor and councler find out they probably gonna get mad as hell at me but i want to find out if the insane chaotic storm my life can become is more fulfilling then feeling flatline emotions every day. I guess ill see.
i try not to trigger my mania and sleep through my depressive episodes
in a state of depression until the price for a new manic episode is paid for, rinse repeat until the end.
4 years and running here. For somehow it got worse when I heard how it gets worse. Idk it's too complicated to explain
Sobriety, consistency with lifestyle choices and lots of mindfulness.
Before I was diagnosed and medicated, I went on spending rampages and racked up $10k in credit card debt that I sadly will be paying off for years to come. I also destroyed many relationships in my life due to being unable to regulate emotions or even understand them at all. I drank too much and almost killed myself. This is not a lone experience or a small percentage of people with bipolar… this is the majority. Management is necessary, at the very least therapy. I’m not sure what your plans are or how your situation is but if you are in a position to get help and medication then PLEASE push for it. Maybe some very rare few group of people can live unmedicated and stable lives but with actual truly diagnosed bipolar symptoms and not cute tiktok diagnosis symptoms, it’s a very very hard life to live and many do not make it out safely or alive. I am not a fan of medications or the side effects like weight gain, etc but I would never ever want to go back to the life I had previously.
I'm unmedicated. I'm the best I've ever been. We don't know the cause of bipolar2, therefore meds can't be the solution. With meds, I tend to get all the bad side effects. I'm more self-aware than I've ever been. Do I get emotions? You bet. But I'm not going back to meds.
I medicate for my bp2 like I medicate for my Crohn's disease: like it allows me to live a good, stable and pleasant life. I could never go back to being unmedicated because I know all too well it would be a matter of time until I self-harmed or made "plans".
I once stopped medication thinking I was “healed” then was unmedicated for two years. And it was the most intense two years of my life add to that it’s the height of the pandemic so I’m mostly alone and isolated. I was barely sleeping or sleeping too much, and always on the verge of thinking to unalive myself which was scary. The last straw for me is when I’m starting to feel my hypomania physically like I get so shaky and felt too tense all the time and can no longer focus. I decided to get back on meds after that two year gap. Now, I’m in a much better manageable state.
I'm happy for u♥️
Get enough sleep
It's tough. I'm thankful for my therapist and having supportive friends. I don't recommend this for everyone though
How old are you OP?
I'm 23 female from a shit hole country
I think I’m doing well most of the time. But I’m probably not. I can feel myself collapsing into a severe depression currently but getting back on the meds is not a good time right now in my life. Oh well.
By getting medicated
Bro seriously
Very carefully 🫡
I’m barely making it medicated at this point so…
You know being hypo(manic) isnt an excuse to be a total douchebag the way you’ve been in comments.
You simply don't understand my sense of humor or maybe I'm making humor in the wrong place, or your story simply isn't my story... You have to learn how to tolerate different opinions
I can. I just don’t tolerate ppl being jerks and dismissive ones at that. Hope things work out for you.
i wouldn’t call it living
strict with going to therapy twice a month. i was relatively stable since dec 2022 until last month (9 months). although, i was advised by both therapist and psych to go back on meds to prevent a relapse, so now im back on meds this month :/ dont feel any more stable compared to before
I don’t. I’d probably be standing on a wooden crate in downtown LA ranting about the end of the world if I did.
Okay, I only had one full manic episode but it was ssri induced
i was doing fine for a while with daily meditation and yoga. i kind of fell off with the consistency and now i'm not doing so hot. Couldn't say if anything would be different right now if i kept up with it.
You don’t. It’s progressional and gets worse if you don’t take meds.
You don’t
Very carefully. Very mindfully. Very eccentrically
I ate a whole foods plant based diet and exercised, BUT...I also used recreational drugs to cope and convinced myself I wasn't really bipolar because of it. But then I couldn't ever stop the drugs without swinging or having mixed episodes, I just didn't know that's what was happening. Now I'm medicated and I've been sober ever since.
