Disclaimer: This article is based on research and insights from credible medical professionals, publications, and institutions. It is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment. If you believe you may be experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder, please consult a qualified healthcare provider.

Welcome!

Wishing you a peaceful and powerful start to Mental Health Awareness Month. I’m excited to also share that our very first e-book/workbook, The Letters BD Are For Bipolar Disorder, is now available—and it’s FREE to download.

Now, let’s get into today’s weekly article alongside Breaking the Silence: Taiwanese American Speaker John D. Lin on Bipolar Disorder and Strength in the AAPI Community. 

Let’s be real: living with bipolar disorder requires more than just willpower. It takes a combination of tools, support, and structure to build a life you love. And if you think you can manage it completely on your own, let me be honest with you—it’s going to be incredibly difficult.

I consider myself a badass. But bipolar disorder is one battle I’ve never been able to fight alone. And you know what? That’s okay. We were never meant to navigate the extremes of mania and the depths of depression without support. The keyword here is balance—especially when it comes to balancing medication and therapy.

In my article, What Bipolar Disorder Really Feels Like: Breaking the Stereotypes, I opened up about my treatment journey. I’ve been prescribed medications like Lexapro, Remeron, and Abilify, all under the care of board-certified psychiatrists. Medication has been a crucial part of my healing—but it’s only one piece of the puzzle.

So here’s what I know for sure: both medication and therapy are vital tools in managing bipolar disorder. And just to be clear—I’m not a doctor. I didn’t go to med school, and I don’t write prescriptions. But I am someone who lives this every day, and I’m sharing what has worked for me in hopes that it helps you feel less alone.

Medication:

Medication has helped me immensely. According to The Bipolar Handbook: Real–Life Questions with Up-to-Date Answers, mood stabilizers like Abilify (aripiprazole) have been proven effective in treating bipolar disorder. Author Wes Burgess explains that mood stabilizers work by targeting the brain cells responsible for bipolar symptoms. “Mood stabilizers stop the flow of unnecessary thoughts, help to remove mental fog, and clear the mind” (Burgess, 2006).

Other commonly prescribed mood stabilizers include carbamazepine, valproate, and lithium. But again, dosage and combinations are unique to each person. When I was hospitalized for what was initially thought to be severe depression, I was prescribed 10mg of Lexapro. After a suicide attempt, my dosage was increased to 30mg. Doctors often need to test different dosages to determine what works best for you—it’s not a one-size-fits-all treatment.

People with bipolar disorder are often prescribed a combination of two or more medications. At one point, I was taking Lexapro, Remeron, and Abilify. Eventually, Remeron was removed from my treatment plan to prevent a serotonin overload. Once your doctor finds the right medication and dosage for you, pairing it with therapy can create a powerful combination for managing your mental health.

Therapy:

There are several types of therapy—cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one that focuses on identifying harmful thought patterns and reshaping them. I’ll do a deeper dive into therapy types in another article, but for now, let’s focus on how therapy and medication work together.

Dr. Burgess emphasizes that both treatment types are essential to managing the intense symptoms of bipolar disorder. If you already have a psychiatrist (M.D.), they can often refer you to a good therapist (Ph.D. or LCSW). You can also find providers through trusted sources like Psychology Today, which I mention in my article Early Signs of Bipolar Disorder: How to Recognize Symptoms from Adolescence to Adulthood.

Therapy can help reduce the stress of living with bipolar disorder and reverse harmful behavioral patterns. For example, I used to drink alcohol while on mood stabilizers—something my doctor warned me about back in 2022. That’s another reason therapy matters: it holds you accountable and helps you build better coping strategies. It also improves medication adherence.

According to Dr. Burgess, “It has been shown that patients tolerate side effects and take medications more regularly and more correctly when they are in regular therapeutic contact with a clinician.” It’s important to understand that bipolar disorder cannot be managed with therapy alone. Without medication, many of us will struggle to make consistent progress—both in life and in therapy sessions (Burgess, 2006).

And for my Black and Brown community: we face unique challenges in accessing the care we deserve. Due to financial struggles, a lack of mental health education, and frequent misdiagnosis, getting the proper medication and therapy can be hard. But there are resources out there. You can reach out to school counselors, campus health centers, or national organizations like NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. These organizations offer free and low-cost services.

Trust me—I’ve been without insurance. I’ve been under-educated about my diagnosis. I’ve tried to self-medicate. None of it worked. What did work? Putting in the effort. Advocating for myself. Asking for help.

If nothing else, let this be your sign. You don’t have to go through bipolar disorder alone. Support exists—and your healing begins the moment you reach for it.

From struggle to strength, I’m rooting for you.

Reference: 

Burgess, W. (2006). The Bipolar Handbook: Real-Life Questions with Up-to-Date Answers. Penguin.