Do you have to?

Do you have to take medication if you have bipolar or can you go without medication and be fine?

You are bipolar 1 with psychotic features and yes you have to take medications.
that may be not what you want to hear but that is the truth.

bizi

As much as I hate taking pills, I definitely thinks this is the best option for me.

Eden, you are not okay without meds because you have severe psychotic episodes. Stay on your meds.

Eden, did you feel fine without medication?

Personally I'd rather not take meds, but I have to. I'd really have problems without it I feel. I can barely handle myself with them. I don't know what would happen to me if I went off of all of them. Probably a whole lot of regret.

Of course I don't want to take meds but I have to. Without them i would be a mess so right now this is my best choice. And in your case I would say that you need meds right now unless you don't want to get better.

I would imagine that if you broke your leg you would take what the doctor ordered. Having this disease gives me a twisted thought process that tries to convince me I only need meds for stuff that is obvious. Add in all the risks and side effects and it makes sense for me to take them.

For me, bipolar medication is not only mandatory but life-saving. I'd be one HOT mess if I weren't medicated. Some people do well on only one or two meds; others (like me) need several to keep their illness under control. And frankly, I don't know of many BP 1's who can manage without meds.

Yeup, without my meds and therapy. I would have probably shot myself by now. The side effects have been a real pain though.

I dont feel better on them i feel more depressed than i did before i started them. But also other things it is hard to explain.

It's sux to pause whatever I'm doing to pop a few pills during my day. But in the long run, it's what allows me to keep having many more days to come. Take care.

I agree with the others
(I have issues with meds too different reason..)

I have to. t's the only thing that keeps me going.

I have never been on medication. I have just entered therapy for the first time in 30 years. I have been living BP1 with psychotic elements among other disorders. It has wrecked my life yet again, and has knocked me to the bottom so many times before. I am afraid to take meds, but at this point I know something has to change. I have kept my life together at times for even years at a time, but that was a long time ago. In recent years I could only keep my life on track a few months at a time at the longest. I am just surviving at this point. This is what happens without meds. Or so they tell me.

None of us take meds without needing meds.

Sometimes we don't realize we need meds until we take meds and regain our insight.

We all seem to enjoy the hypomania; yet, it's not long before things get out-of-control.

I know you do not like the confines of the hospital.
It's possible you might not need to be in the hospital, or stays would be more brief, if you were more open to meds.

It can feel exhilarating and even "special" to think angels are around us and talking to us, even giving directions to us. However, the idea of angels interacting with us in the manner you've reported is a sign of how our mental illness may be getting the upper hand with us (delusions/hallucinations), etc.

Looking forward to your clearing up, your having more stability and more freedom... ASAP!


WC

I have suffered my whole life with this disease. I have dealt with chronic illness and am used to having to take meds. When I was finally diagnosed last year with BP1 and my meds were changed, I can't believe how much better my life is. I can make productive decisions. I am not knocked over by strong emotions and I can deal with them with perspective. I actually have emotions that make sense.

It took about eight months to get the right cocktail that works for me. But I am so glad I finally have something that works. I am glad I have meds. The thought of living like I was living was horrifying.

I hope you find what works for you and you are able to be healthy and functional.

It's your choice whether you want to take them or not.

If you're not feeling better then you need to talk to your pdoc about adjusting them. It can take a long time to find the right combo, and sometimes all you can hope for is to take the edge off.

I've been on and off meds my entire life and have finally realized I want to be stable. Going off my meds I might get by for a while, but the depression always comes back. And if you experience psychosis I think it's even more important to stay on your meds.

I agree with what the other members are saying.

I know if I wasn't on meds (I started again last year after having to go into a PHP program, after 4yrs w/o meds), I would be a hypomanic/manic/psychotic mess, and I get euphoric hypomanias that turn into what I found out last year and at the beginning of this year are dysphoric suicidal manias. So I have to stay on my meds to prevent all this, and go to therapy to help work through my issues. It's hard and some days I don't want to continue with treatment, but for now I have to.

Sometimes I wish it was a broken leg instead of this. It might be easier to deal with because at least then I'd have an idea of when it would start to get better, and no family members would be trying to convince me that I'm fine and that I should just suck it up and stop taking my meds and just go ahead and walk on it. Leaving me to feel like a useless failure because I'm too scared to give up the meds and I can't walk on it because it just won't hold my weight. Doctors wouldn't say 'meh, maybe it's broken, maybe it's not, come see us again if you need to.' And no one wants to come sign anything and tell you they hope you feel better soon when it's bipolar. They just wonder why you're always so freaking lazy and cranky all the time. It sucks

Not completely the hospital said they would give me injections if i didnt take them.

I think those with bipolar need medications in order to keep extremes from happening -- mania and depression. I know that when I tried to go medication-free I went really crazy. I don't ever want to feel like that again.

I have to take medication or the depression gets to bad.

It is highly recommended. In some cases, there are people who do not have recurring episodes, but when there is psychosis involved, there is a very high chance of those symptoms coming back when unmedicated....so in your case, it would be risky to not take medication. I have met some people who get so sick from medication and have medical conditions where pdocs decide it is best to go without it until absolutely needed, but if that isn't the case, then I think it's best to consider that the benefits of taking meds outweigh all the disadvantages. You want to keep yourself safe and well, most importantly. Best of luck.... ((HUGS))