I think it's important for us all to realize the risk assoctiated with going off meds cold turkey. You know what tho, sometimes even trying to ween yourself off slowly will not garner the suport of your pdoc, depending on his or her stance regaurding medication.

I think it's important for us to relize that there are different ways to manage bipolar symptoms for different people. When we say "never do this, or that " we close the door to choices. I'm not advocating just dropping meds left and right, but sometimes, dr's will not give you the option of supervised weening. And some people can handle the withdrawl of cold turkey, it's a personal thing, and only you know what is right for yourself.

My refusal to remian medicated doesn't make me a bad patient, refusing to put up with ridiculous side effects doesn't make people bad patients. All it makes them is wanting for something better or more acceptable.

If I didn't ween myself off, my pdoc refused to supervise me, then what ? I just have to stay on them and put up with terrible side effects forever?

For every horror story, there very well likely could be a success story, as we have seen in this thread. You can't just discount one, and not the other. It would not be very accurate.