None of the psych meds really "treat" the "illness". All they do is treat the symptoms of the illness in an attempt to keep them at bay so said individual can function in the societal context. Anti-Psychotics don't cure positive or negative symptoms of schizophrenia, but keep those symptoms at bay. Same with bipolar meds.

I remember when HamsterB said something about bipolar being a sleep disorder. At the time I didn't believe it was, however, I am starting to believe it does have to do with the regulation of sleep. I wondered how I could fit in this until I realized that I chronically oversleep. I think it has to do with the reaction to sleep and the body compensating for what rest it did/did not receive. I think this is one of the physically driven aspects of the disorder.

I think another part of bipolar disorder are learned behaviors.

I don't think of it as a chemical imbalance because the brain will always have some kind of imbalance in its neurotransmitters. I basically think that science has found some functions of neurotransmitters. They realized some of the neurotransmitters had positive effects. Then they tried to make synthetic versions of those neurotransmitters to attempt to increase those certain neurotransmitters in the brain to hopefully correct something they perceive as a inadequacy. The only way for them to know if it is, is if you stay on the medication.

(Then you have to wonder if it is medication itself working, or if its just numbing you out of your bipolar rollarcoaster)