[KrissB13]

I was just diagnosed with BP2, GAD, PTSD and some social anxiety a couple weeks ago. I am really struggling with the decision on whether to take meds or not. I have probably asked 10 questions on this website to get more input to help with my decision.
I was hoping everyone who is or is not medicated could share their experiences and opinions!
Thanks!

[Nammu]

I think it really depends on your ability to cope with the symptoms and your support system. A good therapist can teach you how to recognize and deal with the symptoms but you need to be willing to keep a schedule and work at it. For some people no matter what they do or how hard they work at it they need meds. Sometimes it can be temporary, sometimes life long. Medications change your brain, BP changes your brain, it's a catch 22. Work with your Pdoc to find out what's best for you, it's different for every person.

[marmaduke]

I take meds and feel much better.

[HeartShapedBox]

Ive done meds and no meds. Both have their pros and cons, but for me, meds is an easier life.

[electricbipolargirl]

The only thing that worked for me was meds (as you can see, I have quite a few, lol). I went to a therapist for awhile, but we just ended up talking about both of our lives (he had a son who was schizophrenic). A very nice man and he did give some advice, but it didn't work for me. I'm not saying don't try therapy. Lots of people like it. But for me, meds were and are the way to go. They broke me out of a horrendous mixed episode. And it just got better from there.

Good luck to you, no matter what your decision is.

[gayleggg]

I take meds and don't feel I could survive without them. I plummet into deep depression without them and sometimes even with them and they have to be changed. I just can't see myself coping without them.

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[Shadesofdark]

I need meds, if I try to go without them, I just start self-medicating, which is really bad, so I take the meds and see my T, the combination works.

[CopperStar]

For me it is a matter of the right meds. Because the wrong ones will either not help me at all and just give me side effects, or they can make me even worse.

To me the right med(s) clear up symptoms without causing total numbness or any unbearable side effects.

I would rather be on no meds than the wrong meds.
I would rather be on the right meds than no meds.

[Capriciousness]

I tried no meds. and I tried it all...diet, meditation, yoga, religion, light therapy, schedule routine, homeopathy....and um yeah not so much.

I even tried acupuncture once. It made me smoke cigarettes.ha.

I have been so much happier on meds. However, my first med combo was a flaming disaster which had me swearing I would never take anything ever again.

i really thought i wasn't that bad of a case and it would be fine.

Fast forward to two years later when everything crashed and burned and I realized that no amount of will power or routine or trying was going to stop this disorder from pulling me under.

I think lots of us have to come to that point before we are willing to commit to the meds. I don't know.

That's just my story

[Rose76]

Has some healthcare provider suggested to you that you should think about taking meds?

Here is an important thing to keep in mind: psych meds are not taken to deal with a diagnosis. Psych meds are taken to deal with specific symptoms. So by listing your diagnoses, you are not really stating any reason for taking meds. What symptoms do you need to get some relief from?

Sometimes, psychiatrists will want to try particular meds, even before they know exactly what the diagnosis should be. That's because they are mainly interested in seeing what might relieve the symptoms, which can often be a matter of trial and error. Then, knowing what meds seem to help you can give a better idea of what the diagnosis should be. So doctors aren't often starting with a clear idea of what the diagnosis, or diagnoses (which means more than one diagnosis) are going to end up being.

When someone is new to the world of psych help, and they start right off with someone giving them a long list of very specific diagnoses, then I tend to think that might be coming from a therapist, rather than a doctor. Therapists are pretty quick, these days, to think they can diagnose you. (PC members who read a post your family member puts up about you can be even quicker.) Doctors, on the other hand, are a lot slower and tend to change their minds as they get to know you. So take those diagnoses with a grain of salt.

In answer to your basic question: There is only one way to find out if something will make your life better. That's to try it.

[Cocosurviving]

Originally Posted by HeartShapedBox

Ive done meds and no meds. Both have their pros and cons, but for me, meds is an easier life.

I've done the same and even did the proper step down method no cold turkey quitting. I ate a balanced meal and went to bed at a decent time. My body was well rested but it made no difference it took me three hospitalization to know I need meds and the right cocktail. My body has to have Lithium for beginners. It has to always be in my cocktail.

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[Crazy Hitch]

I went a long period of time no meds (when I was BP2).

When I had my first full blown manic episode and had the diagnosis of BP1 kind of decided no meds wouldn't be an option for me.

Hope whatever you choose works out to be the best choice for you in the long run.

[raspberrytorte]

I'd rather not be on meds...

But when I wasn't on them I did a lot of self medicating.

I know from my perspective, it was not so much whether to take meds or not, as I have tried both over these last 15 years, but whether I was willing to admit the fact that I needed medication. My perception of coping was always so different from those around me. Whereas I would feel like I was only having a bad day, those around me would tell me I was hell on earth to deal with. I had to first accept that I HAD symptoms that I couldn't simply control via will power and that I NEEDED help to control those symptoms. Once I admitted that, then the trial and error phase of medication started.

