There was a post discussing meds on a fb group I'm in. One person said that with the right brain training and herbal remedies you can live a happy and calm life. All you need to do is believe in yourself that you can do it without prescription meds. Along with the statement that med companies only exist for the money, not because the meds help.

Thoughts?

[BPQuestions]

Seems to me to be crap opinion and wishful thinking that just leads to disaster. Yeah I would love to be on no meds at all but its just not in the cards. Medication is the only thing keeping me from doing some very crazy things. Maybe if you have something minor that may work but not for most everything else.

[FallDuskTrain]

I disagree.

[Guiness187055]

I disagree. I believe it is wishful thinking. It may work for awhile but mania and depression will rear its ugly face sooner or later

I think it depends on a case by case basis. Some people may be able to treat their mental health issues with therapy (I think the herbal thing is crap, but that is just my personal opinion) and other self-help things like meditation, exercise, etc. But some people require medication to function properly and there is nothing wrong with that.

[Tucson]

I have investigated herbal remedies. They are of limited or no value. None exist for replacement of antipsychotics or mood stabilizers. The statement of mindset is partially true for ones own well-being, but does not prevent depression or mania. It is the chemicals in the mind being out of balance, and not necessarily emotional triggers. Frankly, the statement of herbal remedies and mental mindset to completely ameliorate the symptoms of BP is at best very naive, or at worst wreckless and dangerous for many.

PS There are herbs like St Johns Wort for depression, but is much too weak to handle the type of depression that we have as BPers.

I disagree with the idea that one size fits all. I know some people can function with out meds. I can't. I NEED my medication. I think blanket statements like in my original post are just harmful to people who do need meds. It makes them think there is something wrong with them.

[BPQuestions]

Exactly right!

Originally Posted by TheSadGirl

I disagree with the idea that one size fits all. I know some people can function with out meds. I can't. I NEED my medication. I think blanket statements like in my original post are just harmful to people who do need meds. It makes them think there is something wrong with them.

[99fairies]

I could NOT live without my meds...I would go batshiit crazy!

[BPQuestions]

I think thats the truth for alot of us lol. I dont want to be off meds again.
Not a very fun last 15 years.

Originally Posted by 99fairies

I could NOT live without my meds...I would go batshiit crazy!

[wildflowerchild25]

I know there are definitely people who can manage with therapy and supplements. I am not one of them. As another poster said, I don’t think there are any supplements that take the place of an antipsychotic, and I get psychosis. It’s extremely terrifying for me when it happens and I will always stay on medication to prevent it. My life is not livable without medication. I don’t care what anyone says. I do think big pharma does not necessarily have our best interests at heart but it doesn’t matter to me. Without meds I would be hospitalized constantly and would be traumatizing my son even further than he has already been traumatized.

[Teddy Bear]

I think the people who could use herbal remedies are the ones with only a minor mental health issue. I don't think it would work for severe cases

[LadyShadow]

It's all fine and good to say that alternative medicines can work to remedy mental illness. BUT, saying that and what ACTUALLY happens is a different story. I have gotten into arguments with certain people, (people who smoke insane amounts of weed) and they tell me that weed can fix it all, even mental illness. Yeah, if you're high all the damn time, sure life will seem better, but how do you function in society like that?

Sorry for going off on a tangent there, but as someone who has bipolar, I tried going off meds, and was off of them for almost three whole years. The symptoms came back, in full force, and in the form of psychosis, which led to 10 painful years in and out of the hospital. I NEED my meds too, I can't afford to rely on wishful thinking.

[still_crazy]

i dunno. I don't think its either/or. I do Orthomolecular, which is massive doses of b-vitamins, vitamin c, antioxidants, etc., alongside Abilify and Lamictal. seems to help me "get more mileage" out of the psych drugs, plus I've been spared EPS, TD, etc.

[Zigy]

Originally Posted by TheSadGirl

There was a post discussing meds on a fb group I'm in. One person said that with the right brain training and herbal remedies you can live a happy and calm life. All you need to do is believe in yourself that you can do it without prescription meds. Along with the statement that med companies only exist for the money, not because the meds help.

Thoughts?

BS. That's all.

People who say crap like this were never ill themselves. Or they had a mild case of SAD and they think now they know all.

[Loose Screw x 2]

Originally Posted by TheSadGirl

There was a post discussing meds on a fb group I'm in. One person said that with the right brain training and herbal remedies you can live a happy and calm life. All you need to do is believe in yourself that you can do it without prescription meds. Along with the statement that med companies only exist for the money, not because the meds help.

Thoughts?

I bought in to that garbage about five years ago and paid for it in a very painful way. While herbs and all the other things that you hear about health nuts and survivalists doing for their health may help them in some ways, it isn't going to hold a candle to medication. Furthermore even with all of that stuff that they do you have to change your diet too and avoid GMO and so on and so on and do endless research and on top of all of that be able too afford that kind of stuff. It just isn't realistic. As far as med corporations being greedy and trying to make their competition sound bad that is nothing new. Many, Many corporations play dirty and are money hungry.

