Hello everyone!

Sorry in advance for the long post!

I have recently been diagnosed bipolar. I saw three therapists and a psychiatrist who all agreed. The psychiatrist prescribed lithium, a low dose, and I'd work up into the perceptible range and then stay on it and give it a try.

That said! My family is concerned about health issues. I come from a sort of hippie background where people have very critical feelings about the psychiatric industry and about applied psychiatry. My wife really really REALLY doesn't want me to take Lithium, and my parents are concerned about my Thyroid. I trust my therapist and my psychiatrist, I really like them actually, and they don't seem concerned at all.

My wife wants me to do a holistic thing that's like this special diet, vitamins, regulated sleep, exercise, meditation, so on and so forth... Honestly doing those things sounds wonderful, but does not seem practical. I myself do not feel like I can tackle that kind of life style change without some kind of help. I also don't think that my wife is being realistic about supporting this type of life style. Firstly she is terrible at managing time and keeping commitments. If I were to require her to be on time and support my exercise and meditation schedule, it is very unlikely that she would be able to do this. She also likes to stay up late, drink wine, smoke weed, talk, etc... We're both artists and have fully lived a bohemian lifestyle forever, and for me to be like, 'OK, it's 10PM, I'm taking some vitamins, meditating and going to bed' I just don't see that happening. In the past I have tried to regulate my sleep and she has NOT been supportive at all. In fact she has not supported any of the things she now says she wants to support. Compounding all of this is that she is just burnt out by being married to a bipolar person for 7 years. She feels very resentful that me and my antics have taken so much out of her, and honestly I feel for her, especially now that I have a diagnosis and understand bipolar better, I honestly feel for her, but that does not make me think she is going to be able to support me not taking lithium and instead addressing bipolar holistically.

In the mean season, I'm still bipolar. I have a busy life, I am fortunate that my bipolar has not been more debilitating. As I said I am an artist, and honestly, people just tolerate crazy behavior from artists, which is a blessing because I've been able to have a career but it is also a major enabler.

So! I want to address this! I don't see what my family is suggesting working, and I am worried about toiling away for another 6 months to a year not making progress, continuing to hurt myself and other people just because my hippie family (who I love) is like, AGAINST, Lithium.

Can anyone relate to this? Does anyone have any suggestions? Does anyone have any knowledge about the actual side effects of small doses of lithium?

Ugh...

I was so happy to get a diagnosis, it made so much sense out of so much. Honestly, I wanted to just take the ****ing pill! But nothing is ever that simple right...

I'd appreciate any advice at all!
Thanks!
MT