I also wanted to add that bipolar is a progressive disorder. If not properly treated (in whatever way is appropriate), it will progress. I ignored my BP2 for a long time. Over time I got worse and worse and worse....now I'm BP1 and psychotic destructive manic phases and utterly debilitating (almost catatonic sometimes, suicidal at others) depression are my every day norm. I'm glad I sought proper treatment. I know I won't go back to being BP2 with just some nice hypomanias and some mild depression again, but with meds (and my other coping mechanisms), I can be very close to that or even to normal.

My point is, if you decide to go the no meds route you may just find that your BP spirals into something much worse over time. For me, it just took about 2-3 years.

(Edited to add that another reason my BP progressed so fast is that I insisted I was just depressed to docs even though I knew perfectly well what I had and got anti-deps only for those 2-3 years....which caused my progression from BP2 to BP1 to happen quickly and probably my ultra rapid cycling and even mixed states. The info it out there...in the end it's a personal decision, but for me, at least for now, and probably always, meds are an integral part of my treatment plan. Without them, I'd probably be dead by now.)