Dealing with bipolar on the road

[crimethunc7]

I am going to try my first trip this spring, I take bipolar medication to keep me from going manic or getting depressed. I was considering going off my meds for my trip as I am not sure how I would stay on them. Was just wondering if anyone else has experience with this?

 

[Jackthereaper]

Mental illness is no fun on the road. I would say try to keep on the meds if they really keep you on an even keel. Nothing worse than being in the middle of nowhere and suicidally depressed imo.

If you know you can handle it without then by all means go ahead, but having a large life change along with going off meds simultaneously has been a problem for me in the past.

 

[crimethunc7]

Mental illness is no fun on the road. I would say try to keep on the meds if they really keep you on an even keel. Nothing worse than being in the middle of nowhere and suicidally depressed imo.

If you know you can handle it without then by all means go ahead, but having a large life change along with going off meds simultaneously has been a problem for me in the past.

Thanks for your input! Maybe I'll just try and stock up.

 

[Jackthereaper]

Thanks for your input! Maybe I'll just try and stock up.

Bring extra scripts as well. You can have most meds filled out of state. Most pharmacies wont fill narcotics for out of staters though, so if you need xanex etc get it before you leave. If you have insurance be sure to bring paperwork proving so.

 

[roughdraft]

hey man. my closest friend was diagnosed bipolar 1 when he was around the cusp of legal adulthood and he is somewhat low functioning, whenever he goes away something ultimately happens leading to a psychiatric hospitalization

he takes lithium, risperdal and something else if i recall correctly. he claims to despise the medications but in so far as i understand it is his best option to stay on them

you do not want to cut your life short or risk a very very difficult situation just to bebop around a while - perhaps you can stock up and then loop back to restock?

 

[THE REAL SCAVENGER]

For me i just get really happy and think im a god for days then i feel terrible and dont want to see people. I handle it mostly. Also bipolar

 

[THE REAL SCAVENGER]

Never been on meds. Traveking seems to help

 

[crimethunc7]

hey man. my closest friend was diagnosed bipolar 1 when he was around the cusp of legal adulthood and he is somewhat low functioning, whenever he goes away something ultimately happens leading to a psychiatric hospitalization

he takes lithium, risperdal and something else if i recall correctly. he claims to despise the medications but in so far as i understand it is his best option to stay on them

you do not want to cut your life short or risk a very very difficult situation just to bebop around a while - perhaps you can stock up and then loop back to restock?

That's a good idea, thank you for your reply. Yeah if I am being honest with my self going off my meds is probably not a good idea, I just hate being chained to them haha.

 

[crimethunc7]

Bring extra scripts as well. You can have most meds filled out of state. Most pharmacies wont fill narcotics for out of staters though, so if you need xanex etc get it before you leave. If you have insurance be sure to bring paperwork proving so.

No xanax haha, just an anti depressant and a mood stabilizer, thanks for the info that helps!

 

[siid]

Yeah, not a good idea to stop taking them while on the road or hittin the road for the first time immediately after :/ Would suck to crash and have a meltdown in the middle of nowhere by yourself. Been there, im sure you and many of us have too, would hate for it to ruin to your first trip if it was to happen. Id say bring them along + extra scripts, like everyone else has said but I understand not wanting to feel like you HAVE to take them with you everywhere, maybe if you were to ween off slowly to a smaller dosage or nothing at all to see how you feel for a while before you hit the road and bringing something for back up incase you crash/have an episode or start cycling ? Dunno, hard to tell with bipolar. Also bipolar. Hope something works out, best of luck!

 

[Coywolf]

As with any anti depressant/mood stabilizers, it is very dangerous to just randomly stop taking them, especially after being on them for a long time. Im pretty sure i have a degree of bipolar, however, it just might be traveling for too long, I have very high highs, and VERY low, lows. Had a mental breakdown in Eugene once, if divine intervention didnt happen, in the form of randomly meeting a friend and them housing me up for a coupe of nights, suicide may have been an option.

Im just saying, traveling is hard on you mentally. Since I have started riding freight, its dont nothing but get harder for some reason...

Id definitely bring your meds with you, and possibly do what @siid suggested and perhaps ween off of them slowly and see how you feel.