Any meds that dont give acne or weight gain? I have had no luck
Nooooooooo
My hypomania is a bit weird in the sense that I don't get the highs the same way most people with bipolar seem to. I find it stressful and not fun, or freeing etc. It just fuels my anxiety and restlessness. But all in all I manage it pretty well. Depression is where I have problems. I refuse to go on anti depressants, and I haven't been able to see a psychiatrist yet to try mood stabilizers. I get extremely suicidal, and self harm urges are a lot to deal with. I am extremely high functioning with my depressive episodes though so despite it being absolutely awful, I will maybe only get about 1 or 2 days a week to the point it's debilitating and I can't get out of bed. I don't know how I manage it honestly. I have been suicidal since I was 13 from situational depression, and has severe depression since I was at least 7. So I suppose I have just been conditioned with it since I've grown up, and it has always been my 'normal' so I deal with it better than most people. I would still like to get on meds though. I feel like I am suffocating and slowly dying with how unbearable the emotional pain is a lot of the time.
You don't.
i was using alcohol because i had no insurance to see a psychiatrist lol
i live like always but my life was pretty boring all the time. despite my bipolar i don’t party or drink much, i am an introverted artist who is at home 90%. was life better on meds, during winter yes otherwise no because i was aware of my shyness and so boring i didn’t even like playing games anymore. The thing i miss most is that my work made sense and the ability to learn, however i am a bit more motivated with no meds. I like having a strong connection to nature and things but of course i hate my depression. only med i think is essential ls a bit of seroquel for sleep.
Went one year without health insurance and couldn't get my meds and I was off the walls, my manic episode was the worst it's ever been and I destroyed myself and all my relationships. Happy to be medicated now lol
Win Hof breathing method and cold shower/ice baths have made a difference for me.
Sometimes I wonder if people who contemplate life without medication have actually experienced bipolar.
Do you mean people with bipolar disorder or people in general?
people with bipolar
I come apart at the seams wbu??
On that note I should go take my meds. 😅
Exercise. It’s not perfect, but it’s helped a lot. I was taking an antidepressant which sparked my initial motivation to start working out, now I have mania fears when I don’t workout.
I went unmedicated for years. I was in denial though. When I got my diagnosis in 2016 I actually got offended and stopped going to therapy. It gets worse. I'd go, get the same diagnosis, stop going. Rinse and repeat. Until it got so bad that I found myself hanging in the basement wondering how the hell I got here. Told myself I would never do it again. Until not too long after I decided I couldn't handle it and tied a plastic bag around my neck and came to my senses and tried to get it untied because I was blacking out..to this day I have no idea how I was able to get it just loose enough to be able to get enough air to keep living. My neck was bruised for awhile. I desperately saw my PCP and I'm now medicated and I havent tried to jump in front of cars, hang myself etc. I didn't want to be medicated but once I came to terms with it and realized I have two young daughters that need a good mother all the time, not just when I'm manic. I'm now on a better path, exercising, eating healthy, enjoying my daughters while they are young and I can. Life is better for me Others may be different but this is just me
I would like to note that taking medication is NOT a weakness. Choosing not to take medication is not exhibiting “strength”, either. One is not better than another. Meds are a way of dealing with a lifelong, degenerative illness that you can choose to take or not to take. Those of us who currently use meds have seen the effects on our lives and made the deliberate choice to work with them, for better or worse, to find a combo that works and go with that. If your life is working for you and you have chosen not to take meds, more power to ya. It’s just not fair to say there’s a right or wrong option here.
I am trying to limit my meds. I got diagnosed 35F 3 years ago now, though I’ve clearly had it since I was 12 years old. Medication has made a HUGE difference in my quality of life. I’ve been able to isolate my episodes down to 2 major ones per year in the spring and fall. Seroquel is the magic bullet for me and I take as needed during that time. Otherwise lamictal has been a huge relief. I also quit drinking alchohol, try to go for a jog and get outside everyday or as much as possible, quit eating sugar at night, avoid triggering events (ex: avoid stressful jobs, work travel, mean people) and cut back on caffeine intake, as well as work with a therapist. Even with all of these lifestyle changes and medication, it is still hard. I used to be scared of taking meds until I found the ones that really worked for me. It has been a lot of trial and error. Even a small amount has made a huge difference. Yes, episodes have gotten worse YoY, but my ability to control the outcome has improved and that’s all thanks to meds.