I mean, it does get better on meds till the symptoms finally stop, right?

[Confusedinomicon]

I don't think symptoms ever completely stop.

You just learn to deal with them in constructive ways. Meds can help you get to that point.

That's what I was worried someone was gonna say

[~Christina]

Don't be worried... Learning the ways to cope and handle things are a positive thing.

[Clinte89]

I have to say I went symptom free for a few months, no episodes but still had problems like I wasnt myself. I wasnt me and I never will be me again because well noone likes the unmedicated me. So Symptom free for short bouts, but not forever. Like my therapist said about me and I quote, "You will never be able to get off meds, you will never stop being bipolar." Whcih really sucks to hear.

yeah, I was told that the meds were for life too.

but I won't worry. cuz right now, i'm starving and I have taco bell. and I'm sooo craving taco bell so things can't be that bad, right?

[Confusedinomicon]

i want a chalupa

...taco bellll

[Clinte89]

Oh yeah Taco Bell. Enjoy it.

[Anika.]

I don't agree that it has to be symptoms forever, meds for life. Bipolar forever... Am I crazy? Well ya, sure, but someone telling anyone they have to be on meds for their whole life might also be a little crazy, too many people have become stable while not on meds, and therapusts and psychiatrists can preywnd it doesn't exist forever. I think that is a terribly misleading, misguided, unempowering thing to tell someone with a mood disorder.

That said. .. Taco's sound pretty yummy right now

[Confusedinomicon]

I just wanted to tell you I made burritos because of your post. Thank you.<3

Lol!....

[nowaitaminute]

Originally Posted by Confusedinomicon

i want a chalupa

...taco bellll

I can't eat after 6:00PM or I'll be up all night! I'll have a Meximelt w/ 2 sides of guacomole. I'll eat it for breakfast.
I love the honesty of this thread! When you do have a symptom free period that lasts awhile, are you like me looking at it, picking through it, wondering...what did I have so 'dead on' right? Mine was this cobalt, blue ball w/ a deep, beautiful tone, a 'ring' if you will. I had such clarity! I could bulk column add in my head in the grocery store on Saturday. And my feelings were just 'there' good or bad. They didn't define me, or 'shove' my butt down into a roller coaster I don't want to ride.
I'm pretty sure the steady work schedule I had then had alot to do w/ it.
There have been very few times in my entire life where I was aloud to adjust to anything for over two years in duration. Life doesn't come w/ guarantees, though! Must of been the blue bell of a lovely dream-but at least I experienced that clarity, and I don't care if using medicine is what I need with diet, sleep and exercise to get that color back.

[ellipsisdream]

I have had brief periods of feeling symptom free- but it has always seemed to end up being another cycle- rapid cycler. Right now I am on a good combo of meds, and I am feeling better than I have in years (she said cautiously).
Right now I am taking my meds, sticking to a sleep schedule, using DBT techniques that I have been learning in treatment, meditating, and keeping my time structured. Although I am not symptom free persay, my cycles are much further apart, and the major episodes are much shorter than they used to be- with periods of stability in between. I am hoping that I can continue in this direction.

[Secretum]

It's hard to say. People with "textbook" bipolar by definition have periods when they are nearly completely symptom free. But who follows the textbook descriptions?

I thought last semester that I was symptom free because I wasn't the least bit depressed. It turns out that I was probably very mildly hypomanic the entire time...whatever, even if I wasn't "symptom free", I'll take that! Close enough.

[venusss]

Originally Posted by Anika.

I don't agree that it has to be symptoms forever, meds for life. Bipolar forever... Am I crazy? Well ya, sure, but someone telling anyone they have to be on meds for their whole life might also be a little crazy, too many people have become stable while not on meds, and therapusts and psychiatrists can preywnd it doesn't exist forever. I think that is a terribly misleading, misguided, unempowering thing to tell someone with a mood disorder.

That said. .. Taco's sound pretty yummy right now

I agree. The profession should realize what damage they can do.

We are stronger than we (and our doctos) believe we are.

[ellipsisdream]

Originally Posted by Confusedinomicon

I just wanted to tell you I made burritos because of your post. Thank you.<3

Now I want burritos- with some guacamole.

[Tiger_Lily]

Some people become symptom-free. I don't want to. I like my highs and lows. I take the meds so I can be functional.

