It took me 6(!) years to arrive at the ideal medication cocktail, but I have arrived, at last. Completely stable, asymptomatic and without bad side effects. Almost everything I take I asked for myself (Geodon, Lithium, Amitriptyline, and soon to arrive in the mail, Topomax). My former p-doc brilliantly prescribed Prozac which saved the day very quickly and continues to kick ***. She is an Indian lady and I will send her a Diwali card tomorrow thanking her for Prozac because it works amazingly well without side effects (I take only 10mg which is probably why I do not experience side effects). So Prozac is the single medication that was prescribed to me without my first asking for it - in fact, I did not believe in Prozac at all when it was prescribed.

I do believe that there is kindling effect and have an untestable theory that had I been diagnosed in my 20s, Lithium alone would have sufficed against mania - I would not have needed an AP. But since Geodon causes no side effects now, I am OK taking it.

It could have taken me less that 6 years to arrive at where I am now. Had I done my homework thoroughly in 2006, I would have asked for Lithium in 2006, right after the dx. That step would have saved me $$$ and prevented weight gain! I only asked for Lithium in 2009. So the road could have been shorter with more due diligence on my end.

P-docs in my initial years of treatment were terrible, but the ones I have had in the past year have all been good.

I have never had any success with therapy. All the money spent on therapists was wasted money. But psychiatry really works well for me.