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As a developer who has been prescribed this after a fit of what could only be described as 'true mania' in my college years, I consider this statement somewhat disturbing from a personal perspective. I quite literally functioned as a zombie while on this nightmare of a substance. I ended up opting to spend double digit hours a week in therapy and implementing a system of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy over living my life in a cloud of misery after over 4 months on it. I'd rather feel and have to keep myself in check over function as a zombie barely capable of running a cash register or reading a real book.

For reference: I've never had a mania or true low since working with it this way, and if I did I would immediately seek a medicated solution knowing the severity of the situation. But, I've managed to hold a full time job, excel my career more than I thought possible, and generally be quite well physically professionally and mentally without it.

3 comments

Some people feel that way on lithium, and should probably take something else. I'm sorry it had that effect on you, but it would be a bad idea to assume that's true for everyone. Many people feel much better when they take lithium. Further, your ability to manage your illness without medication is also not typical. I hope it continues to be true for you, as it's certainly true that many of the medications have problematic side-effects.

As I said to the other comment I replied to, I didn't mean to indicate this was a fact for all. Simply my experience.

I had a severe negative reaction to lithium, along with risperdal and abilify. I've liked Seroquel, which surprised me after all the others I tried were awful. Someone else might say the reverse (Seroquel was awful but those other drugs were better).

The important lesson is that, if a treatment isn't working for you, then you should try something else. My first psychiatrist was extremely hostile to the idea of me switching drugs, so I concluded that all psychiatrists were useless. In retrospect he was wrong, because switching to Seroquel was a good idea for me, and I wouldn't have tried it if I didn't fire him.

Yup, severe negative reaction to Seroquel (prescribed for psychosis, not bipolar) checking in. I was in and out of consciousness - mostly out - for almost 36 hours. That was interesting to explain to my employer.

I am now on Abilify and it's no worse than slugging back a coffee.

Your experiences in life are not indicative of the whole of the populace and it would be shortsighted to assume that they are. Many people cycle through life both with and without a given medication and find that the world is more manageable when substance X, Y, or Z is in play. Classifying Lithium as a "nightmare of a substance" is a sweeping judgement that, whether intentionally or not, also casts a negative reflection on those who intelligently and rationally choose to employ it daily to improve their quality of life. What works for you is not what works for everyone.

I was speaking for me personally, I apologize if that wasn't clear enough. I don't try and speak for others best interests.