Coping without medication: What are your strategies?

Natural supplements, herbs, spices, vitamins etc. Like ashwagandha, grounding techniques, yoga, meditation, journaling, singing bowls, hz frequency music in it's natural form, etc. These are the types of techniques that I've been using.

I medicated most of my life. I’ve tried meds here and there but the side effects are worse than dealing with the condition and haven’t actually helped. Brain dump- don’t have energy to go back and make this more concise sorry like all over the place- I do a lot of physically getting my emotions out- break stuff, workout, martial arts- hit things, destroy stuff- magazine, ice, food- in an appropriate/safe environment tho. That helps keep me regulated. I would say in general look up different coping skills especially ones for other disorders to see what works for you. With basic ones- deep breathing, relax, stress management- it sets me off so I try to look for out of the box ones that fit me and actually make me feel better and more resilient. I take a lot of supplements as well depending on how I feel and that helps so much! Took me years to find a good cocktail of what helps me personally though and can be overwhelming. Try to notice what I actually like and enjoy versus what I want to like or feel obligated to do. Examples- outside especially if out to eat (inside I feel like I’m going to crawl out of my skin and dissociate… not fun), distractions when eating- table games or show, working out outside alone- left my apartment but didn’t have to be social is a plus, isolating really helps me especially if I’m raging, social stuff only when I actually feel up for it and prefer to do so outside, get in the habit of setting obstacles for when manic- have to wait 24 hours for online purchase, or have to take care of responsibilities or self care before can do something else, if I want to do something call a specific friend that will help me process if it’s actually a good idea. Set up accountability or my own schedule/routine that works for me and keep my boundaries tight around that. Be realistic with my limitations like yes I could stay up all night on this work project but no I won’t because it could throw me into a manic episode and my bosses emergency and lack of planning is not my responsibility. Bottom line it’s doable just shit ton of work and discipline and learning from not being structured since if I’m not I’ll end up in the hospital or worse- for me it’s worth it since I haven’t found a medication that makes this easier or more manageable. Also a lot of Caffeine and nicotine help me the most. So until a med can top those I’m sticking to them and don’t feel bad about it.