You were clearly bipolar before your diagnosis, having an official label won't suddenly turn you into one of your aunts...

So just shake off that little bit of irrational terror right there...

I was medicated shortly after being diagnosed, was a life saver I won't lie because my life was completely shyt at the time.

Longterm meds were however not a viable option for me. Not mentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually, so I stopped taking them, and haven't touched them in almost 3 years.

Like Christina said, quite a few of us rely on coping skills, therapy, body surfing etc, to survive the ups and downs. I would just like to add that this method is practically IMPOSSIBLE to employ if you have low / no self-awareness and insight, because you have to be a step ahead of your very own brand of the Bipolar Beast.

Also support systems, support systems rock, medicated or not. Tricky thing is we tend to have a specific pre-determined idea of what that looks like and can and do, overlook the support we actually dooo get.

Me, I was guilty of that.

There's a member here who's pdoc has agreed to only medicate her as needed, I wish more doctors were open to that method of treatment.

So there's perhaps another possible option for you...

Its a personal choice like Christina said, there's no right or wrong.

My advice? Be open to trying different things and find which ammunition you like best.

Also, monotherapy hardly works (from what I've witnessed and experienced) best to tackle this beast from as many angles as you can.

They don't say "healthy body, equals healthy mind, equals healthy spirit" for nothing...

Not that I'm implying we can actually cure our minds, but our collective aim afterall is to get it as healthy as possible.