My daughter has bp, dx as a young teen. At first she HATED meds because she so loved hypomania.. It was her normal. She complained mightily that the meds made her feel numb and lifeless. After about 3 months of taking it tho (under my watchful eyes), she started to feel *real* emotions. She became overwhelmed at first, because her bipolar mind had been spinning and racing so fast all the time that she had never noticed what was going on around her. on meds, for the first time ever, she started noticing the feelings of others. It was a beautiful awakening for her. And for me, it was like watching a flower unfold. She still talks about what a shock it was to her system to be cut off from her constant hypomania/mania. She has grown into such a compassionate young woman. And I'll tell you, she wouldn't trade mere normalcy for anything now