Following comments on this post… I’ve never been able to stay on medication due to side effects so logically I have no idea if I’d actually be better or worse and don’t understand when other say that because I haven’t found medication that has ever helped for bipolar. I just use copious amounts of caffeine and nicotine and that helps me greatly but that’s the only connection I can make to comprehend what it would be like if a medication actually helped me.

Honestly, for me I had someone remind me & alarms. I have been taken meds since I was little (5 yrs old) but it got harder as I got older yo stay consistent. So my mom, my boyfriend, & my phone remind me

I have three different reminders for my morning meds and three different reminders for my evening meds. I also know that I'm stable right now and want to stay that way so that motivates me to respond to my alarms instead of brushing them off. I used to be terrible about taking my meds but I also wasn't stable on the meds I was taking at the time. They just weren't a priority.

I have been trying medications for just about a year now and have finally found a combination that are not making things worse and also working. My mood stabilizer has been the same and is good but definitely not enough, it took me months to find the right antipsychotic but I got it and found the right dosage and it is absolutely the dam between me and psychosis lol. I recently started an SSNI antidepressant that seems to be working. I probably tried around 10 other medications that made things worse before I found the right combo. It really really sucks. But the thing about it is the consistency is a very large reason why I was able to find the right meds. My doctor needs baselines to be able to see what is working and what is not. Also, missing doses and getting withdrawal makes things so much worse. During the process of finding the right meds, if I start getting worse after trying something I immediately contact my psychiatrist and she will work with me to find something else. My doctor wants to help me find what is right for me and I have had early appointments pretty much the whole year. Tbh I just don’t think I could keep living if I wasn’t medicated so i am very motivated by that. Other than that I have friends who are on medication that can relate to the process, they have talked to me about how important med compliance is and they are support me while I’m going through the process. My meds also make me sleep and without them I have horrible insomnia. I have them in one of those day by day/weekly pill holders. I was crazy about nicotine and caffeine and still rely on caffeine though I have to quit smoking because of a surgery. I dig it and it’s not a big deal. At the end of the day it was absolute hell before I was medicated and even though it is a rocky rocky road, from where I am standing it is worth it and I know everyone I know who is on medication would also say that. You don’t have to take meds. I know I need them. If you want to see results from meds you gotta be consistent and work with your psychiatrist. Good luck to you