I wouldn't say that. I have a dx of bipolar 1 with psychosis and failed sui attempts in the past. I don't think one has to do with the other at all. And people on meds also crash, all the time. I have not crashed yet, I have had two small blips, actually extremely more stable then when on the meds. However my minset is also much healthier, and the skills and tools I use can't be undermined so easily.

I also used to think I needed meds to survive, because I didn't know otherwise, and more importantly because when I had previously went off meds, I didn't not have the right stuff in order, so yes it looked bad and made me think I couldn't do it. I was not using a good approach. I had some skills but not enough, I was missing a lot of ingredients. Even if I didn't have bipolar I would still want to have the things I have know in place in my life.

From my personal experience and everything I have read here, the choice of meds should be entertained just as carefully as no meds.
It's one thing to go off meds and do nothing else to help it work for you, it's not the same thing as going med free and having a lot of other stuff in place that will help you.

I don't just cope with the symptoms, there are not that many symptoms happening anymore to cope with, there could be, but you can do something before it comes down to that most of the time. Which is a direct result of other methods I use, I am pretty sure on that one. Mindset probably being the most effective of them all. I know people don't want to hear that. But how we approach life does matter and can make a big difference.

Lastly..I really don't think I am some special exception to the med\no med rule. I don't think there is a rule at all of any persons potential or capabilities. Getting into the mindset that there is seems a dangerous thing.

There are a lot of areas in our thought process that also get overlooked, and gets passed as being part of bipolar. Things like core beliefs about yourself and the world, cognitive thought distortions.. this stuff is equally important whether on meds or not, and if ignored has the potential to make life pretty darn difficult. People without dx also have these issues, just part of being human, and it can be hard to sort out what is what.