[ibex]

Originally Posted by landskaperdan

but I won't worry. cuz right now, i'm starving and I have taco bell. and I'm sooo craving taco bell so things can't be that bad, right?

Self medicating with taco bell sounds like a great idea. Just a reminder of some of the good things in life however small. Yummmm

[tcmoon52]

Originally Posted by Anika.

I don't agree that it has to be symptoms forever, meds for life. Bipolar forever... Am I crazy? Well ya, sure, but someone telling anyone they have to be on meds for their whole life might also be a little crazy, too many people have become stable while not on meds, and therapusts and psychiatrists can preywnd it doesn't exist forever. I think that is a terribly misleading, misguided, unempowering thing to tell someone with a mood disorder.

That said. .. Taco's sound pretty yummy right now

There are a few different types of Bipolar. The people that are able to manage their illness with out meds are few and far between. Being that not wanting to take our medicines as perscribed, ruminates in all our minds, but is a dangerous path to go down. Just read this blog and over and over you will see posts that tell of the hell we went through when quiting our meds and going it on our own. I think it is irresponsible to second guess a Psychiatrists DX, especially when a accurate DX is not avaliable to us. I have been dealing with this for 45 years and have known literally hundreds of Bipolars and never once saw one stay out of a mental hospital or prison without meds, with the exception of those of us who have drank themselves to death.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by landskaperdan

I mean, it does get better on meds till the symptoms finally stop, right?

Dan, you know what my answer is going to be - I am symptom free but my T and I are presently unsure of the dx.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by tcmoon52

There are a few different types of Bipolar. The people that are able to manage their illness with out meds are few and far between. Being that not wanting to take our medicines as perscribed, ruminates in all our minds, but is a dangerous path to go down. Just read this blog and over and over you will see posts that tell of the hell we went through when quiting our meds and going it on our own. I think it is irresponsible to second guess a Psychiatrists DX, especially when a accurate DX is not avaliable to us. I have been dealing with this for 45 years and have known literally hundreds of Bipolars and never once saw one stay out of a mental hospital or prison without meds, with the exception of those of us who have drank themselves to death.

There are actually women right on this forum who have managed not only to stay out of a mental hospital or prison but to also work, raise children, have relationships, and defend theses.

[hamster-bamster]

Meant to add "while not on medications"

[Anika.]

Tcmoon,

Hmm sorry I very much disagree with you on all fronts pretty much. I also have years and years of dealing with this on meds. I am not a newbie to bipolar the woes of dropping without having concrete skills and tools and life plans. I don't need to look around this forum more than I have, I have been here for a few years despite having a newer account.

I don't see it how you do. I read the forums evedyday and you know what, almost daily people are in pain and suffering despite their compliance to med. Given the fact that the meds have the some of the exact same side effects as the symtoms people are taking them for....if the meds worked so well for everyone than the forum would look a lot different. I was never once stable while on meds for more than a month here or there for nearly a decade. I tried every combo they could think of.

What I do know is that it takes a heck of a lot more than meds for most people. I know about the different types of bipolar, I am not sure where you were going with that statement. I have a dx of Bipolar 1 with psychosis nos since they could not decide if it was a matter of schitzoaffective. I was also dx with anxiety and panic attacks, ptsd, and long standing anorexia. I have been able to work most of these issues to a point of being almost symtom free from all of it. It was neither easy nor fast. And my doctors did not tell me that this was even doable, quite the opposite. I took what they said as gospel for many years.

The fact that an accurate dx is not available to us as you said is all the more reason to second guess and get more answers in my opinion. I view being proactive and doing what is best for your own wellbeing as being responsible. There are a lot more than a few people who can manage bipolar without meds. Being med free is not the same thing as being med free and managing bipolar. Therapists or Psychiatrists that tell people that they will not ever be able to manage, will always have symptoms and need meds for life when we do not even really know what exactly bipolar is, nor the cause, nor how the meds work or fail robs people of hope and it is not the whole truth or fact and that is irresponsible in my opinion.

It's fine that we don't agree. But don't assume too much about what I understand. People do not always see things the same way. However as most things in life there is usually more than one solution .

[venusss]

I do think it's dangerous to have absolute faith in what a psychiatrist tells you, even if your gut instinct and your knowledge of self tells you differently.

And I as for "never seen"... it depends how are you looking. I seen too many people dismiss sucess stories and look only at the bad side.