Hi ya'll-
First time to post; what a great site!
Without getting long-winded, let me say this about taking medications: my daughter takes meds for Bipolar II, & she also received counseling, which made ALL the difference to this family. I won't go into the gory details; suffice it to say that we went thru 4 yrs. of hell. Her words to me once the medication stabilized in her system were, "I feel like my mind & my body are finally in sync w/each other. I don't feel like I'm going to go crazy." For me, it was the light at the end of the tunnel.
I would NEVER recommend meds alone; I believe counseling should always go hand-in-hand w/it. But all the therapy in the world is limited if the brain chemicals are screwed up.
We do get her bloodwork done regularly to make sure her liver stays in good shape.
The kicker at the time (pre-meds) was that I was married to a man who was also Bipolar, but refused meds or counsel, & he drove us away, literally. I could tell stories that would curl your hair, but I'll spare you.
The most balanced view I've heard on the subject has been on a radio show - New Life Live. The moderator, who by the way founded the Women of Faith conferences, is a really neat guy & he does the show w/3 other guys: 1 medical dr. & 2 psychiatrists, & they are all Christians. People call in w/their problems & they counsel them. I've gotten a lot of post-twi healing from listening to this show.
Hope this wasn't too lengthy-