I’m not qualified to provide medical advice, but I have a lot of personal experience to share which may or may not be helpful. Some things I’ve learned through

I’m not qualified to provide medical advice, but I have a lot of personal experience to share which may or may not be helpful. Some things I’ve learned through the years, speaking only for myself (early onset bipolar-ii, many different doctors and meds over the years): - Not all doctors are created equal. I’m very glad I got some second opinions on medication regimens. If you have access to that level of care, try talking to more than one doctor about your options. - It was tricky but necessary for me to balance a medical professional’s superior knowledge in certain areas against my own intuition and internal awareness. I have (correctly) chosen to decline proposed treatments that I felt were inappropriate based on the experiences loved ones had had on similar regimens. I don’t have an easy answer on this one, sometimes the doctor may know best. For me I had to feel the medical professional and myself were working as a team, and they should treat me as a team mate. If this wasn’t the case I had the (immense) privilege of being able to find a new doctor even if it took a while. - My journey to find the right treatment was essentially trial and error and that seems common among my friends as well. Some had crappy side effects. None of them were dangerous for me or permanent. I have tried many different medications and none of the experiences I had were scary or risky, even if some side effects were really unpleasant. - I found the right medication with a doctor I trusted. It has changed my life. I made the right choice for myself by pursuing treatment. - It’s possible I could have toughed it out, but with medication all the energy I spent staying alive could be spent thriving and that has made all the difference. I am glad I made the choice to use meds to manage my mental health. - I have found a lot of healing with the use of psychedelics, which some have mentioned. In Oregon they’ll be approving them for therapeutic use in specific settings soon and I’m hopeful this will be another option that could help some people. The impact can be unpredictable which is why I like the idea of someone providing guidance instead of individuals taking it alone. So while I see a lot of potential, I also think it can be risky to try solo without a strong support system. This is hard work you’re doing and good for you for exploring and trying to find the choice that is right for you in this moment. I hope you find some relief <3