“Can a bipolar person live a normal life without medication?”
My friend is 24 years old. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Can a bipolar person live a normal life without medication?
4 Answers
PsychiatristPsychiatrist
There are bipolar persons with mild signs who can be thought of as on the low end of the “bipolar spectrum “ - who actually function at extremely high levels socially and occupation ally: certain big corporate executives and certain famous authors and Hollywood celebrities are “on the bipolar spectrum” - but who obviously function at a very high level and have so much energy and capacity for hard work and being active on into the wee hours because of their diminished need for sleep
More likely to have a stable life with medications.
Bipolar illness is a PHYSICAL illness you INHERIT. It typically reveals itself in your early 20s but can show up from age 10 to 50. It is caused by an imbalance in brain chemicals. It's not your fault, but you do have to manage it responsibly. There's no treatment aside from taking medications, although sometimes people with very mild symptoms can learn to live with it if they can function normally.
The analogy I like is diabetes. That's also a physical illness. If diabetes is very mild, sometimes exercising, losing weight, and modifying your diet can minimize its effects or even make it go into remission. (There's no similar way to get rid of bipolar illness.) But if your blood sugar is out of control, you MUST take medications or you are likely to become extremely ill, and your life expectancy will diminish. Moderate to severe diabetes can be fatal in a relatively short time. Normal blood sugar is about 80-100. If your blood sugar is 400, TAKE YOUR INSULIN, even if you hate taking medications.
Even mild bipolar illness brings a multitude of risks:
1. Much higher risk of suicide
2. Irrational behavior: get-rich-quick schemes, spending tons of money you don't have, extreme sexual behavior, driving like a maniac
3. Much greater likelihood of alcohol and drug abuse
4. Extreme anger outbursts
5. Inability to form close emotional relationships. You're great at sex; friendship not so much
6. Wide swings of mood from mania to depression, with relatively few periods when you feel normal.
7. Grandiose ideas that you can do anything, but in fact function is markedly impaired.
Many people with bipolar illness are reluctant to take their medication because they like the "high" of mania, even though it severely interferes with function. SO: just like if you're diabetic and your blood sugar is out of control, TAKE YOUR MEDICINE.
The analogy I like is diabetes. That's also a physical illness. If diabetes is very mild, sometimes exercising, losing weight, and modifying your diet can minimize its effects or even make it go into remission. (There's no similar way to get rid of bipolar illness.) But if your blood sugar is out of control, you MUST take medications or you are likely to become extremely ill, and your life expectancy will diminish. Moderate to severe diabetes can be fatal in a relatively short time. Normal blood sugar is about 80-100. If your blood sugar is 400, TAKE YOUR INSULIN, even if you hate taking medications.
Even mild bipolar illness brings a multitude of risks:
1. Much higher risk of suicide
2. Irrational behavior: get-rich-quick schemes, spending tons of money you don't have, extreme sexual behavior, driving like a maniac
3. Much greater likelihood of alcohol and drug abuse
4. Extreme anger outbursts
5. Inability to form close emotional relationships. You're great at sex; friendship not so much
6. Wide swings of mood from mania to depression, with relatively few periods when you feel normal.
7. Grandiose ideas that you can do anything, but in fact function is markedly impaired.
Many people with bipolar illness are reluctant to take their medication because they like the "high" of mania, even though it severely interferes with function. SO: just like if you're diabetic and your blood sugar is out of control, TAKE YOUR MEDICINE.
Here is a link that addresses your question:
https://natashatracy.com/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-life-without-medication/
https://natashatracy.com/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-life-without-medication/
