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I have seen a lot of stuff lately (not just here) about bipolar being a mind over matter thing. I have read success stories where someone will read some prolific authors' success story about overcoming bipolar that completely ignores science, past experiences and childhood. I believe there can be success stories. I believe you can get your bp under control and manage it well. I also believe there are people who will suffer for years, if not their lifetime with bp.
I am a proponent of medication to treat bp. Sure, there are people I guess who can live without meds But IME those people are few and far between. I believe in the science of BP and that its a brain disorder-chemical imbalance and that past experiences can make it better or worse. A combo of nature and nurture if you will. I would consider myself a success story as far as how I function but this is with a well defined plan of medications and in the past, therapy. I had to come to terms with what was biological and what was behavioral and what experiences from my past impacted my life. I think that in most cases medications are a must. This doesnt mean that meds are guaranteed to help or that meds do not fail. I just think its one of the tools that can promote wellness. I actually get offended when people say they overcame bipolar with a behavior change and positive thinking because I think it does a disservice to those of us who suffer. I think there can be an anti-med sentiment by people who use mind over matter and that we who use meds can be seen as weak, sheep or a slave to "big pharma". What do you all think?
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"I carried a watermelon?"
President of the no F's given society.
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