does anyone know how to deal with bipolar disorder without medication?

Answer 1

Why would you want to? I know the meds are expensive and the side effects suck, but this condition gets worse over time. Very few bipolar sufferers succeed without meds, and of the one's that fail 20-25% will attempt suicide, and 15% will succeed.

Sure you want to give it a go without meds?

Answer 2

Yes. Consider Orthomolecular Psychiatry. This method uses substances normally found in food, or present within the human body.
http://www.orthomed.org/index.html
http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/commoncauses.htm
Get a copy of "Depression Free, Naturally" by Dr. Joan Mathews-Larson. Read it carefully, and follow the recipe for bipolar disorder.

http://204.147.80.67/~brecovery/Depession_Free_Naturally.html

Bipolar is not a specific "disease", it is a group of symptoms and "bipolar disorder" is basically shorthand for that symptom group. There are scores of underlying issues that can cause such symptoms, and only when they are not found is it labeled "bipolar disorder". In a way, settling for a diagnosis of "bipolar disorder" indicates the limits of current knowledge.

For example, several studies have shown vanadium levels are often very high in bipolars, which has been known to trigger mania. This is not tested for, but instead...drugs are given to mask the symptoms. Low or high histamine and pyroluria are also treatable causes for bipolar symptoms.

If you are lucky enough to find an Orthomolecular Psychiatrist, they can help you find the underlying causes of the symptoms. These Psychiatrists are fully trained the same as regular psychiatrists, but have chosen additional training to use orthomolecular methods. They also can prescribe drugs, and sometimes do this in addition to the orthomolecular supplements.

Learning to anticipate and respond to the changing symptoms is important, because they change and the treatment needs to follow those changes. Recognizing any seasonal patterns is useful, too.

I found over 40 years of trying virtually every treatment available, that psychotropic drugs could make me "different", but never made me "better".
This approach is not a drugging, it is healing. The side effects are greater overall health in all areas.

Besides, functional recovery with drugs is only about 43%. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/160/12/2099

Answer 3

It is very difficult to deal with bipolar disorder, maybe you could try therapy first and see how you feel, and only if you really need it then perhaps you have to consider medication. It isn't as bad as you may think. My husband is bipolar and it took him a long time to realize it, we had many problems, because of it and he couldn't even fathom going to a therapist or taking medication....today, thank God, he has found help in therapy and is on medication, things are so much better, he is calmer, he is not as aggressive as he used to be and you can actually see the beautiful person that he is inside. He is finally at peace with himself. So, the only think I can tell you is try therapy, its very difficult to deal with it alone, and don't worry about the medicine, they'll only give it to you when you really need it. The best thing to do is to recognize it as soon as possible and treat it, the longer you go without treatment, the longer you will suffer, and the angrier you'll become. God Bless you, may you find the peace and happiness you deserve.

Answer 4

I'm sorry, but there is no way to deal with Bipolar Disorder without prescription medicine. Even then, unless it is a very mild case of the disorder, it is very difficult to deal with this disorder even with medications.

Many people, if they take their medications faithfully, are able to live a normal life despite having this illness. I worked as a RN on psychiatric units for 22 years and I can not tell you how many people with Bipolar Disorder that I saw that had to be hospitalized because they stopped taking their medications.

Any one with this disorder needs to be under the care of a psychiatrist and be cooperative with the doctor's plan of care.

Answer 5

I have bipolar, and it's VERY hard to deal with it without meds. At least get Zoloft or something for the depressive side of it... because that can be scary. I take a little bit of Seroquel. Mostly Zoloft though, because I have bipolar 2, which is where you get nasty lows, but not the highs as much.
I can always feel a bipolar episode coming on. I get adgitated, and it's almost as if little sparks are going off inside. My head is full of confusion, and that's when I know I'm gonna have a melt down. Ways that I cope with this is telling myself that I'm not going to breakdown. I write a lot and that helps A TON. When you feel a breakdown coming on, do something calming that you enjoy. For example- draw, write, read, whatever. Anything to get your mind of of what's going on inside. Don't let it get to you... relax and breathe.

Answer 6

Well, if you are going insane off your meds, you are not one of the people who can deal with bipolar without meds. In the old days, you would have ended up in an institution, or self medicated with patent medicines which were basically heroin or cocaine, or you would have drunk yourself to death. Keeping stress very low (like no job, same routine every day) can help, but things happen, like sometimes you get a parking ticket, or someone loses their job, property taxes go up a lot all of a sudden, etc, outside life intervenes. Using light & dark therapy (research dark therapy) may help you, but you have to be really religious about it. You have to decide whether the illness or the side effects are worse. In my case, the pills don't help hardly at all so I go without the meds, but I am in agony more than half the time (mixed moods). If the pills helped maybe 30% of the bipolar symptoms, then I would take them. PS most people who go without their meds have trouble controlling their behavior, and lose most of their family and friends. If you are someone who "acts out", consider that when deciding whether to stay off meds. Many people with bipolar have no family who will speak to them anymore, failed marriages, no friends.

Answer 7

You can't. Bipolar disorder is a chemical imbalance in the brain that needs meds to fix it.

I am so tired of people here thinking that Bipolar disorder only needs exercise or sleep or some other vodoo thing. If you are truelly Bipolar, you need meds. It's like a diabetic who needs insulin.

Answer 8

I suppose there are people who are able to deal with bi-polar disorder without meds, but they're aren't that many. I would suggest talking to a shrink... there are methods of coping.. but they are mostly temporary - like funny movies (for bad moods) yoga, staying away from sugar and caffeine.. exercise.. spending time with your friends.. doing things you enjoy/used to enjoy,
btw all these are helpful for general depression and anxiety as well

Answer 9

you cant deal with it there is no way im bipolar have been for many years if i wasnt on meds and see my doc on regular bases
i would be a real mess.

Answer 10

Make sure you get enough sleep, 8 hours, no more. Sleeping too much can bring on depression, sleeping not enough can bring on mania.

Exercise. It will help you sleep and keep you physically healthy.

You can also try to take Omega 3,6,9 supplements. You can get some of it naturally from fish.