just don't understand all this resistance to meds

The first part looked like it was abt what one NEEDS to survive. Regarding EVERYTHING. Perhaps I took it too literally, I am not above admitting that.

I think we all have different needs, so I don't see this as a pro/con situation. For me, meds help me to function in a "normal" manner which is very important for my job. I lost one position five years ago because my emotions went out of control at work, and I couldn't pull it together for several hours. For those of you who know that I teach, don't worry, this happened with the administration, not the kids. Now I have a good combination of drugs, and I don't want to risk going back to some of the places I have been.
I am so glad that many of you are able to stay drug-free and to control your dx. Whatever works best for any of us is great.
Bluemountains

Personally, without medication my life would be constant thoughts of suicide and thoughts of hurting myself. Even when I was "up" it was mixed states more than anything else.

BECAUSE of medication I'm living. Not a perfect life, and not a life without struggles, but it's living not just constantly trying to find reasons to get through the day.

I'm talking about psychiatric meds.

The case for insulin is much stronger than the case for psychiatric meds, agreed.

Yes I see that, I misunderstood.

Man oh man! I am all for drugs. I white knuckled it for years. It was hell and it is a good thing that I am still a live! Suicide urges are nothing to just try and push through for me.
I have a brother that has Bipolar Disorder. No meds for him... It frustrates me to no end. Just lost his job again, someone else's problem again. Had nothing to do with his anger issues I am sure. Then there was the sudden, "I am going to train for an iron man competition and by an $8,000 bike even though I only bring in $1000 a month." Let's forget that I have been sitting on the couch for years and am 40lbs. overweight at this point.

Anyway, I have tried for years to be supportive and encourage him to stay on meds long enough to see what they can do for him. It is frustrating, but his life.

I am bipolar more depressive than manic and could not function withoutmeds. I would be in the hospital if I went off my meds. But that is just my situation.

Some people are med resistant, Dan. It's a struggle for them to find a medication that they can tolerate. I know one person with clinical depression who was finally successful in taking Deplin (a med food, a concentrated form of folate, Vitamin B9).
That works for her; otherwise, she's med free.

The drain on one's nutritional reserves may also be a reason for some of us. The
meds certainly take their share there and leave an acidic residue (or ash) that we
have to manage, as well.

I do so wish that psychiatrists would give people helpful advice about things they can do to improve the side effects of medications, but I've yet to know one who did that. We just have to learn ourselves what to do by experience, in many cases.