I like the idea of accepting my bipolar and embracing it. A holistic mindful approach, but I have no support from my team of doctors and therapist when I bring up the dreaded Integrated Medicine terms or God forbid say "Med-free." It is like it was a swear word. I need my team, but I also need some autonomy.

How do you handle this aspect of your medication regiment without being called non-compliant? Is there a happy medium?

[Confusedinomicon]

I think working on tapering to smaller doses and if you stabilize on that then insist on trying to lower again.

For instance I am taking 900 mg of lithium and 25 mg of seroquel. I used to take quite a bit more but lowered with the help of pdoc. It's usually easier to reduce doses and minimize what you need to take before taking the medication out of the equation.

When you do it this way your doctors may take you more seriously.

[Victoria'smom]

First, I would figure out why you want to be med free.

Then, how do you do you solve those issues.

Then talk to your therapist about how she feels about people choosing whether or not to take meds after they are stable, has she worked with non-medicated people, what concrete criteria would you have to meet for hospitalization. (this will be several sessions) Yes, there Eye's will become huge.

Identify your problem behaviors and workable solutions. pg. 33-34 to help with solutions

create a crisis plan that s/he agrees with. Sign it and get it notarized when your on your meds

Make sure T agree's to your crisis plan and will continue seeing you if you choose not to be medicated.

Make sure you trust your therapist with your life and that you would not normally argue with her/him if s/he suggested hospitalization.

____ This is where I'm at________
Use pg. 35-36 to write down a detailed/typed plan of how you are going to get off medication.

Go over it with your therapist giving her/him a copy of that and your crisis plan.

Go over it with your psychiatrist giving her/him a copy of that and your crisis plan.

Then slowly space out psychiatrist appointments, while increasing your therapist appointments.

Accept the fact that if you choose to continue in the mental health system you will at times need to increase/decrease your therapists appointments and may have to at times do intensive out patient and/or partial hospitalization program.
_________________
Track EVERYTHING

Write a journal entry at night
keep a detailed event/thought/ mood chart (w. sleep chart and med notes)
Write down when you change doses, what it was, why you choose to get off of it.
Remember to mark of things you chose not to do and ways you ****ed up on if you do end up in an episode.

If you do enter 'higher care' programs bring your journal, your writing, charts, crisis plan, and med-free plan with you.

[redbandit]

Originally Posted by RR18

I like the idea of accepting my bipolar and embracing it. A holistic mindful approach, but I have no support from my team of doctors and therapist when I bring up the dreaded Integrated Medicine terms or God forbid say "Med-free." It is like it was a swear word. I need my team, but I also need some autonomy.

How do you handle this aspect of your medication regiment without being called non-compliant? Is there a happy medium?

I get exactly what you mean! I want to go off meds because 1, they don't work! (for me anyway) 2, I want to be able to have kids in the near future, 3, some of them are habit forming, and 4, for me it's a big waste of time and money.
I don't think psychiatrists will exactly embrace the idea of a patient not taking meds, after all, that's why we see them. I am looking into seeing a naturopathic doctor, to approach it differently. After all, there isn't much else left to try.
Good luck!