I am one of those who cope without meds. But it took my years of yoga practice and learning how to manage my mind... which quite difficult,but rewarding. Very rewarding. If you have the resources and posibility, I'd recommend you to look into the alternative path. But ain't no easy ride and no quick fix.
You should try to make your life style as healthy as possible. Eat well (forget all the low-carb and other nonsense diets. Bipolars are quite sensitive to their foods). Eating lots of fish and legumen can improve the mood. There are some herbal products I could not do without... lemon balm, valerian, st. john's wort, chammomille, rosemary...

Of course,some people may need meds or are better off on them... but it IS possible to do it without in many cases, so it's worth trying.

And remember... you are not your diagnosis. That should only serve you to help you look for the warning signs and help you on your path... also, look at the alternative resources here along with the traditional ones (some of the medical books on bipolar tend to be doom-and-gloom and make it sound as a death sentence).