Expert: Joyce A. Anthony - 1/19/2010

Question
My son who is 20 was diagnosed with Bipolar and ADD. He was prescribed Depakote for the Bipolar and Adderall for the ADD. He has not been very good at taking the depakote but has been taking the adderall. He very much wants to go into the military. The army had told him it was not a big deal but I just went with him to the marines and they very much said being on meds is a disqualification for any branch of the military. So apparently the army recruiter lied. If he truly wants to join he would have to prove he can do it without meds for 12 months and then would need a note from the Dr stating he was doing ok. His Dr more or less said she can only recommend treatment and educate us about the risks of going without meds, the ultimate decision to stay on meds would be his. She said following a routine and regular sleep schedule gets more difficult when bipolar symptoms are not treated. I know that I have read you can change things without being on meds.Any advice to any thing he could do to help without taking any meds?  

Answer
Hello, Shelly:

Not knowing how bad your son's symptoms are, I can't give too much advice.  The doctor would know better.  A person can, however, manage without meds if the symptoms are not extreme.  Regular sleep and a balanced diet are a must.  Avoiding stressful situations and knowing what triggers episodes can also help.

Your son will need to consistently monitor his moods, learn effective relaxation techniques and have in place a support system and emergency plan in case he gets too far into depression or mania.

With you around to help him monitor his symptoms, and if he will agree to allow you to judge if he is getting out of hand, I'd say it is worth a try.  Just be prepared to realize that most people can't manage without the meds.  That does not mean, however, that he is one of them.

                             Joyce A. Anthony