OK... Suggestions please

I have been meds free for 6 weeks now...

Yes I have had my ups and downs. But at the moment I am on day 5 of having "normal" mood.

I am due to see Psychiatry 22nd November but....................

I THINK I CAN MANAGE WITHOUT MEDS.

What do you guys think?

Anyone tried it?

If i was managing without meds and felt normal, then i would just tell them that, there is no point being on meds for no reason is ther?
And its your body, if you dont want to be on the meds and your not at any risk while not being on them, then thats good!

dear Laura, Congratulations~! i truely do hope that your stability is long term... you know that bipolar does often have that hiatus, respite, vacation time, where you are actually unimpaired ~ if you find that this is slipping away, do not despair... there is an alternative to psych meds now. i have used it for the past 5 yrs with great success. it's called Center Point auditory therapy,, i just posted about it in Other Therapies Forum, but you can research it directly online at CenterPoint Research Institute.com... best wishes on your long term remission and recovery. Gus

If you can manage... that is great. Yes, it is possible, so don't let the docs to push meds onto you. It's your life and body, not theirs...

I would encourage you to look into yoga practices and find relaxation methods to help you in difficult times.

There are natural remedies too (bach essences and aruyvedic tea worked for me. Lemon balm is good for calming too...).

I've tried to go without meds and it never worked for me, my moods go crazy,but hopefully you won't have the same issues. I wish you the best of luck!! !

Hi (((((((Laura))))))) It's great you're having a period of stability. Yay!! I really hope it lasts. I guess I would try and take things one day at a time and see how I was doing. It might be helpful to keep a mood diary (if you don't already). You still have a couple of weeks until your appointment so you don't have to make any decisions right now. Whatever ends up happening - meds or no meds - it's great you're feeling ok right now. Wishing you all the very best

Ohhh this is new!! I shall research that as soon as I finish with this post.

Miss Laura - such good news, managing without meds!! I think it is worth trying to stay off them if you feel you don't need them..(plus, if you already feel 'normal' and you're put on sth, how will you know if the particular med is actually helpful..?!)
BUT, monitoring your condition will be more crucial than ever, so make sure you get support from your doctor or someone on that score...and of course be conscious of the fact you might have to get back on meds at any time...and that this isn't exactly under your control...

I have lost count of the number of times I have gone of meds... (my pdoc says its about the same number as he as gone of his migrane meds!) I think the longest I have lasted without mania is about a month, and the longest off meds about 2 months...
All the best, I guess it depends on whats happening in your head, how much you can change what you think and feel...
My guess that exercise, diet and sleep are the keys... maybe I should listen to my own advice

Miss Laura;being without meds isn't an option for me. I'm not denying that some people find they're okay without meds, but for me my symptoms progressively got worse until I was diagnosed at 31. My suggestion is to let your pdoc know. I will also suggest letting a close friend or family member know in case you become symptomatic.

Thanks guys,

I have made an appointment to see my GP to talk about it with her... she said I could speak to her before my Psych app so that's alright I guess.

I have been speaking to my Counsellor and she has said for the past 6 weeks she has seen me go from being anxious in sessions to being "normal". She asked me if I wanted meds and I said no. I said I was worried about psych and gp wanting me to go on meds. She said it's my body and that I am an adult so its my choice... but I am unsure.... IS IT MY CHOICE?

Yes, it is always your choice, Laura. I view it as no choice on my part because I don't ever want to go through what I did (before meds) again. It's not worth the risk for me. Every person is different. I would assume that it takes a lot of discipline to go without them, but from the posts above it seems some people have done fine.You can always change your mind.

Thanks Wingin'it,

I haven't had it easy before and during my time on meds. I was anti-depressants for 11 months and NOW I am FINIALLY feeling good!!

I have never read about people who manage without meds. I just want to think that if I don't take meds I will be fine!! But I think I am gonna hear A LOT of meds are the way to go

Laura... if you search the internets, you will find examples of people living meds free. It is not the mainstream opinion, but it is possible.

It is not harder to do it without, I think... you deal with you emotions and you have to push through... but when I hear about people struggling for years and years to find "the right combo" which does not make you stable in the end... we don't know how the meds work... if you manage without, it's better to be chemistry free.

For me spirituality, and having a lots of interests to channel emotions into helped me a lot... but there is not one universal approach.

good luck.

Some people have co-morbities like anxiety, phobias, OCD, personality disorders which are really responsive to non-pharmacological treatments like therapy and lifestyle changes. So no meds may be an option for them. It really depends on how much BD contributes to your problems.
There is always the issue of misdiagnosis, so if drugs aren't working that might be the problem...

Very good point