I sent a letter when I was tumbling towards my second collapse. Who can blame me for holding out hope that I wouldn't be dependent on the god awful medication I am on. Psychotropic drugs shorten your life. Not many escape the horrific physical side effects. I wish a doctor could have explained to me that a chemical imbalance in the brain would need long term management. I knew nothing about mental illness. I knew there was nothing wrong with my personality. Does anyone who has had psychosis gone on to make a full recovery without medication? I am bi-polar one so medication free is never going to be possible. Supposedly some people who have bi-polar two can manage without medication? Is that true? I just don't want to give up hope that I might need a miniature amount of medication without having to accept that my heart and nervous system are taking a beating every night I take my "horse tranquilizer " like tablet

[Travelinglady]

I think the medical belief is that regardless of the type of bipolar, once labeled bipolar it's meds from then on. I at least don't take some of the ridiculously powerful antipsychotics doctors first threw at me. I thought it was overkill, no pun intended. I don't have psychosis along with my bipolar after all!