Does anyone here try to deal with their illness without the use of a/d drugs?

[Jrock75]

I was just wondering how other people fare. Me? Other then the anxiety/panic attacks which I take Xanax for on and off. I ride this rollercoaster without the aid of of A/D's. Sometimes I feel a little up sometimes I feel a little down (not to dangerous levels). In the end I make it through though. Usually when I do get in a bad mood it's not too tough to get me out of. And when I start going on the manic side it's easy to "talk me down". Sorry if this thread didn't make sense, I didn't quite know how to word it.

[nandm]

I tried for many years to manage my depression, bipolar, and PTSD without medication. There have been several times when I tried to just stop taking the medicines or take "natural" remedies instead. The end result for me is obviously different than yours. Mine ends in the insanity of suicidal plans and intentions. I am not sure what type of manic you are referring to as true mania is not something that a person can just talk themselves down from since it is a biochemical response. I have true mania, insomnia lasting for days at a time, irrational thoughts, compulsive and obsessive behavior, racing thoughts, extreme energy, inability to be still, etc.... By the time I realize I am in a mania there is no such thing as "talking myself down" but I must say my life would be much simplier of things were that easy.

I wish you luck in your attempt to go through mental health issues without the aid of medication. I do hope it works for you better than it has for me.

[Jrock75]

Lol..I guess there was a time I was truly manic and couldn't be talked down by anyone,but that was also a time I did alot of psychidelics(sp?),and was under a great deal of stress. That's where alot of my fear/anxiety/panic attacks come from is I'm scared of being in that place again. Even though I haven't had a psychotic break in 11 years,there's always that "what if?" question in my mind. As far as the minor depression I get from time to time I don't know if it's really biological or just circumstance. (economy and all) Thankyou for your feedback. I appreciate your thread about Bipolar as well.

[nandm]

lol....ironically I did not seem to have manic phases when I was using.. But I also was too scared to try much more than a bit of pot. Some weird thing in my brain always told me that drugs were wrong because they were "illegal" but alcohol was ok since it is legal. I pretty much stuck to that during my using days.

I am glad you are fortunate enough to be at a place where you can deal with your illness with means other than traditional medications. I am sure there are more people out there who are like you and are not at such an extreme that they need medications to get a handle on the problem. Hopefully one of them will post shortly.

[subject]

I'm 36, for years I did LSD and shrooms (starting at the age of 16). I used this stuff both to bring me down and up...mostly up. It's been scientifically proven that early psychedelic use can exacerbate BP/Manic Depression and bring it out of an individual. Though I should say, and with much warning, that marijuana was my wonderdrug. Until I actually got some help I used pot to come down, stay up and as a drinking companion and I loved it. BUT I had to clean up cuz the drinking was killing me, and so was the heroine and cocaine. Ya see, It had gotten to the point where I had succesfully/unsuccesfully "SELF_MEDICATED" for 20 friggin years and to know lasting avail. So I'm 7 rs off the heroine and coke and 9 months away from weed and booze and I sit here wishing that I had taken the advice of my parents when they said that there were good drugs out there right now for manic depresion cuz they were right. I wasted a lot of time.

[kermit]

For some reason I stopped taking my prozac about 2 1/2 yrs ago, I was fine for a while, I suffer from PMS, I get very emotional to the extreme, I yell alot and get so depressed to point of suicide at times. For me I have to take it, why I don't is because I can't find the time to get to a Dr. Just lazy I guess. I also do okay 3 weeks out of four. But I'm getting worse again, I will most likely get to the Dr. Soon

[Latte]

After being clean for about a year I went off of AntiD's and struggle a little during the winter from SAD still. I have learned to manage it with excersise and supplements (including VitD) and counseling. I wouldn't say no to AntiD's if my therpaist thought I needed them though. I was gaining a lot of weight on my AntiD and it was making my depression worse and that is why my therapist and I agreed to have me go off of it.

[Isaiah]

I did for a long time. I developed a lot of strategies for coping with depression myself years and years before I went to professional treatment. It wasn't enough for me; I am on medication now that helps a lot without any noticeable side effects.

I think everyone should learn to deal as if without medication, but to take medication if it's needed. Whatever helps, I say.

I would bring the person who's prescribing the medication in on this. You don't want to stop taking a drug just because you're feeling good, you could be feeling that way because you are taking a medication. Tapering under professional supervision is good advice.