 

[Deleted member 20]

I am unsure where you live & if you have insurance etc. Most pharmacies will fill a vacation supply of meds with a letter from your Dr. & a prior authorization or some other permission from your insurance company. I would just explain that you are going on a road trip lasting 2+ months & unsure when you will be getting back. I think it is not uncommon to get up to 3 months supply, providing none are narcotics. Now if you get your psych meds from a Psychiatrist who also requires mandatory counseling/therapy then it may be a harder sell.

There is another trick that sometimes works but may backfire. You could tell your Dr. that you are feeling anxious/depressed more so. You could inquire about raising the dose as some times the body builds up certain tolerances etc. The only downside is if the Dr., now thinks you need further care & or switches you to a more potent med. The idea is to have the same med & get a higher prescription but stay at your therapeutic dose so that you can stockpile the extra pills in order to take a trip.

If it was me, I would try the first technique since it is more honest & acceptable. Everyone takes vacations.

 

[Jake Pemberton]

Also diagnosed Bipolar Type I. Do NOT go cold turkey off of them. I did it once and it nearly killed me. If you feel confident that you can manage without them, talk with your doctor and work out a schedule for tapering off of them. Best of luck to you, the shit can be quite rough.

 

[Desperado Deluxe]

Couldn't you just have a friend or family member get your meds and mail them to you?

 

[Billy Cougar White]

Your mental health is even more important on the road than at home. Take care of yourself. If you do decide to quit meds, it is probably best to do this at home, well before going on the road.

 

[ResistMuchObeyLittle]

As others have stated-DO NOT go off your meds. Been there, done that, NOT FUN. You would def need to taper off of any medication. I can't even begin to say how horrible it is to just stop taking psych meds. I've been off of them for over 5 years now, but it was a loooooong process. It's absolutely crazy just how bad those meds can fuck your head in. For me- they cancelled out everything- made me feel blank- no emotion. Absolutely horrible. But, Some people really benefit from the medicine. I'd do as others on here have advised.

 

[findfoot]

a lotta kids don’t talk about this or seem to prioritize is much but what you eat can heavily influence your mental health

You could start researching your microbiome and the gut brain axis and try eating healthy and finding ways to eat healthy in the road. There is A LOT of research available that talks about how much our microbiome (which is affected by what we eat) communicates with our brain and affects pretty much every part of our body including mood “disorders.”

I love dumsptering but I also love NOT being depressed. Dumpster health food stores, or even reg grocery stores but look for veggies and fruit (essentially lots of plant based fibers and less processed foods are the basis of a good diet). You could try for food stamps; buy healthy food and kombucha instead of energy drinks and chips. Sometimes it costs more to eat healthy yes, but if youre smart about it and you prioritize it- you can make it happen.

 

[findfoot]

I forgot to say...

Maybe you can try eating eating healthy, meditating, tapping (researching how these affect bipolar and mental health) - basically see how they help before you get off meds, and maybe try going off meds while stationary (but again please look up the best way to go off meds - like everyone else said it can be pretty terrible if not done right). Maybe these other practices will help the transition and help you handle any breakdowns.

Or just stay on meds, stock up and bring them but also try these other practices because road is hard on you sometimes and also magical. Traveling itself is kind of bipolar haha. Physical health will help mental health always.

My ex-partner is very bipolar and wasnt medicated when I met him nor when traveling. His mood swings were rough (and because he didn’t really work on how to better handle it and prevent himself from saying a lot of fucked up shit - we broke up). When shit got rough it affected him intensely. Everyone’s different with how they express their highs and lows, but the point is it could be hard for you and the people around you. You wouldn’t wanna lose your road dog over a breakdown. (Not to say that what happened with my roaddog but after enough emotional abuse I had to get our - of course I have my own flaws too)

I also believe that I’m slightly on the spectrum for being bipolar and I’ve used healthy food, breathing practices, & traveling to cope. Essentially healthy food and movement, even if that movement is yoga helps my brain. I accept that I will have highs and lows and i work with them. Luckily my lows are suicidal - although I’ve been through depressions like that in the past - which is why I’m a health nerd now.

Aight there’s my ramble