What's better:

[Deja Q]

A)
An unmedicated manic depressive (happy or sad, you just don't know when or why)

B)
A medicated manic depressive who is irritable and angry 100% of the time thanks to the "medicine" being adminstered?

[rbnyc]

1. stability is overrated, and cycles have a bad rap.

I think that for many people, learning how to live with their cycles--how to take advantage of the gifts cycles bring, and how to do damage control for the difficulties cycles bring--is WAY better than a pharmaceutical solution.

The mythical hero's journey is an analogy for the manic-depressive cycle. The hero goes deep into a strange world where s/he faces great danger, but fights the monsters, and finds a treasure that s/he brings back to the social world.

[Radical Activist]

2. At the very least

if someone is angry and irritable 100% of the time it sounds like they need to try a different medication. I think there's a trade off on any prescription. You have to decide if the side effects are worse or better than the problem you're treating.