I am new here, but was diagnosed with Bipolar nearly 5 years ago. I was misdiagnosed initially with major depression and on meds for a long time (I think I tried everything under the sun, mostly to fix all the damage the anti-depressants I got while manic did!). I am glad to have finally stabilized (over a year ago now), and have been able to find a combination of diet, exercise and regimented sleep that allowed me to go off meds permanently (what one of us loves our meds, really?). I still make regular weekly visits to a psychiatrist to check on my status, but so far have been free of any episodes for three years.

If anyone new to bipolar has meds questions or non-meds questions, I'd be happy to discuss my experiences. )

I'm glad to have found this board! I was looking for non-doctor support without the weird feeling of a local "meeting" or group therapy session, and I finally found it!