The thing about being well on meds is that it makes you think you are not really sick.

I have been through years of taking meds, feeling a bit better and getting off of them. Almost every time I ended up in the hospital.

You know the meds are working when you feel you don't need them anymore. But you do. Don't let yourself slip back into a state of mania and depression.

I am addicted to mania, but the paranoia kills me and the depression crash that comes after is unbearable.

I have been stable for 5 years on the right meds with tweaks here and there. In fact I am in the midst of a med tweak right now due to a mixed episode.

The illness still comes back even with the right meds. There is no cure for mental illness, all you can do is try to manage the symptoms as best you can. And this means sticking with your meds.