hey sweetie,

i started lithium about 2 weeks ago. it did not make me feel dopey at all. the worst was a bit of nausea (which wore off with time), and some very, very rare side effects that a pretty specific to me.

the worst that can happen is that you would start it, find you dont like it, and stop it. it gets out of your system quickly, so you won't be doped up for ages either. but it's probably worth a try.