Hi! I’m almost 20F and have been diagnosed type 2 bipolar for 3 years. In my personal experience, being off medication never goes well. I’ve been medicated for around 3 years now and it has drastically improved my quality of life. Anytime I’m off my meds for more than a few days things absolutely fall apart. I completely understand not wanting to rely on medication and it can be a nuisance but you have to take care of your brain just like any other body part. The weight gain aspect of medications is extremely frustrating and I’m struggling with the same thing myself but I would much rather gain a few pounds than face the consequences of being unmedicated. You can also look into medications that are more weight neutral. I’ve taken abilify before and I know it is notorious for causing weight gain (which is partially why I stopped taking it), but Vraylar is a good alternative that has been fairly weight neutral for me. I’ve taken probably 30 medications over the course of the last few years, some working very well and others not so much. It really is a trial and error process but once you find the right medication it will be soo worth it. I hope this helps! Take care of yourself <3