Hello Legendofphoenix: I see this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral… from the Skeezyks! I hope you find the time you spend here to be of benefit.

With regard to your post I would say that, from my perspective, you simply have too much going on to be able to know what's happening with you. You're working, going to school, out with friends, getting drunk, & drinking coffee to stay wake. Given your history & your determination to stay off of medication, it seems to me that the first thing you might want to do here is to simplify your life a bit. Are you becoming manic? Well... maybe... but how can you or anyone else know with everything you're doing?

My personal perspective, with regard to these sorts of things, is that there are basically two ways to approach mental health issues. One is to put yourself into the hands of professional mental health professionals (i.e. therapy, psych med's). The other is to employ the do-it-yourself approach. Structure your day-to-day life such that it supports rather than inflames your mental health issues, get appropriate amounts & kinds of exercise & sleep, maintain a healthy diet, limit caffeine intake, avoid alcohol & other mind-altering drugs, perhaps establish a meditation practice, and-so-forth. (Of course these are all good things to do even if one is on psych med's. And some people may need or want both.) But if one has a history of mental health issues, & wants to stay off of psych med's & all that stuff, this is the first line of defense it seems to me. So I think what you need to decide is if you enjoy your current lifestyle enough that you're willing to risk another descent into mental illness. Only you know the answer to that question.

PsychCentral is a great place to get information as well as support for mental health issues. There are many knowledgeable & caring members here. The more you post, & reply to other members’ posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are social groups you can join & chat rooms where you’ll be able to connect with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) Lots of great stuff! So please keep posting!