The Alternative Bipolar Way
I can't speak for all of those with bipolar disorder, but I do know this applies to people other than myself. How many? I could never say for sure. All I know is that a lot of us with bipolar disorder seek out alternative ways of treating this illness. There are tons of conventional meds used for bipolar disorder, but even the most potent meds don't do enough for some symptoms.
And this is why it's worth looking into alternative treatment. The truth is that there is a lot of garbage out there. There's always going to be the alternative medicines that do next to nothing for a bipolar individual. However, their are some alternative supplements out there that can actually help someone with their symptoms. The key is to stick with the supplements that have studies to back them up, like PubMED bipolar studies, as well as consumers. Basically, you want bipolar supplements that have been studied and are used by many other bipolar individuals.
This is what I've learned when it comes to trying out alternative stuff. I did a bunch of research and found that N-acetylcysteine supplements are a perfect example of the type of supplement worth buying and trying out. In addition to finding out, from my psychiatrist, that NAC had been shown to provide very positive results when used to augment bipolar depression treatment, I'd also read about this supplements potential on PsychEducation.org, a site run by a real psychiatrist. Due to all of this credible good news about treating bipolar with NAC supplements, I decided to buy a highly rated one on Amazon.
Treating my symptoms, like depression, with NAC, is the first time I've responded extremely positively to a supplement. You shouldn't necessarily buy NAC (though I reccomend looking into it especially if you suffer most from bipolar depression, schizo thinking, cravings, and OCD) but you should look for supplements with a track record like NAC if you're going the alternative route. I honestly didn't think alternative options would ever do much but NAC has truly helped me in a very relevant way. It hasn't totally gotten rid of some of my symptoms, but it has had an effect that I can easily notice. It's subtle, but it's there.
Supplements most likely won't ever provide as much of a relief from our symptoms as medications do, but I think that alternative products shouldn't be ignored. A lot of times they offer relief with little side effects, and they are usually relatively cheap and inexpensive. You just have to know what you're getting yourself into when it comes to the alternative bipolar pursuit. There's a lot of stuff that isn't worth your time or money out there. On top of that, there's a lot of stuff that works for thousands of bipolar individuals that won't work for you. Even a supplement like NAC, which has been backed by numerous studies and countless anecdotal reports, isn't guaranteed to work for you.
I know how I'll be approaching the alternative bipolar way from here on out. I'll continue to do the research, learn how supplements work, and find out which products are helping others. It's all you can do. Thanks for reading and if you want alternative treatment that works I urge you to do a bunch of investigating and research before spending any money.