The key for you is to learn as much as you can and pursue what works best for you and your metabolism. However, once a person's metabolism has adjusted to the right drug treatment they'll be on course to a more stable life. There are trade offs though. The major risk you run with the pharmaceutical drugs is if or when they cease to work you are worse off than before. Some do not have the patience or funds for these repeat performances.
Drug therapy is a trial and error process.
Don't lose heart though, the good news is there are many great resources out there as well as many success stories and caring, helpful people. However, in many cases anti-convulsives may not work by themselves. Generally speaking mood stabilizers are used to control extreme mania and aggression. Anti-depressants can be taken by themselves, however, they are not as effective if taken alone in treating Manic Depression. There are two big catches with anti-depressants.