To medicate or not

I have been having an internal debate (for over a year now) about whether or not I want to try going on medication. Overall, I have not had a terrible time without meds. Yes there have been periods I made stupid decisions and times I thought about 's' but there haven't been any arrests, hospitalizations, or broken relationships. It is mostly day to day things though it feels like it is building up into something.
Part of me is very wary of medication. My family was very anti medication growing up and I don't talk about my bp with them at all. Since I haven't had any big issues yet, I'm worried meds might cause more issues than they help. The first therapist I saw actually told me she could not see me unless I went on medication which I obviously did not do and the second one said I really should go on them no matter what reservations I have. My few friends I talk to have differing opinions and my fiance just says whatever I want to do, he will support my decision.
So the question I have is what experience have you had with meds? I know many have had multiple changes and side effects and that makes me more wary of them but I'm some out there have had positive experiences. I'm just totally lost about what I should do. Like I said, I've been debating going on meds for over a year and it is almost a daily conversation in my head which has gotten quite tiring.

I cannot believe a therapist said that to you! If you don't want to go on meds you should not be refused treatment. It sounds like you are managing reasonably well. Maybe you could try to work really hard at therapy like CBT or DBT and see if you can work it on on your own. There is a thread called Unmedicated Success or something like that, that is very recent that might help you as well.

Personally, I was getting into a lot of trouble, DBT alone was not fast enough for me. I needed a solution quick before things really started going down hill. I feel that I really need to be in a different place in life to be able to make the commitment to put in the effort it takes to go sans meds. Ultimately in my life I do not want to be on medication.

I currently use the mood stabilizer Lomotrigine and the anti-depressant Wellbutrin with a lot of success, if that is useful information to you, I don't know.

I hope you can find some relief soon.

My second therapist strongly suggested medication and the discussion kind of went south during a time that my moods were rocky so I just quit going to her and then moved so I am currently without therapy as well. It was a rash decision but I was incredibly angry at her for actually laughing at one of my concerns about medication and for going through my insurance that I explicitly asked her not to do. I'm super worried about next year. I am getting married and applying for fall 2014 grad school and moving. Its all exciting but can also be the perfect storm.

It sounds like you don't really need meds if you are coping well. As Alokin said, cbt and dbt are very good options whether you choose to be medicated or not.

Personally I need meds because my mania can be severe and I have other symptoms from other disorders that require medications like xanax for my panic attacks.

I am one that has been on the medication merry-go-round. It hasn't been fun at times, but my depression is so serious I cannot exist safely without medication. My highs are mild most of the time but I have gotten in trouble when I'm in mania. Right now I'm still depressed but stable.

many times I wish I was not on an antipsych but for now I just trust those looking into my life as I feel my judgement may be to close to the problem to be honest . sexual side effects yes but all in all glad I am on meds. that your still thinking about it after all this time shows you have rear concerns. in the end your decision, good luck

For some people meds can be a god-send. For others they can be hell. If you are coping relatively well without them, best not to risk it. If you can work through your problems in therapy you will be better off in the long run. Meds are handed out willy nilly these days, with side effects swept under the table. Have you had all your vitamin levels checked? How is your diet and exercise routine? These things can make a major difference to mood.

My Dr does blood work on me every year, my diet however tends to fluctuate depending on how I'm feeling and unfortunately I was unable to do any serious exercising for a few years because of a knee injury during college soccer. I've just gotten back to the gym and unfortunately it makes my mood take unwanted swings upward. Trying not to overdo it but I have really good muscle memory and hour cardio feels like nothing. My Dr suggested 5-htp one time but in the one week that I took it regularly, I didn't sleep 3 of the 7 nights and felt a little coo-coo for cocoa puffs.

Perhaps the type of exercise your body prefers is low impact, stretching or outdoors activity (walking). Not to completely tire you out or send your body into overdrive. It could take weeks before you see a result. We all need some form of exercise regularly.

Meds can be helpful, but the wrong ones can make you manic, mixed or rapid cycle.

Are you at a point that the mood shifts are unbareable? Have you figured out your warning signs and triggers? Are you keeping a regular sleep pattern? There are many questions to ask yourself about your level of self care and if it could improve before you try medication.

I have seen the effects of varying amounts and types of exercise, different diets, and different sleep patterns. At one point I even cut out all processed sugar, as much natural sugar as possible, even bread, and all caffeine. That had helped a little bit but the only reason I was able to do it was because I was not in school and unemployed which is not the case now. Some of my warning signs I have figured out but can do nothing about, especially irritation. I haven't had to call in sick to work for any mood changes but have turned down plans. Trust me, I have asked myself all of these questions already, going around and around in circles trying to decide.

