US Authoritarianism

Usually after 18 is when most bipolar people have their first major episode. There's really no access to mental healthcare for someone like him. You're lucky if you can see a p-doc for ten minutes. Usually you'll see a primary care physician first and there's a good chance that they're going to prescribe you antidepressants, which is like throwing gas on the fire. It takes months or years of trying different medications to find a combo that works for you and that requires a support system of people who can tell how you're doing and you have to have a willingness to be miserable for an indefinate period of time. Certain meds will make you feel better for a month or two and then they'll gradually stop working. People get frustrated and stop taking medication because it makes them feel like shit. Dropping meds completely is the worst thing, it's like dumping a 100 lb backpack that you've been carrying for months. You feel like you can jump ten feet in the air, nobody can stop you.