[mmmg9]

Hi all, I am new to the forum and have been reading many posts. Some of these I see people say that they are stable without meds. I have only been diagnosed bipolar for about 3 years now, I have yet to accept it and really want to go off my meds to see if I could feel better. Advice? Experiences?

[Confusedinomicon]

I think the first thing is to accept it -- then move onto therapy programs that can help you cope with daily emotions.

If you REALLY don't believe you have bipolar disorder, try to keep a mood chart for a month. Record any drastic mood changes and mark whether or not something upset you to change your mood. If you're finding that mood shifts are occurring because of things that happened in your day then it probably isn't BP. If the mood stays stable or alters without reason it probably means its bipolar. Regardless of what it is, its important to learn coping mechanisms to deal with the ups and downs. A lot of the people who are fairly stable off medication have done a lot of work in stabilizing their emotional state, too.

I hope this helps a little.

[sugahorse1]

Personally I don't think I could cope without meds

[Clinte89]

Meds help me alot and without them I've been off the wall nutso. So I say if you feel your ready and have learned enough about how to handle the mood swings go for it but if not stay on them and learn some more.

[Moose72]

I notice a huge change with meds and I would never go without meds- unless I was manic and decided that I wanted to "be the real me" like I did a few months ago. But normally, no. I just started topomax about 3 weeks ago and I've noticed a change for the better so its definitely doing something. When my brain "goes bad" it just goes bad. One only has to read my blog from when I was in the hospital recently to see that I wasn't thinking my normal way. If left to continue down that path without treatment I don't know where I would have ended up.

[Tink21]

I've been there with the meds on or off issue and just want to give you a little warning. I decided a year ago that I didn't need the meds and they weren't good for my body so came off everything....a week later I was in hospital under a Section because I crashed & burned but with the added energy that made me a huge suicide risk. When I look back now I wish I hadn't done it. It was an awful experience and set me back by months on the road to stability. I've just come out of hospital after a wobble for which PTSD was to blame..it threw my mood all over the place but although I'm not out of it, I know deep down that the meds will be the answer. Don't get me wrong I'm still in the mindset that I should be able to cope without drugs but maybe I'm not always right??

No one can make the decision for you including the doctors (unless you're sectioned) but make sure you're fairly stable before you make a decision like this. And do discuss it with the doctors..they'll give you an honest opinion of how they think you are and if appropriate will give you the support to come off the meds.

Hope this helps in some small way

[~Christina]

I think it is possible .. for some people. not all. My goal is to be med free.

Being med free is a HUGE amount of work... It takes building tons of coping skills and ways to calm your body mind and soul. Set up plans of actions and how to get help if you find yourself in need of it and in what form.. Medfree people also have ups and downs same as anyone else.

For myself, personally .. When I feel I have an over abundance of coping skills, support of loved ones and friends and know to do "self checks" on myself.. then and only then will I wean myself off meds slowly and keep on living my life.

Education about being Med free is the key.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by mmmg9

Hi all, I am new to the forum and have been reading many posts. Some of these I see people say that they are stable without meds. I have only been diagnosed bipolar for about 3 years now, I have yet to accept it and really want to go off my meds to see if I could feel better. Advice? Experiences?

You probably do not have the right mix of meds anyway, else you would not be wanting to feel better. If you want to feel better then something in the current treatment is not correct.

[Victoria'smom]

I have a really hard time staying on meds. ( see sig.), med changes hit me hard and adjusting to "normal" has been just a mess (complete understatement). I have a wonderful large support system and really good coping skill except my occasional flip outs. I have some bad coping skills too. All this on top of therapy, mood charts, lifestyle changes are not enough for me to function in a safe way with society. I need medication to stay in normal society.

[mmmg9]

Originally Posted by Confusedinomicon

I think the first thing is to accept it -- then move onto therapy programs that can help you cope with daily emotions.

If you REALLY don't believe you have bipolar disorder, try to keep a mood chart for a month. Record any drastic mood changes and mark whether or not something upset you to change your mood. If you're finding that mood shifts are occurring because of things that happened in your day then it probably isn't BP. If the mood stays stable or alters without reason it probably means its bipolar. Regardless of what it is, its important to learn coping mechanisms to deal with the ups and downs. A lot of the people who are fairly stable off medication have done a lot of work in stabilizing their emotional state, too.

I hope this helps a little.

