Each individual person is unique. For me, BP II, lithium did not help my depressive phase at all. It made me a zombie as a monotherapy. But in combination with Lamictal, and quite a few other things, a very small dose is a good stabilizer for me. I was fortunate to find a very skilled psychopharmacologist who knew, even many years ago, that monotherapy did not work for me. My hope and wishes go out to everyone who is struggling that they find effective therapies!