longer.blue

Stopping meds There are a few lucky souls with Bipolar 2 who can effectively manage their symptoms with healthy living (diet exercise, yoga, meditation) and self-awareness of episode starting symptoms (different for everyone - for actual mania, I started wearing big junky earrings - mostly the long beaded ones with feathers - and wearing purple clothes) self-monitoring for those symptoms and using coping strategies as necessary. They do well except that means suffering through the deep, major depressions (without help) that are so familiar to folks with Bipolar 2. People like me that are diagnosed with Bipolar 1 have to take meds just like people who have Diabetes type 1 have to take insulin. It’s a guarantee that they will suffer through a mania (most happened right away but I read read a post reply about 2 years ago from a woman who said her mania actually started 2 years after stopping her meds.) Stopping meds There are many, many reasons people with our illness will use to justify stopping meds. Part of our challenge is to honestly examine those reasons and decide how valid they are. Some of the reasons (but not all) to want to stop meds are: 1) We feel better so they must’ve done their job (we are raised to take the medicine when we’re sick and stop when we’re better) 2) Other people tell us we don’t need them 3)If we stop them: it’ll spark a hypo/mania and we’ll feel GOOD 4)other bipolar people do okay without them 5) We don’t like the side effects (usually fat but sometimes sleeping too much/drugged feeling) 6)Now that I’ve taken them, I’m not having any symptoms. The doctor must have made a mistake and I’m not bipolar at all. The goal should be to find one’s own personal issue and develop a mindset or coping mechanism to resolve that. I also think everyone needs to establish their own personal reasons for taking the meds. Mine are (huge) 1. I was so very tired of throwing away, trashing my life, burning it down to the ground. When my world turned right side up again I had to go on the apology tour and had to rebuild (most of the time from scratch.) I lost friends, partners who couldn’t forgive, jobs, homes, family heirlooms, beloved treasures I had collected, money, credit, cars ( I sold a car for $1 - TWO times in different episodes) My life now is settled and comfortable. I live in the home we bought 13 years ago, I have good relationships with my children, grandchildren and sisters. I am married to the love of my life (for the 3rd and last time) after a 33 year relationship ( because he loved me enough to let me keep coming home.) We have solidly been together for 18 years without interruptions.) I have great credit and the same bank account incuding a high-limit credit card for 15 years. That’s a hell of a lot to lose for 4-6 months of pleasure. 2. My extended family is now in four generations. Children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, 3 grand nieces and 6 great-grand nieces and nephews. 3 of my nephews are diagnosed. How will all those kids learn to function in a crazy spinning roller coaster world without me modeling a balanced life for them. If you choose to do this, the proper way to accomplish this is with your doctor’s help to safety stop (sometimes means weaning - one med I took was so serious and high dose, I weaned for 2 years - just while switching meds) That way, if you do decide to start taking then again, you would have your doctor’s guidance for the correct med/dose/timing. (Just know you have the legal right to decide on what you take or not - at least in the USA)