I have a friend who was in remission and off her meds for 10 years. She became depressed those last few years, probably 2-3, and then she suddenly had a full manic episode, lost her job and almost lost her husband. I don't think there is a cure but I've heard of a lot of people go without meds and don't have any symptoms for years. The important thing is to know your early warning signs and get back on meds ASAP if needed. Also, there are so many different drug options out there, so if you can't handle the side effects, ask your pdoc to put you on something else.

Your pdoc probably said the antidepressant would be a trigger because they make a lot of us manic. I'm okay at a low dose but when it's increased I become Wonder Woman