lok not to be a drag but for me which is different for you if you ar b.p. you ned meds no way around it have you accepted you have this disorder or shall i say disease ?

Fish oil 3000mg a day and horseriding:))

Sorry forgot to add Flaxseed oil 3000mg a day:))

I have hypomania that I believe can be managed without additional medication - so good so far. I take Wellbutrin for my depression. I do a lot - a lot - of treatments that don't involve medication, and I've been finding that they are very helpful and, in general, improve my life in every area. So, I accept it, but I choose to handle it in a different way than my psychiatrist wants. My psychologist, however, is on board with me.

I meant "so far so good."

Well good luck to you I wish I could do it all natural but I been suffering way to long to try and see if it works I need something to work asap but again good luck hope it works out for you : ) ((hugs))

Some things like fish oil, writing, etc. may help alleviate your symptoms, but to really control and manage this disorder, you NEED to take medication, and for the rest of your life.

The main benefits, which are crucial ones, you will get, are:

1)You will have fewer and less severe episodes of depression and/or mania. You will still have some.

2)The incidence of suicide is reduced significantly. (I lost my oldest son that way, and he was not even diagnosed, but looking back, it is pretty evident that he was)

Some people manage to get by without medication. But their quality of life is significantly lower than they would be on medication. Even though there are some trade-offs, the severity of this condition warrants the need for meds. It will also help those close to you - friends, family, and coworkers be able to have a better relationship with you as well.

Thanks - if all these alternatives don't work out, Abilify will be my next step.

You may do OK on those things if you have BP II -- hypomania....but BP does tend to worsen over time, too.

So you may come to a time when you will need to make a more critical decision about whether or not to take meds.

Remy, I admire you for your courage to treat your disorder naturally. I am sure it can work for some. The issue I dealt with was that I cycled most to severe depression. That I cannot control without medication. I have choses to medicate with an antipsychotic and anti depressant. If I go hypo manic I know I will inevitably cycle to depression. If you are fortunate enough to prevent cycling you are amoung the very few. With cycling we damage brain cells that cause other problems as we grow older. I prefer to take meds that prevent or decrease the severity of my cycling to hopefully lessen the damage. If you have discovered a way to naturally prevent cycling, I would love to hear what you do. Hugs

Starfish - I have hypomania. Being bp is being bp, and I get that. However, not taking medicine has not negatively impacted my life.

Good luck to you, sweetie. My dad went through most of his life without meds, but I lost out on a lot of any kind of relationship with him.

I know he loved us, but didn't get to feel it much.

I'm sorry -- I am responding to your previous comments -- your last ones are coming on as I am writing, so it sounds like I am criticising what you are saying -- I am not trying to do that....I am trying to say, just keep an open mind, and it sounds like you are doing that. I am grateful you are willing to consider meds if you need them....just trying to help you know when that may be. I resisted for years, even understanding I had BP, and it cost my son his life.

I just don't want anything like that to happen to others if I can help them see that.

I know you guys are just watching out for me. Thanks! As far as what I'm doing right now - I take fish oil, vitamins, Wellbutrin 150 mg, do yoga, talk (and talk and talk), draw, bibliotherapy, meditate, and see a psychologist every-other-week.

Exercise and 4000mg of fish oil. Music, music and did I say music. My dog, is that non medicinal.