Comments on: Why I Don’t Take Medications for My Bipolar Disorder

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 11:24:45 +0000

At least I am not surprised.

By: Amberflame

Amberflame — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 17:19:47 +0000

Bipolar Disorder has shaped my family. My maternal grandfather, my mother , my uncle all have it. Can you function without medications? Yes, I have seen it in both my uncle and my grandfather. Would they benefit from proper medication? I would agree for my grandfather it would have been helpful. He was horribly abusive to my mother and her siblings. My uncle seems to get along well without it. He seems to be reasonably happy and he has two happy little girls. On another note, I have seen the harm of medications. I should clarify, the wrong medications. They are only helpful if you have the correct ones. I grew up with my mother suffering with her illness because her medications were constantly given incorrectly by her
doctor(s). Her hands shake uncontrollably now at times as a long-term side-effect. It wasn’t until 2000 when she tried to commit suicide again that her doctors finally realized she was only ‘just’ functional. So they had to do something. Now I finally have a mother that I can have a conversation with and not a guilt trip. So I am thankful for every moment because she did not succeed in her last attempt and that the proper medications have given me the mother I only had glimpses of growing up.

I think medications are necessary more in some people than others. If you can live without them Meitar then it is something you should do. With all things life is about management. If you learn from your experiences then you are on the right track… which you are of course!

It is easy to go down into Hell; night and day, the gates of dark Death stand wide; but to climb back again, to retrace ones steps to the upper air ~ there’s the rub, the task.
~Virgil, Aeneid

By: NIck

NIck — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 00:01:22 +0000

Ultimately, it is YOUR CHOICE. We have seen, though, that sometime, the “YOUR” part (in “YOUR CHOICE”) may be flawed, pardon the expression, by less than adequate judgement, especially when it is plagued with serious mood swing, up or down. There were many instances of very unfortunate events, notwithstading suicidal, of bipolar sufferrers who were utterly convinced that what they were feeling/doing is OK. This is when you can and should rely on others.
It is a heavy load, and you are, so far, carrying it with stride. reading this made me hopeful and worried simoultaneously. Not that this would change anything. You are lucky to have own that brain of yours. I hope you take good care of it always. I love you.

By: Meitar

Meitar — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 23:24:06 +0000

Would I still deny medication in the face of a serious relapse? Absolutely not! Never, in fact, would I completely shut the door to medication. And just recently I considered the possibility that I might need to go back on them due to the emotional turmoil my recent break up has caused me.

I haven’t needed them yet, but I admit I might in the future. I don’t have anything against medications, I just don’t like them. They are one of many tools that I use to help facilitate functionality, and I would not hesitate to use them if I needed to.

By: blondzila

blondzila — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 23:16:58 +0000

I’m curious. What would you do if you find a serious relapse occurs? There are theories that bipolar disorder is an organic brain disease that can, with the help of medication and behaviour modification, go into remission, but that can certain recur. Would you still deny medication?