Hi there and welcome. You will find great support here, learn lots and get to hear personal experiences.

I'm sorry you went through what you did when you were younger.

Who made your dx of being BP II? I would really recommend seeing a T, as there are a lot of underlying issues that are impacting your life. And BP by no means makes it any easier.
I firmly believe that meds are necessary to treat BP effectively. After all, it is a chemical imbalance, so it needs the correct chemicals to straighten this out.
But as Blue and others have mentioned, lifestyle changes are also necessary.

I'm not sure how the American state medical setups work, but I'm sure some good advice has been given as to how to organise affordable meds. I also battle with the price of meds, and am constantly fighting with my medical aid to pay.
At the end of the day, it is my health though, and I need to take the right steps to allow myself to be healthy and happy.

I hope to hear more from you in the future - welcome again!