Anyone had success beating bipolar without meds?

psych0kitty

Management of bipolar disorder without pharmaceuticals can be achieved, but it takes a WHOLE LOT OF WORK, including highly-structured lifestyle involving rigorous exercise and diet. You cannot "beat" bipolar disorder.

missomgitsica

Nope. I take Lithium and a low does of Paxil and it has done wonders for me. I went unmedicated for a long time and tried some of the otc herbal lithium type stuff, and it absolutely doesn't work. I have a friend who's constantly giving me crap for being on those meds, who tells me all the time that there's a natural remedy for everything and that doctors and pharm companies are evil and blah blah blah, but I can tell you that I'd rather live my life functioning and enjoying it than buy into that conspiracy crap.

Mustang_Susie

There is no such thing as "beating bipolar." The illness has three phases...depression, mania (or hypomania in the case of bipolar type 2) and maintenance. All three phases are managed with medication and each phase is actually treated differently. As the poster above stated; there are only two types of bipolar patients (and neither type is called "cured"). The first type is the one that takes their medications and feels better and says "the meds are working, therefore I will stay on the meds." The second type takes their medications and feels better and believes they no longer need the meds. The former leads a productive life, the latter lives a life of repeat hospitalizations +/- arrests, etc.

Not rude.
Experiential, medical facts from a psychiatrist.
Several other posters with the diagnosis support these facts.

skylark94

I don't medicate. Meds make me crazy. I totally steer clear of anything "herbal" as well. The best treatment I have found for my disorder is physical activity and an excellent therapist.

QuietBloom

Zombie thread lovely peoples. :flowerforyou:

fShaw86

I was diagnosed with bipolar, but turns out I actually had PTSD... they both get confused, especially if traumatic events/incidents haven't been discussed with the medical professional (a shrink, in most cases).

Was prescribed St. John's Wort and lived for a while thinking I belonged in a crazy house. Then got the proper diagnosis, the specific treatment, and a new set of people around me who are both positive and encouraging, and life's so, so, so much better.

ValerieMartini2Olives

I took meds for bipolar disorder. I hated them. I never wanted to die so badly in my life until I was medicated. I had the shakes, tired ALL the time, no personality whatsoever and ZERO sex drive. I was just so numb. I really wanted to die.

Then I stopped taking my meds and started working out. I felt so much better. I felt alive. I will never go back to meds because they ruined me. Working out and eating better was a much better fix for my attitude, self esteem and self respect.

Just a word... Don't stop taking your meds just to stop. I had to do it because I literally was ruined on them. My life is so much betternw.

samanthanoonehere

I have been on a 1000mg of Lithium together with Lexamil as i was first diagnosed as clinically depressed. I then was diagnosed with my second psychiatrist as Biploar II after suffering an episode of attempting to take my own life, I have never hated using anything in my life as much as i did those meds. I have never felt so dead in my life as i had with taking medication. I researched nearly everything about my Illusive condition, i call it. I was forced to stop as i had no aid to pay for them any longer as i was forced to leave my job as i wasn't coping.I had to at least try and cope without it, for the sake of my son. Its nearly a year and still have episodes although i am much more aware of it when it happens and that makes all the difference. Your mind is much more powerful than you think.I have to admit that some may not be able to cope with out. I would rather struggle getting to know why i feel sad than have a quick fix and further lose myself to medication. I love feeling deeply and would not trade it for anything in this world. It has brought me at this late age 31 that i have a talent for writing poems, 'because' i feel so deeply. I have never had 'my' thing in life before.

(see below)

The world grows smaller and i cant escape
Its trying to swallow me whole using my mind as bait
My mind is stuck and the worlds a blur
Just look at that girl, cant i be as peaceful as her
My mind, yes my mind, makes me bleed for my life
I'm sinking and not at all trying to swim from my strife
Just watch me drown, i wish not to be saved
I just want to be free and no longer enslaved
Some days i'm okay and some days i am not
My mind never heals, seems to be turning to rot
Slice open my scalp and start dissecting my brain
And examine and find what's the cause of my pain
Don't judge me for my poems are all that i have
At least my mind seems constructive when moving my hand
Either pen to paper or my fingers to notes
I find myself going through positive quotes
I may have been gruesome with all i've expressed
At the end of my poem, i'm no longer depressed

By Samwam

Victorino357

Not actually but I have been off meds for 3 1/2yrs n yes depression n all that other good stuff never goes away but my key is when I feel something coming on I tackle. I read my daily devotions in the morning and if I have to throughout the day. I even share with others. When you make someone else's day your also helping yourself. Hope that helps some...