Anyone had success beating bipolar without meds?

Options
RoadToHappiness92
RoadToHappiness92 Posts: 58
in Chit-Chat
Just wondering if anyone has had any success with beating bipolar without meds.. With just herbal supps? Is there anything you would and /or wouldn't recommend?
«13

Replies

  • CheriLMT
    CheriLMT Posts: 220 Member
    Options
    Everyone of course is different but I am...I horribly crazy without my meds...you and your doc have to decide what is best for you though...sometimes after being on meds for a while a person may think "I am so much better I don't need meds" but it is because of the meds they are better.this happens a lot actually
  • RoadToHappiness92
    RoadToHappiness92 Posts: 58
    Options
    My problem is I was first diagnosed with depression and the ads screwed up my moods so much worse I stopped taking them. Along with the million other side effects.
  • RoadToHappiness92
    RoadToHappiness92 Posts: 58
    Options
    Bump
  • armypsychdoc
    armypsychdoc Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    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.
  • Aureilie
    Aureilie Posts: 213 Member
    Options
    You're lucky there are nice people on this board who will tell you the truth. Bipolar is something that you need to manage with therapy and medication prescribed to you by a doctor. There is no cure, anyone who tells you otherwise is selling snake oil.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    Options
    Whatever you do, steer clear of herbal supplements for depression that you may read about if you have Bipolar. I don't believe you can manage Bipolar long-term without medication, but you can trigger manic episodes trying to self-treat with herbs. (Unless, of course, prescribed by a reputable medical professional who is aware that you have Bipolar.)
  • pennydreadful270
    pennydreadful270 Posts: 266 Member
    Options
    Woah guys, not everyone with bipolar is on medication or has swings so severe. It has a spectrum, just like so many things. Some people find they don't like to take the medication as the "manic" periods are actually very creative and productive times for them.

    It really, really, depends on your personal circumstances though. I would not advise going to herbal remedies. Either they don't have any real effect, or they do have an effect but you shouldn't be self-medicating with them. I trained as a pharmacist though, so I am understandably skeptical of medicines which are not properly licensed. I also know that prescribed meds can do both harm and an awful lot of good. If you have very low moods they could save your life.

    Be well and keep the discussion going. You have to be happy with your treatment, not just your doctor. It's a two way street.xx
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    Options
    Yes, Bipolar has a spectrum, but a manic episode does require a certain severity to be considered a true manic episode. Many people with BP don't like to take meds for the reason you mentioned, and others, but that doesn't mean it's going to be the best recommendation. But I realize that's not what OP asked, so I'll bow out here.
  • alychil820
    alychil820 Posts: 219 Member
    Options
    It really depends on the severity, but honestly? I think you need to take your meds - especially if you have Bipolar I with full blown manic episodes. There are some illnesses that can be managed without medication, but in my experience bipolar disorder isn't one of them. That's my experience though. I think medication can help you live with the disorder much better than going off medication will.
  • armypsychdoc
    armypsychdoc Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    I apologize if I came across as a "rude *kitten*." As a psychiatrist, as well as the daughter of a bipolar mother, I have seen both of those types. The first type in my outpatient clinic, doing well. The second type in the hospital or worse, brought to me by the police in lieu of arrest. Yes, manic episodes can lead to increased goal directed behavior and creativity but it can also lead to psychosis and death from as assortment of means. Also, decades of research indicate that the neuro chemicals associated with a manic episode are toxic to our neurons and that with each subsequent manic episode we do irreversible damage to our brain cells.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    Options
    i used to have chronic anxiety which would lead to bouts of depression, but i have never been formally diagnosed. i have never taken meds, but i did go to a meditation retreat a few yeas ago (and a few times since) and that helped me immensely.

    sometimes just recognizing that the world offers a lot of confusing information and then disassociating yourself from it is a big improvement, meds or not.

    best of luck!
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    Options
    Rude people don't care if you stay sick.

    Nice people do. Thus, the advice given.
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
    Options
    I'm sorry that you find the truth to be rude. I'm also sorry you have bipolar disorder, but the poster (a psychiatrist) is correct; there currently is no cure for the disorder, it's a condition that must be managed through medication and therapy. Going off of your medications is a recipe for disaster and will only result in the disorder getting worse. If you are concerned about the effects of your medications, please talk to your doctor about this.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    Options
    The couple of times in my adult life that I decided I was just fine without medication... i went downhill when I went off them. It wasn't a fast deterioration right into depression or mania, it was very slow... that's the worst kind because I don't even notice until it had already wreaked havoc on my life.
    I'm now very compliant with my meds; and much happier for it.
  • armypsychdoc
    armypsychdoc Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    The couple of times in my adult life that I decided I was just fine without medication... i went downhill when I went off them. It wasn't a fast deterioration right into depression or mania, it was very slow... that's the worst kind because I don't even notice until it had already wreaked havoc on my life.
    I'm now very compliant with my meds; and much happier for it.