No decision is right or wrong. Either decision has concequences, some more serious than others. But ultimately, it is your decision as to what you want to live with and what you don't want to live with. Medication gives you options, as does therapy and self help techniques. For a lot of us, it takes a recipe of all three to gain the relative stability we desire.

xXx

My decision to take meds is only because my symptoms are unmanageable otherwise. If another option worked, I'd choose it in a heartbeat. For me, I need meds to pull me out of hell sometimes. I'm not consistent with my meds and tend to stop them for various reasons, but I always have to go back.

I decided at one point in time that i didnt want to be medicated. So i hadmy doc help get me off them and oh lordy…..needless to say i'm back on meds. i lost a lot of work time trying to get stable again.

It was never a choice for me. Its meds or death at this stage.

[~Christina]

I was on meds for a few years, But most had side effects I just can't accept or tolerate. I have gone med free .. It's not easy. I took almost a year to get all my coping skills and emergency plans in order.

Even on strong AP's and MS's I would still cycle , So I don't see how taking chemicals daily made sense.. My Pdoc agreed.

I have ups and downs and I'm often riding the waves with a white knuckle death grip. I'm sure at some point I might need to get on something. Ill wait until that day comes and go from there.

As others have said, this is about how you are able to manage your symptoms, not your diagnosis. If your symptoms are causing you problems that are interfering with your life, you have to learn how to manage those symptoms in some way.

For me, for many years while I was going through therapy and working through the trauma that caused my PTSD diagnosis and left me with the depression, flashback, dissociation, anxiety, etc. that went along with the PTSD . . . For many years, while I learned to understand how my bipolar symptoms manifested in my life with the severe depression and suicidality, the occasional challenges of mania and even psychosis, the sleep problems, racing thoughts, etc. that went along with my bipolar diagnosis . . . For many years, I had to be on medication because my ability to personally manage those symptoms on my own without the help of medication was pretty much non-existent. Being on medication helped manage some of those symptoms so I could continue to function, to work, to parent, to live.

After many years of serious work on all of the above, after many years of intensive therapy and learning of management skills, after making serious changes to my life, I have finally reached a place where I have not needed any medications for the last year and a half. But I could not have gotten to this place with just sheer will-power. I could not have gotten to this place without doing the intensive work I have done over the last decade (I'm 52 now). And even all of the work I have done does not guarantee I will be able to remain medication free forever; this is just where I am right now. I continue to carefully monitor my progress, to work each and every day to maintain my mental and physical health, but I am also realistic enough to know there may come a time down the road where I may need to go back on medication. I hope not, but I am realistic about the possibility if need should arise.

So, the question is this: How well are you functioning? How much are your symptoms interfering with your day-to-day life? Have you found a good therapist and are you actively working through your issues and learning good self-management skills? That will tell you whether you need the help of medication or not. It may or may not be a forever thing, but you need to think about the here and now first and foremost, and work on the ever and always as you proceed. Down the road, your status will probably change one way or another. This is not a static diagnosis; we have to learn to cope with whatever our diagnoses place in front of us at any given time, and that tends to be a moving target.

[TimTheEnchanter]

I take ambien occasionally, so I cannot say I am not medicated. I am not medicated like I take meds all the time. Ambien I take only when I need it. i.e. maybe 2 or 3 times a year for a short time. Other than that I take vitamins, supplements etc. none for psych. stuff. My pdoc tells me I have something called cyclothymia....(which is a version of bipolar but sounds better

[festidump]

Husband, T and I want to try no meds at first and see how I get on. I haven´t ruled them out I just want to try and manage this first before starting on any meds. I want to see what symptoms of my BP I cannot control or manage and maybe then look to medicate but that is just my choice of path I´m choosing to take.

I think the idea of having someone else tell you how you manage your BP is a great idea, family member or friends, as I often have no idea I´m manic even if someone tells me I am! I need to look to hubby for confirmation that I´m "ok" tho. Sometimes I think I´ve been really good and normal and sensible all week and he tells a totally different story of a crazy-lady!

Good luck and hope you find the combination of meds / therapy that helps you xxx

[larali]

After a few months of being OFF meds, I will say, for myself, meds are the only way to go. I prefer not to live my life miserably depressed and making insane irrational choices....

I think it is awesome that some people can be off meds and be OK. I wish I could.

[meganb22]

For me personally, meds play a very big part in helping me get better. Therapy is a great tool, but since I have a chemical imbalance, just therapy alone isn't going to help. Everyone is different, and if you CAN get better without medication and it's something you think is reasonable and sustainable, then go for it! I would love not having to take pills everyday, but that's what I have to do to get through the day.

[aggabeen*]

For my daughter...the dangerous nature of manic stages makes it vital for her to be on meds.