This does help, thank you! I know I need to accept and I'm sure it will come with time. I have done mood charts, and that should be enough evidence for me that I am bi polar, and maybe its that I feel so numbed by my medications I almost miss my mood swings. I know that seems dumb and weird I'm sure I am just still adjusting. Thank you!

[mmmg9]

Originally Posted by Tink21

I've been there with the meds on or off issue and just want to give you a little warning. I decided a year ago that I didn't need the meds and they weren't good for my body so came off everything....a week later I was in hospital under a Section because I crashed & burned but with the added energy that made me a huge suicide risk. When I look back now I wish I hadn't done it. It was an awful experience and set me back by months on the road to stability. I've just come out of hospital after a wobble for which PTSD was to blame..it threw my mood all over the place but although I'm not out of it, I know deep down that the meds will be the answer. Don't get me wrong I'm still in the mindset that I should be able to cope without drugs but maybe I'm not always right??

No one can make the decision for you including the doctors (unless you're sectioned) but make sure you're fairly stable before you make a decision like this. And do discuss it with the doctors..they'll give you an honest opinion of how they think you are and if appropriate will give you the support to come off the meds.

Hope this helps in some small way

This helped a lot thank you so much for sharing, I hope everything gets better!

[BlackPup]

I've been off meds more times than I can count and it always ended it trouble. Now I've got a good med combo my life is so much better. I still struggle with the idea of being on meds for my whole life but I stick with it cos I know I'm better off on the meds.
I think you need to work with your pdoc to get the best possible meds combo before you give up on meds. There are lots of options out there and what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for the next.
Good luck with your BP journey and keep posting !!!

[cocoabeans]

Originally Posted by mmmg9

This does help, thank you! I know I need to accept and I'm sure it will come with time. I have done mood charts, and that should be enough evidence for me that I am bi polar, and maybe its that I feel so numbed by my medications I almost miss my mood swings. I know that seems dumb and weird I'm sure I am just still adjusting. Thank you!

It's not dumb or weird to miss your mood swings. I think it's pretty normal and why I'm not on medication now. I've been depressed and thinking about going back but ultimately medication is just a short term fix and the pain of finding acceptable drugs and adjusting to being on them and later adjusting to being off them is harder for me than coping with the crazy and don't even get me started on coping with doctors!

Some people are not able or willing to cope with their moods. Weigh out your pros and cons and take an active approach to your mind, see where that leads you and make an informed choice.

[missionscorpio]

I'm off my meds for the last three months now. Dealing with the head zaps and vertigo feelings was very difficult but have all but disappeared.
In the meantime I have really tried hard not so much in CBT but to become a more critical thinker in all my conversations and in my decision making. and I have seem my emotions level off dramatically. My thinking before, and this included my pdoc or my meds or someone elses opinion was they were right, and I am either wrong or not smart enough.And I would get very emotional defending my views or my current state. A lot of low self esteem issues backed up with an inability to do work on the subject I was thinking about.

I am in no way advocating going off meds. This was a decision made based on real lack of evidence in managing my moods while being on meds. I wanted to wipe the slate clean and maybe start again on a new course. However I have not felt the need to go back ...yet. I also want to maintain a relationship with my Pdoc and see if he is open to that.

I have been depressed but It did not worsen when going off the meds and has abated in the lasdt weeks.

I can now evaluate opinions from facts easier and have acquired a little more humility in not knowing everything and getting further into researching a subject and seeing all sides rather than sticking vehemently to my side. It is quite freeing because when you take the subject out of it(me) It is far easier to see other view points and overcome thoughtless judgements about ones own beliefs and thoughts.
However it is hard work and an ongoing discipline and I have barely scratched the surface but I am already seeing the dividends.

I hope this helps in some small way.

[Broken Angel]

As for me I am off medicines. Actually I was never on them. All I need to stay away from the meds is to accept that I am a bipolar and I am not going to run away from that fact and to stabilize and control my actions and emotions. Sometimes it gets really tough to do that, but luckily till now I had my hard times but nothing really serious.
hope this helps you and you can decide what is better for you.

[rossiv46]

I was originally diagnosed Major Depressive for over ten years and now a year ago diagnosed bipolar I. I to am still fighting with the diagnosis but I have to admit that the meds have helped me and see a difference. Not sure why I still doubt bipolar but I can't imagine being "somewhat Normal" without the meds.

[missionscorpio]

I can totally relate to the fighting of the label or diagnosis so to speak. Doc has always said I don't want to put a label on it. I just want you feeling normal.Makes me wonder all the time hoe much of it is in my head. And then I go and write that line.