Is there any good way to treat Manic-Depression(Bipolar Disorder) without medication?

Manic Depression runs like a river in my dads side of the family. I've tried everything there is on the market for depression. Some worked, some didn't. Prozac worked the best, but the problem with any medication is that it supresses certain other mental mechanisms like creativity. On it, some people(like me) become monotone robots and life isnt really worth enjoying when you're like that.

In the movie A beautiful Mind, (true story) the man was a total nut, but he ended up living his life normally (or as normal as he could) without medications (occasionally asking people if they were real or not) but he controlled his illnesses with his own will power. I've got serious bi polar disorder on my dads side as well, and I've got it. having a positive routine which includes exercise believe it or not, with serious self control is what I've found works for me. I find the only time it really effects me is if I get lazy and don't put the effort forth to control myself. I know it's hard to make yourself happy when you feel like you're living in a dark place, but making yourself be in control makes you a stronger person, and yes - happier. maybe this can help you, maybe you need different advice, but I hope whatever the case you practice your will power.

We tried most everything for my husand. Many meds that didn't work, diets that didn't work, counselors, most everything. Finally, he is on Abilify and is stabalized to a degree. He hasn't lost any other mental mechanisms, but doesn't have the energy he wants. this is a difficult disorder. I would suggest a counselor and Abilify, only because after three years, these are the only things that has helped my husband. good luck.

I have the same problem, I tried for a couple of years to not take meds and I started exercise it worked for a while. Then somethings happened that I just couldn't handle on my own, the doctor started me on Abilify and then Selexa and Welbutrane and a few others and it did not help. I am now on Cymbalta and very hopeful. Don't give up!

I have had bipolar disorder for about 30 years and never found helpful medication, even though i tried 25 medications and also ECT. Most meds made me worse, sometimes much worse. It turns out that my case (and my brother's) may not be as rare as we were told by doctors - read 'anatomy of an epidemic" by robert whitaker. it turns out that the few LONG TERM studies that have been done over many years find that people who turn to medications end up much more disabled than those who don't, even allowing for the case that the sicker people may opt for medication and the less sick go without (there are comparisons between countries also - many many lines of evidence). but once you have taken medications, relapse is likely when you stop them, because the medications do actually change your brain chemical receptors over many months, and it will take a long time for that to go back to normal, if it ever does. (the idea that there is an imbalance of brain chemicals causing mental illesses has never been established - people talk about it as if it is a fact, but it is still only a hypothesis, and there are competing hypotheses).

in any case, it has been quite well established that antidepressants can make bipolar worse in some patients, and a large NIMH study (STEP-II) found that they are of no benefit when added to a so-called mood stabilizer anyhow. then it has been found also that antidepressants help almost no one with major depression, either (google kirsch antidepressants placebo).

Best things I have found include routine aerobic exercise, and exercise very hard when you are very, very depressed (I get agitated depressions, so perhaps that is easier for me, but it prevents suicide in my case ), get more social support, which doesn't mean talking about your problems all the time, which I think makes it worse, but instead play cards or other games, do hobbies together, etc. and use a light box in winter. I am going to buy a dawn simulator device this year and try that. there is no profit in promoting these things, so docs rarely mention them, cuz no cute drug rep just came by to push them, so the docs forget. In a pinch, if very suicidal, you can try not sleeping for a night - sleep deprivation is a well-known treatment for severe depression, but only works in a short-term crisis, since you get depressed again as soon as you sleep.

There are no easy answers - I am quite disturbed to learn that these bipolar drugs are not working for hardly anyone in the long term, and in many cases, may be making the condition much more chronic and severe, as it is for me (suicidal despair every day of my life, for at least a few hours).

do read that book - the library probably has it. the author has impeccable credentials (pulitzer finalist, for example) and did no original research - they are all studies from peer-reviewed journals.

all the best to you.

Is there any good way to treat Manic-Depression(Bipolar Disorder) without medication?

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