Hi jeff,

You're Puerto Rico beach thing was magnificent, but pretty costly!

The meds are a real problem for many people. The aim for sufferers in all areas of mental health seems to be to get off the medication and 'go it alone', maybe we relate that to being healthy somehow.

I 'go it alone' and have done for many years, despite phasal depression, panic attacks, and generalised anxiety. I don't know why I do it, except maybe that I want to feel the illness and deal with it straight rather than feel insulated. I have two friends on prozac etc and they are definitely not the same as they were before, they have a fuzziness, a lack of attention about them.

I think the meds thing with bipolar is more pressing due to the extremity of the swings. I remember watching a programme about the English comedian Spike Milligan and when he got to the point of giving is secretary a loaded gun and asking her to kill him I think the point for medication was well made.

Medication issues come up so often in support groups that there must be something interesting going on in the psychology, apart from the obvious side effects with drugs like lithium .

No answers I'm afraid, but I can see where your coming from.

Good luck, and stay with us if you can.

Myzen,