Our family manages fairly well without medication but we don't have to rely on our “crisis” plan more often. Through meds and therapy we're learning the lines between supportive and when outside help is needed. My current psychiatrist told me to give him 6 month and if I still see my bipolar as worse or not improving then we'll drop meds but I have to tell him the complete truth and keep a chart. I'll also have to take into account what my therapists and husband says at the 6 month mark. So if you want to try medication there is no reason why you can't stop the medication if you want. If you are going to give it a chance give it a real chance, tell the full truth

My first therapist (14) thought I was just a brat and told me so when I suggested medication. She passed me off to a different therapist (15-16) who tried to convince my parents that they are risking my life not having me see a psychiatrist when I am pushing for it. He saw my bipolar. I change to an alternative school and given two therapist both concentrated on my eating disorder but was very concerned about me mood swings but there hands were tied. I interviewed a couple of more but nothing came of it. My current therapist seems to believe that unmedicated I can very fast become a threat to myself and others but will work with me if I choose not to be on medication because no matter what. My psychiatrist is willing to continue working with me too if unmedicated. I understand therapists that are not willing to take clients that refuse medication but they should have a list of therapists that are willing to take unmedicated clients.

The first 2 years were ****. My psychiatrist was horrid and seemed to have something personally against me. Come to find out my mental issues conflicted with her personal issues. She tore me on and off medication and threatening hospitalization monthly getting upset at my non-compliance not listening to my reasoning. I asked my husband after being on every med combo possible if I could just stop medication because it was making things worse he agreed. Yes there was a reason why these choices were deferred to my husband.

Two years later I went to a different psychiatrist so that I could see a therapist. He has been the most caring and persuasive doctor I have ever met. With him I learned that I hire him, I have full say in what I take and how I take it (as long as I inform him first), that the reasons why I don't take the medication is more important then if the medication helps and I decide what I take. He is okay with me taking “as needed” medication, and temporary medications. I have on the same mood stablizers for 2 year with some adjustments but the antidepressants have been hard as the throw me into a psycotic mania. It's been such a better experience and more like hanging out venting to a friend. I'm scared to move next year because of this.

Exercise- I have CP and my sister had surgery on both of her knees because her ligaments tore while kicking a goal in soccer and she collapsed. She was finally released with a no more sports order but she started play again and the first game her other knee tore. I know neither are the same as your issue but we are both medically cleared to swim (non-competitively) and low impact water aerobics. So you may want to see if your cleared for swimming as it is similar to running.

_____
I'm sorry it took so long for me to write I just wanted to write a proper response but haven't until today been able to put my full attention to this post.

I have been on tons of meds since 15. I took a yr interval, took myself
off them, quit seeing pdoc, and... crashed hard. I need to be on meds
for my mood swings, ertc... I did the same last yr, took myself off; Crashed
again. Can u tell I am Bi polar?? Lol. Some ppl depending on how their
coping skills are and how severe the illness, can go w/out meds. I have a
friend w the same illnesses; bi polar and Bpd. She does not take meds. she
is able to cope w/out them and be stable

I think I am very tired of trying to monitor myself so much. I won't do really bad things but I'll do a lot of little things that strain relationships and go outside of the bounds of things I would do in my right mind. It feels like these little things will soon grow into big things.
I feel like I am rarely baseline lately and I'm questioning a lot of my decisions and feelings, like I want a baseline moment to evaluate everything I am doing right now to see if its what I want, not what my mood wants. There are lots of reasons to want to go on meds and lots not to, I just can never reach a decision. I have tried many different avenues of avoiding meds and achieving some normalcy, combinations of good sleeping, strict diet, exercise, I never achieved it though.
I like to know as much information about a something before I make a decision for myself on it. I'm more asking for your experiences, not for advice and questions about what I have done/am doing.

i asume your bipolar on bipolar forum , well i can tell you i never would take meds i loved being manic when young, didnt no then the crashing depressions were part of it i just nuked that with booze. I did things people still talk about 30 years on, i had 3 kids with different women before 21. Fights i very near died from i always seem to loose , motorbike and car accidents ect ect, then i became ill with abuse of booze had pancritis , then ops for gut related drink probs plus gall stones ect. NNNNNNow i take meds. im a lot better but lost my good looks to weight gain through meds and life seems a lot duller . But i would be dead not writing this if i hadnt took meds.

I believe that being medicated should be a personal choice. Yes it is true some medications can cause more problems than not being on any but you could be lucky and one that works wonders for you. The on advise I wish to give it is if you think you can trust the person who will medicate you then ask them why they think it's best for you. Ask them questions like what if we have tried 2-3 drugs and I don't want to try more, can we stop? Be upfront with them but don't let them push you into a deciding on the wrong thing for you.

It took me years to find the right meds but I couldn't live without them.

I am on meds, and I don't know how I would do without them. They definitely help me out when things get tough.