[SilkySpeed7]

Just the other day I was Manic. SO in love. Had career objectives. On top of the world. Oh, I was everything......now, in almost a snap of the finger I feel like crap that life doesn't matter. I don't want to be around anyone. i don't want to talk. Nothing. I am sooo depressed. I HATE IT! I like being Manic........oh jeez.....maybe I should go on medication.......SPLAT......

[darkeyes]

Hi there,
Of what you are saying, I'd take this up with a pdoc, and stick with meds., preferably some type of mood stabilizer.
If you already are in treatment and strayed away (many get tempted to) contact your pdoc and/or therapist, and get back into treatment. I wish you luck with this.

DE

if you are taking bipolar meds, you can't just quit them. if you don't have a DX, see a Pdoc immediately, please. xoxo pat

[xjadedxangelx]

<font color="red"> Yea, I just wanted to comment on your post... You said that if you are taking bp meds that you cant just quit them... Well I'm here to tell you that you can, I quit taking mine exactly a month ago today, and I've been doing just fine since then! I actually feel better not taking them than I ever did taking them! So yea, I just thought I would clarify that for everyone.... You can just stop taking your meds, it really is possible, and you never know, you may be like me and feel better not taking them....... Then again I was on some crap called Abilify, so yea..... </font>

[BlueFaith]

It's NOT recommended by ANY doctor that I've ever seen to just stop taking your medicine cold turkey. If you feel you do not need meds any longer, then talk to your doctor and let them help you come off of them safely. Your meds might have made you feel like crap, and I am sorry for that. But, again, it's not recommended to just stop taking meds on your own.

[BlueFaith]

vulgerlove, I know how you are feeling. It's terrible. I hope you are able to talk to a doctor soon. Meds could help you tremendously. Take care of yourself.

[dexter]

Not only is quitting cold turkey not recommended, it can be dangerous for some medications. And with other meds cutting off too quickly can push you into a deeper relapse than you would expect.

Some people can do without their meds. I know a few people who are now on no meds at all and are doing fine. But like MP said, the way to do it is to talk to your doctor in order to do it safely and in order to prevent any symptoms of the illness from reoccuring. That is the point after all, right?

Also remember that large numbers of people who stop taking bipolar meds because they "feel ok" end up with symptoms again within a year. They often need to be hospitalized again. But there are some that do OK. So the thing is to have the doctor take you off of them safely, and then continue to be monitored by your pdoc or T to make sure that you really are doing well without them.

[JustBen]

I don't want to discount xjadedxangelx's experience, but I do want to throw my two cents in with darkeyes, fayerody, MentalPollution, and dexter. Qutting cold turkey might seem like a good idea, but that usually just means that you happened to quit during an up-cycle. When it comes down, it can be a lot worse. I don't have personal experience, but I know of a case where the new clinical director of a community mental health agency - a very anti-medication sort - pulled everyone, including folks with BP, off their meds all at once. I won't go into details about what happened, but I can tell you that it left me with a deep appreciation for going off meds gradually, under the supervision of a doctor.