View Single Post
 
Old Jul 06, 2010, 12:44 AM
BlackPup's Avatar
BlackPup BlackPup is offline
Magnate
 
Member Since: Jun 2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 2,861
Quote:
Originally Posted by xxharley View Post
I stopped taking all my medication when I was 18 without my doctor's consent. I know, bad idea. I basically dropped all my meds one day and went crazy for about a month.
Since then, I have been functioning decently without medication or therapy (or so I've been telling myself).
Recently, I have been feeling more rapid cycles occuring. I've been using the mood tracker on here and its showing me how up and down I'm becoming.
I am definitely considering going back into therapy and possibly going back on medication, but I've had such negative experience with medication in the past so I am afraid to try it again.
In Unquiet Mind by Kay Jamison, she describes an "indian summer" after her first diagnosed episode, where she was fine without meds for a while before it came back... I had a year after my initial episode where everything was good...
Also BP, especially if not treated is progressive, it will get worse exactly as you are describing, rapid cycles, mixed episodes etc.
As for the meds, there are lots of different combinations out there, so you can keep on looking until you find something that works but does not have to bad side effects. Also remember that alot of the side effects will get better after a few weeks or months.