    I'm really glad that you are doing well. Treatment adherence in bipolar disorder is extremely important but even more important is that it's often fostered by stories just like this. Every individual with bipolar disorder has had an experience similar to yours...it's an unfortunate part of the disease process but for many (most) the only thing that helps keep someone compliant is having seen the worst of the illness and what it can do to you, your life and the lives of those you love and who love you.
  • CaddieMay
    CaddieMay Posts: 356 Member
    Options
    The couple of times in my adult life that I decided I was just fine without medication... i went downhill when I went off them. It wasn't a fast deterioration right into depression or mania, it was very slow... that's the worst kind because I don't even notice until it had already wreaked havoc on my life.
    I'm now very compliant with my meds; and much happier for it.

    I'm really glad that you are doing well. Treatment adherence in bipolar disorder is extremely important but even more important is that it's often fostered by stories just like this. Every individual with bipolar disorder has had an experience similar to yours...it's an unfortunate part of the disease process but for many (most) the only thing that helps keep someone compliant is having seen the worst of the illness and what it can do to you, your life and the lives of those you love and who love you.

    Yep. I, too, have tried going off my meds when I thought I was "strong enough" to handle my condition. Didn't go well. Yes, I would love to live without my meds. My condition is not that severe and I have an outstanding support system. I understand that some people would like to try alternative methods - and some have found some level of success depending on the severity of their illness. HOWEVER, I would not alter my dosage in ANY WAY without the consent and weekly observation from my psychiatrist. I advocate for myself by researching medications and treatments and asking my doctor her opinion. We often disagree (for example, she doesn't understand that Seroquel causes me to overeat!), but overall, we make a great team. Also, I have found that my symptoms have subsided with age. Not sure if this is the same for everyone, but med compliance is to be credited for this, I think. I don't enjoy hospital visits.
  • imzadi_24
    imzadi_24 Posts: 6
    Options
    My grandmother, mother, brother, sister, and son are all bipolar. I have PMDD and anxiety. My brother will not take medication, and his social life is a train wreck. My mother was mis-diagnosed while I was still at home, and now that she is getting the right treatment, I can have a good relationship with her. My sister went off her meds, and had a slow spiral down into being suicidal. She recovered quickly with re-starting her meds. My grandmother has never been treated, and she is very senile and only in her 70's. She also is very hostile to everyone who wants to assist her. She has no friends, only family who help her out of obligation. My son, well, he is doing much better since he began medication, and when he forgets one day, he has a bad WEEK. I also know a professional herbalist, and she told me that herbal treatment is not a strong as prescription medication, and that only the mildest cases of bipolar would effectively be controlled with herbs, and even that would take close monitoring (at least weekly) by an herbalist experienced in managing similar disorders, who works closely with a psyciatrist.
  • CheriLMT
    CheriLMT Posts: 220 Member
    Options
    i used to have chronic anxiety which would lead to bouts of depression, but i have never been formally diagnosed. i have never taken meds, but i did go to a meditation retreat a few yeas ago (and a few times since) and that helped me immensely.

    sometimes just recognizing that the world offers a lot of confusing information and then disassociating yourself from it is a big improvement, meds or not.

    best of luck!
    I am sorry if this sounds rude but you probably don't have bipolar, it is much deeper than just meditating...that suggests that you have a choice in the matter, that it is something that you can change....it isn't...it is a medical condition, therapy helps but does not cure same with meds...meds are a necessary part of my life to even be semi functional...when off the meds I am suicidal and will act on the thoughts
  • clydethecat
    clydethecat Posts: 1,094 Member
    Options
    i completely understand wanting to go off your meds because of the side effects. they're a b!tch. i take serequoel and i've gained a ton of weight, i'm famished all the time, and now i'm pre diabetic. i'm not sure which medication makes my hands shake all the time, and depending on how much coffee i drink, makes my whole body vibrate. and then theres the cognitive issues. i'll be in the middle of a sentence and forget what i was talking about. i forget my words all the time. oh and the sexual issues. i've had no sex drive in years. all of these side effects are terrible, they make it hard to live day to day, but they are worth it.

    i gladly live with these side effects because with these medications i have some normalcy in my life. i'm not blowing up at my husband at the smallest thing. i'm not so depressed i cant get out of bed. i'm not getting into road rage incidents. believe me, before medication i was a wreck, and i wasnt someone people wanted to be around. now i have friends, and loved ones that actually enjoy my company. that is worth every side effect.

    i hope you stay on the medication. it really is worth it.

Categories