[tecomsin]

I think there are legitimate reasons to be anti-med. Those would be life altering side effects like diabetes that come from taking them over a long time, as well as lack of efficacy for many people. And oftentimes a person might feel better but still not be well. I wish I could manage without medication and I wish my meds worked better than they do. I've never found any med to deal with my depression, for instance.

[tsrc78]

I think anyone who can treat their illness with only herbal remedies and positive thinking has a very mild form of mental illness, if a true mental illness at all.

Bipolar disorder is not a mild mental illness, it is a severe and persistent mental illness. Bipolar is a lifelong illness. It is not some form of situational depression that occurs and then gets better once the person’s situation changes. Does this person even know anything about bipolar disorder specifically? I would guess not really. Some researchers have found (I think through PET scans?) that the brains of many bipolar people look different, have differences in their brain flow, compared to people without bipolar disorder. It is one of the most biologically based mental illnesses, after schizophrenia, and especially hard for people with psychosis along with bipolar disorder. It needs to be treated with medication, and even then many people do not get to the level of stability they want over long periods of time.

This person may have meant well, but to throw a statement out like that is not only ignorant but insulting to those of us who suffer from severe mental illnesses. Positive thinking can help you cope with your illness, cope with the stressors in your life, but it will not make your illness go away. And herbal remedies may only make you feel worse. My mom tried to rattle off a list of herbs I should try and I just stopped her and told her I can’t take those because it interferes with my medication. My mother has no clue what bipolar really is and doesn’t want to know. This person just has no clue. I’d just ignore anything they say.

[Pookyl]

I think many people who are anti-med but pro herbal alternatives for example, don’t know how the alternatives are manufactured. If they were they, they wouldn’t be so anti-med.

In a previous life I was privy to some audits looking at how both the big pharma and alternatives were manufactured. Very similar processes but not quite.

As an example, big pharma has to use ‘gold standard’ filters on product A. Each filter has to be pre tested and the product is filtered down to 0.1 microns. If they don’t, a $1M batch will have to be discarded. As in it has cost the company $1M loss for that one batch. The batch must also pass audits.

Alternative herbal manufacturer will use a significantly cheaper filter. One that filters down to 0.2 microns at best case scenario but more than likely 10microns.
They aren’t able to guarantee consistency between batches and aren’t subject to the same auditing process.

My personal reason for being pro normal meds is because I have 3 family members who would be alive today if they had seen real doctors and taken real meds instead of the stuff sold by the quacks they saw.

Thanks for all the responses. I took the comment pretty personally as I really do need my meds. I'm not good at biting my tongue so I had to walk away from Facebook. Lol.

[FallDuskTrain]

Originally Posted by TheSadGirl

Thanks for all the responses. I took the comment pretty personally as I really do need my meds. I'm not good at biting my tongue so I had to walk away from Facebook. Lol.

It is really not worth arguing.... ever... especially with those who don’t know how to value others’ opinion. I cancelled my fb about a year ago and my anxiety level has been considerably lower. And i have more time on my hands.
Thank you for always being so kind and caring towards the members of PC.

Originally Posted by FallDuskTrain

It is really not worth arguing.... ever... especially with those who don’t know how to value others’ opinion. I cancelled my fb about a year ago and my anxiety level has been considerably lower. And i have more time on my hands.
Thank you for always being so kind and caring towards the members of PC.

Thank you for this!

[*Laurie*]

So, so, SO ignorant!!!!!!

[bpforever1]

I agree with most people on this thread that remedies are case-by-case. No specific therapy or medication is good for all, especially for those with mental illness. I stopped taking my medication four times and was hospitalized each time afterwards. I only take Abilify now but thought it would be nice to not be on medication. Well, I became insane each time and could not take care of myself and ended up homeless after the last time I decided not to take my medication. It woke me up instantly and made me realize if I don't take my medication, I will remain homeless. I decided after this to go into therapy and to take my medication faithfully. I am doing better now. I am independent, working, and enjoying life. I'd rather be the way I am now taking my medication and being able to function on my own than be homeless and not on my medication. I know some people graduate from being mentally ill and no longer need medication but it did not happen in my situation.

[SorryShaped]

I've tried herbal-and-supplements-only. Did not work at all. Tried same with therapy. Nah. Meds are a part of, but not entirely, the treatment process.
I got kicked out of a group that advocates the user of a certain legal plant, not pot, for various purposes, primarily pain, because I said it absolutely does not work for bipolar and get a doctor and on meds ASAP. The mods for the group banned me and I lost some friends over it. I stand by what I said. Losing friends over this may be well-worth it if that person seeks out the proper help. Besides, one of the mods got abusive in PM and I got her account banned because of what she said to me. Hah! Start over and try to get back to your 1000+ friends.