Stopping therapy mid-way

Earlier this year, I was hospitalized and diagnosed with psychosis, though for the most part, I don't actually experience hallucinations, making this whole situation quite unique...
Basically, my question is: am I allowed to just stop seeing my psychiatrist altogether? Can I simply decide not to show up anymore? And can I stop taking my medication? Do I even have the right to make that choice?

You might be right, but you're playing fast and loose with a trip back to the hospital.

cosmiclynx79 said:You might be right, but you're playing fast and loose with a trip back to the hospital.

Totally agree—psychosis isn't exactly some light diagnosis you can just brush off.

You can.
Nobody’s going to grill you...
And they'll wipe that diagnosis clean if you convince them you're moving abroad.

I stopped my meds and requested clean records just so I could move out of the country, and they gave them to me straight up.

silentmarlin42 said:Earlier this year, I was hospitalized and diagnosed with psychosis, though for the most part, I don't actually experience hallucinations, making this whole situation quite unique...
Basically, my question is: am I allowed to just stop seeing my psychiatrist altogether? Can I simply decide not to show up anymore? And can I stop taking my medication? Do I even have the right to make that choice?

Legally speaking, you aren't obligated to see a psychiatrist or follow a treatment plan unless you've been involuntarily committed to a hospital. However, if you decide to walk away, there's a very real chance you'll end up back in the hospital quite quickly—or worse, you might do something dangerous while in a psychotic state. If you stop taking antipsychotics, every subsequent psychotic episode tends to be more severe than the last.

To be honest, my longtime doctor found a clever way to nudge me into sticking with my prescribed meds, even though she knows I'm not legally forced to take them. She basically told me that under the law, she isn't required to treat me if she doesn't want to. So, while I'm technically free to refuse her prescriptions, I'd have to go find an entirely different psychiatrist if I did. Believe me, if you happen to have a good doctor—and most of them really are wonderful—it’s worth listening to every bit of advice they give regarding your condition.

I completely agree with everything Diego said.
You could try stopping the lithium, but there is a massive chance the psychosis will just come back.

Speaking from experience—it's been three years since my last episode, and I'm hoping it stays that way—I stay on my lithium and stick to my checkups.
I would give anything to have met all those patients in the waiting rooms who decided they didn't need their meds anymore because they felt "fine."
The thing is, you feel fine because you're actually taking the damn lithium.

And sooner or later, they'd probably end up back in the hospital.