Does anyone have studies on survival rates of bipolar individuals without medication? A truncated search online doesn't reveal much useful information. There's some interesting stuff on how the ancient Greeks supposedly recognized it (and treated it with bath salt containing lithium), but pop psychologists aren't historians, and I don't know how reliable any of it is.
What? Please do explain. I am not an expert but this sounds wrong. You seem like a smart guy so I am open to hear what you have to say.
Riddick Bowe takes the cake here and probably eats it. He managed to stuff quite a bit of insanity into a short time period. From throwing a world title belt into the trash can. Sucker punching an opponent at a press conference. Gaining a ton of weight, kidnapping his wife, joining the Marines. Quit the Marines. Did all that in about 3 years.
It doesn’t make me an expert but I know a few people with bipolar. There are varying degrees of categorised severity and symptoms can vary from one person to another anyway. For some, it can involve auditory and visual hallucinations, for others it doesn’t. I’ve read that life expectancy can be 9 - 20 less than average - but it didn’t qualify med and non med data. Many go off the meds at some point - ironically because they feel well enough to live med free - but it is in fact the meds that have helped. The rate of related suicide attempts and actual death by suicide is very high and apparently only second to schizophrenia as far as mental illness causes (of suicide) go. Then there are the less direct routes to reduced life spans via addictions, break down of relations, criminal behaviours, etc.
ike ibeabuchi belongs here, for obvious reasons. and trevor berbick, of course. i´m surprised no one has mentioned these two yet.
No, but people with bipolar disorder develop coping mechanisms. Remember that for most of human history, the medications didn't exist.
Mike Tyson comes to mind, he was prescribed meds, this has been documented before. At least he did the right thing by seeking help, no one can blame him, I would have probably slipped off my cracker living with Ruth Roper and her Gold Digger Daughter Robyn Givens. I applaud Mike for getting help. I know before a title match, his meds were withheld to pass a drug/urine test given by the various boxing commissions.