Does Medication Heal Mental Illness? @lewishowes

It makes me forget

I have bipolar and while medication has helped so much to stabilise my moods/brain chemistry, i also know i need to take care of myself to prevent an episode being triggered.
I nees to make sure i get enough sleep. I have to monitor and manage my pain and stress levels. I can kinda cope with one of these being out of whack for a bit. But all 3 of these factors would send me full blown manic with possible psychosis. Since seing diagnosed and medicated in 2018, i havent had a severe episode that resulted in an admission to the psych ward.
I now work in a psych ward and do use my lived experience to give hope to the patients that recovery and stability is possible.

I believe there's some truth to self awareness though '

Can medication heal interrupting others?

diet did more for me than 5 high dose meds ever did. low carb (lower slowly if bipolar), all whole foods, focus meat, fish, eggs, animal fat, high fat dairy, olive oil/avocado oil ok, berries, veg (non starch but starchy veg if you can handle took me 2 years), and add fermented food daily small amount

things I had to remove

seed oils
fortified folic acid/b vitimin products (multi vitimins, flour, nutritional yeast) these caused unpredictable rage
most veg need to be peeled and cooked due to digestive issues
low carb doesnt seem permanent but it absolutely necessary for the first few years, as well as under high periods of physiological or psychological stress or if symptoms increase but can only tolerate root veg and dairy carbs consistently.

I was able to sleep on a scheduale, exercise (mostly walk) daily, start to socialize (1 hour sit with a neighbour and chat), avoiding video games that cause feelings of motion or threat, violent TV and movies as well. if you are simulating a feeling of fight or flight it isnt good for me either esp before bed. it affected my sleep and I was not even aware.

the diet reducing inflammation makes it easier to understand how it works and increases mental resilience. I appear relatively normal now but it requires constant management, though, my symptoms/mental illness has been considered severe and complicated.

What about bipolar though 🤔

Medication for mental illness was never meant to be long-term. Unless its a neuo disorder, am I right?
If we allowed more healing modalities to be developed and old wisdom was use more often we could have healing on a great scale.

Medication is a Band-Aid. It simply covers up the disorder.

That's why i don't do medication. And don't agree to it unless you are suicidal or extremely spiralling or stuck. Carefully face the source. If you can help yourself heal, that's where strength (for life and future) comes from.

Medication has saved my life. I used to be so against it I did so many things to naturally heal my brain but i finally decided to use meditation because my life was just falling apart after all the things I did to help myself. I know it’s not “healing” me, but it has drastically removed the blocks that I had to help me to live a way better life. If you need it take it. Be careful and be mindful of your body and research everything. But don’t miss out on life because you feel like you can push through it. I wasted years of my life doing that.

I don’t think one of us on medication believes it heals you. It can help you to function to the point you may be open to healing which is a lifelong journey.

Best healing is from
HOMEOPATHY

Rx meds are not ever gonna heal anything they may bandaid things for a while if you are really trying to heal and understand what’s wrong underneath the pain anxiety etc working with a therapist / trauma therapist but if your only taking it thinking things will be better it’s not gonna happen 🙅‍♀️