Positive thinking and BiPolar can it work again?

I have often thought that the way one allows their mind to go is the way they will become. I have learned that only part of this is true. After being diagnosed I went into a tail spin that is only matched by the tail spin that preceeded the diagnosis. Once I was diagnosed I was too often down and always unmotivated regarding just about everything. I didn't want this and I tried to make the way clear, however my mind took over and all I could do was be depressed. What my mind needed was some chemical help.

The signs were there as far back as the early 1990's when I just couldn't get things going, I was drinking too much and too often depressed. My life was a Roller coaster. That is when I started the self help / positive thinking information. I did everything I could to pull myself out of the hole. At one point I even did a little conditioning response therapy on myself. (Which now that I think about it sounds like a good idea to start again? Hell it worked once, it may just work again.) I may have gotten lucky and been able to keep the Dogs at bay so to speak for a while. But I do know there were up and downs during the last 15 year or so.

The reality is that the positive thinking stuff  may possibly be the only thing that saved me?  I had put so much positive stuff into my head over the years that it kept me from drowning myself in my own misery.  I had always known that I had a problem with depression, but I think between the self medication and positive thoughts, books and what not I was able to 
sustain a level normalacy. 

However like many things in our lives we cannot continue to put things off as it will show to 
some people.  When they see it, hopefully they are close enough to you that they can tell you and be open and honest with you, and you have to do the same. There is only so much you can fit into the Basket eventually things will start to fall out.

Lesson I have learned: All of that positive thinking stuff, books, tapes and seminars does work, however sometimes when things are down low, you need a little chemical help. 
And that is where I am today, using chemicals to maintain my levels and thinking that 
I may need to "re-educate myself on the positive thinking realm.