My Support Forums - View Single Post - Why do people decided to go off medication?

sarahsweets · Jan 22, 2020, 03:28 AM

When I ask this I dont mean stopping medication due to side effects. I also dont mean stopping medication when in a manic state or refusal. I am talking about people who are stable, or content and decide they " should" stop medication because things are good. Should the goal with medication be to get better and then stop?

Maybe it's just me, but I view mental illnesses like bipolar ( I am BPII) as chronic, life long conditions that require daily treatment in order to control and manage it. Sure there are times when things are going well, and for some people those periods being well can last years and years even to the point of completely controlled. If that is the case and meds did this for you why stop? Wouldnt it be safe to say the medication is what helps you manage your mental illness?

I know for me, I was hospitalized 2 months post pardom(sp) and they put me on the cocktail I am on now and within 4 days I was like a new person. It saved my life. I have had a few times were I have what I call manageable "flare ups" but nothing that required anything more than some therapy and TLC, or a dose adjustment. I have no intention of going off my medication because how I felt during that last hospitalization (15 years ago) is still fresh in my mind and I distinctly remember how badly I felt and how my family suffered.

Let me just say that I do not think there is a bipolar person alive who hasnt tried to go off meds, thinking they didnt need them. IMO part of bipolar is a condition that attempts to "trick" you into thinking you are cured and tempting you to go off medication. Many times I think this happens when someone has been on meds a year or two. I think the more time you are on medication and stable, the less likely you are to feel like that. I believe that with bipolar comes periods of non-compliance. There was one medication that I knew could make you gain weight and I didnt take the dose recommended. So I and my family had to suffer while until I finally realized that stability was more important. The medication was still in a class that is known for weight gain but it was the most weight-neutral of that class and the understanding was if things went off the rails with my physical health I could go down to a different dose or different medication.

But for the stable people who pretty much live a normal life what prompts you to want to stop your medication?
I think people get it in their heads that they shouldnt be on medication to be "normal". That the medication is a stepping stone and that therapy should replace it. Or that medication is bad long term. Or that the goal is to heal and wean of meds until you are self managing. But why do people feel that way? Mental illness is a real thing. Bipolar is about brain wiring and chemistry- it is at least biological. Its not something that covers up the "true" person. When things like bipolar are properly diagnosed and treated, isnt that like being on a dose of Blood pressure meds that works to control your blood pressure? Isnt it the same as someone who needs reading glasses?

People ( not just diagnosed people but society in general) tend to think that because mental illness symptoms manifest in ways that are emotional feelings, thoughts and expressions, that if those symptoms are managed well, that means they are not an issue any more. Like finishing an antibiotic, the infection is over so you should stop. So they stigmatize people who take regular medication somehow acting like they are superior because they dont need medication. Those types of people tend to hand out unsolicited advice on why regular medication isnt necessary or worse-harp on the idea that meds are dangerous or harmful. When this happens with family its really bad because a loved one holds more weight in our decision making.
Just like someone who needs insulin or blood pressure meds, or cholesteral meds- my BP meds and ADHD meds are life or death for me. Without them it is only a matter of time before things will slowly go down hill. Many people stop medication and do well a long time but symptoms can flare up at any time and like a flash you could end up where you were when you started medication.

Just to be clear: I am not talking about people who are in an episode stopping meds, or people that cant take them due to side effects or cant afford them- I am just asking about rational stable people deciding they do not need meds or are stable enough or 'cured'.