Student counseling services and meds

Pardon?

DBT is used for more than just BPD.

And not everyone with bipolar needs it treated with medication - bipolar 2 is described as
I don't actually need medication to live a perfectly functional life. I've chosen to go on meds temporarily to help cope with a difficult long-term situation, but I don't NEED to be on them. It is not impossible for me to live a normal life without meds - I've done it for over a decade, and I've been quite successful with my life so far!

In my personal experience, I can look back to my teens and see hypomanic behavior, a brief time. I got married and though I had very brief minor depressions, nothing that would catch anyone's attention, I was basically in a remission of sorts. So yes you can go long periods without medication especially if you have a mild form.
However, when my bipolar hit balls to the wall at age 42, not medicating it was not an option. I was not in this world and had to be brought back. So far with meds I have had only 2 episodes in 7 years and the first one I was skipping doses, the second one I pushed with diet pills.
When a person is seeing ghoulies in their head telling them to do things harmful, I'm sorry but essences and vitamins and herbs are not the answer. Its unfortunate, its awful, ai dont like taking a handful of pills twice a day either and one of them tastes like *** and one of them makes pepsi taste like ***. It sucks.
But I want to be old, I want to see my grandchildren get married, and if this is what I do then so be it.
So in defense of choocha, and the reading I have done and the life I have lived I agree with her.

I am so very glad you are able to manage yourselves med free, its wonderful and I'm pleased for you. But dont presume that everyone can be successful doing things the way you do.

Emomom: I don't think any of us think it can ALWAYS be handled med-free. Not everyone can because situations and whatnot are different. But I think we each took issue with being told that it's impossible to be med-free

If you really have BP it is virtually impossible to treat med-free.

I was med free most of my life. I would say up until 2-2.5 years ago. I personally feel being unable to function in mania/depression is almost safer then the lower level mood swings. I've had more psychosis coming on/getting of meds then before (I think). I got help because I was scared I was plummeting and I wouldn't make it that time. My son deserves both parents alive. I stay on because next time I'll be prescribed lithium (you have to love doctors that use one issue against you to treat the other ) Then I watch my family on both sides crumble due a couple events caused by mixed episode violent paranoia. I know I'm prone to both hence my old sig.

I fully believe meds are not for everyone. I also believe everyone, MI or not, can benefit from DBT.

Comicgeek- how's the tiration going?

I'm glad you found a pdoc who listens to you, that's gold. But I tend to be leery of pdocs who diagnose so quickly. I think you have a lot going on, it's complicated, and in an ideal world, a pdoc would hold off for a while, until getting to know you over time, before making a diagnosis. I'm not saying I think you're not BP, just that I hope for once a pdoc will take time to get to know you before jumping the gun.

I got so depressed once my inner self-hating thoughts sounded like real people talking to me

I don't mean to minimize how horrific this must have been, just thinking about *what* it was about. It's possible that your self-loathing was so intense that this is how you experienced it. I just wouldn't jump to the conclusion that it was an episode of psychosis -maybe so, maybe not. But one thing is for sure, and that is no medication is going to stop you from hating yourself; this is why I so hope you get some good therapy, individual (which it seems you already have) and DBT.

I hope things continue to look up.

Where did I presume that? I was just saying that it's not "virtually" impossible if at least three people do it right here, on the forum (and many many others elsewhere).

Meds are the easiest way for people for whom they work well, without bothersome side effects. And sadly this group is not so large. For most it's gonna be lots of trade offs and is up to each person to figure out what is worth it for them. And according to PC... for 10% of BPers they don't work at all. There's no magic combo out there for them. Doesn't mean they are doomed though, imho...they just need to look elsewhere.

And I agree with Ultramar. Self-hatred is not psychosis (although there are quacks and pharma shills on the internet who will tell you low-self esteem is really psychosis (cause you believe in something that is not true) and should be treated by APs). But in reality... this is something you have to work on yourself and no med (especially the ones that have potential making you fat and stupid) will cure it. You have to learn to love yourself, flaws and all.

You completely missed my point which is that we are all experts on our own experience and can only share that experience. I gave mine as such. I lived med free for 43 years so I was saying, yeah it can apparently be done. But that is only my experience. No intent to offend.

Ah, all's good.

Titration's going good, I guess. nothing bad has happened. I feel so stoned, but I'm also on my time of month and recovering from (not eating at) a convention.

A convention? Your body is probably also exhausted

And hopefully is the stone-like feeling is around.. well hopefuly it's just a temporary side-affect and that your body will adjust to it

Is this the convention you made the outfit for?

Dear Red Panda

Sorry if I offended you. I meant DBT is the most effective treatment for BPD. I don't know what else it is used for. You are one of the lucky few who can do it without meds. Well done for you. I do personally believe, a true dx of bp is a chemical imbalance which does need addressing to right the imbalance. I've tried both and I definitely notice the difference when not on meds.

+ to VenusHaley: Virtually impossible to me and impossible are two different things. The majority of people I speak to on here who truly have BP do take meds. Those I know who don't take meds have BP2, not BP1. There aren't many who do it entirely med-free. I hear of people who go a few years without an episode who don't need meds for that time, but once they're cycling again, meds generally come back into the equation.

I did also say that as well as meds I believe in good therapy and a strong support network to effectively treat BP. To the few of you who aren't on meds right now, what do you do and how do you do it? I am genuinely interested.

Sorry to say ComicGeek, but yes it is common for BP to worsen, both with treatent and without, but moreso with inconsistent treatment ie not sticking on your meds.

Just getting back to something that was said earlier, I did not say that it was "impossible" to be med-free. And you can go years without an episode and hence don't need a med at the time. But when you have constant, frequent mixed state, rapid cycling epsiodes it is close to impossible to do it med-free. So if you do have constant mixed state, rapid cycling bp1, then please tell me how it is you can do it med-free, because I am a strong, smart, brave woman. I should be able to too. My original dx was BP2. I thought I was hightly functioning enough to do it med-free. I was told by more than one professional that because I did try to treat it med-free and inconsistently it morphed into BP1. And when I'm going through a good patch I come off my meds for awhile. I was told that by not staying on my meds consistently I had reduced their capacity to work effectively. Just more food for thought. I have also been told that each episode I have is going to be worse and longer. Just more food for thought. To those of you who can do it med-free kudos to you.

constant, frequent mixed state, rapid cycling epsiodes

I think this is precisely what DBT is best known for: learning to cope with and overcome *constant* mood dysregulation. This is, in part, why it was created for BPD, which is characterized by, amongst many other things, constant mood fluctuation. It seems to be helpful for bipolar episodes in the case of some people as well, but constant mood dysregulation is its stock in trade.

Of course meds can potentially also help control these moods swings.