Do I have to take meds for bipolar?

Bipolar disorder affects each person differently. For most people, some combination of lifestyle changes, therapy, medication, and support are helpful for treating bipolar disorder.

Some people, including many mental health professionals, believe that medications are necessary for anyone with bipolar disorder. The truth is that each person’s needs are different. Whether you need to take meds depends on a lot of things: which type of bipolar disorder you have, how severe your manic and depressive episodes are, how well other treatments have worked, and so on.

Ultimately, you’re in charge of your own treatment. If you’re not sure about something one doctor has recommended, you can always get a second opinion. But if you’ve tried everything else and nothing seems to work, medication may be worth a shot.

Whether you decide to take medications or not, there are lots of things you can do on your own to manage your bipolar disorder.


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