Thank you BlueMoon.

I eat a pint of ice cream every night, and have been doing so for a long time. If I stop, I start losing weight. We had ice cream cake for our birthdays/anniversary and I lost about 3lbs just eating a slice of that for several nights vs. my usual pint. But I really eat it because I love it!!!

My brother does not need to be inpatient right now, but if he needed to be, I would make sure that he was. Things are obviously different here than where you live. Wait times for initial appointments to see prescribers are long. Upon discharge, he would just be referred back to his current pdoc.

Along with the 200 mg of Lamictal twice a day, I take several other psych meds:
200mg Topamax (mood stabilizer)
800mg of Seroquel (mood stabilizer)
800mg of gabapentin (mood stabilizer)
Up to 3mg a day of Klonopin, but I VERY rarely take that much

I have tried most of the new meds, at least the ones that are suitable for someone with BPI- always on top of my regular meds. My pdoc gives me samples because the plan is for me to never be on those meds for extended periods of time. The only ones that have worked are Rexulti, to break an episode of depression, and Vraylar which was effective in breaking an acute manic episode, but it caused my eGRF (measure of kidney function) to drop over 15 points, so I can never take it again.

I do not keep a daily mood chart. It would not be of use to me.
I know my triggers, and even though I have frequent episodes, I know how to manage my BP. I have not had to be hospitalized since 2015.

I do not think that being high functioning is the "new normal."
Maybe I should have said very much so.
I have limitations from MS and meds, but that just means I have to be more conscientious. I have not lost my intellect, and I rarely miss a trick