I hear you, Melissa.recovering. And I stand here cheering everything kaliope says.

I was diagnosed late in life and graced with a magnificent pdoc right off. We've had to struggle to get the right meds, tho--he & I have come to the Arena only once when I demanded he go back to the prescribing square one, again. It was a battle worth the fight.

I deal with minimal brain fog and side effects. Being bipolar is part of my life along with my alcoholism, and I lead a productive life working with my support team close at hand. You have to do the work & keep up the maintenance, but the payoff's huge!