Lithium Saved My Life: What Most People Get Wrong About This Med
A healing mineral with ancient roots
Long before it was prescribed in psychiatry, lithium was quietly part of human healing.
In ancient Greece and Rome, people would travel to natural mineral springs to soak in or drink from waters believed to calm the mind and body. These springs often contained trace amounts of lithium salts. Though people didn’t know the chemistry, they knew they felt better.
In the 1800s, lithium salts became more common in medicine. Doctors used them to treat conditions like gout, kidney stones, and “melancholia,” an early term for depression. Bottled lithia water was sold as a wellness tonic, and in 1929, lithium made its way into one of America’s most iconic soft drinks. The original formula for 7Up contained lithium citrate and was marketed under the name Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda.
People didn’t understand why it helped. They just knew it did.
Then in 1949, Australian psychiatrist John Cade discovered that lithium had a dramatic effect on patients with bipolar disorder. His work laid the foundation for modern mood-stabilizing treatment and opened the door for millions to find stability.
Why I was scared of it anyway
When I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I didn’t want lithium.
I had heard all the stories. People said it would turn me into a zombie. That it would kill my creativity. That it would flatten who I was.
It scared me.
But the truth is, lithium didn’t erase who I was. It anchored me to who I actually am. It allowed me to actually follow through on my creative endeavors. And it might have saved my life.
What lithium actually is
Lithium is a naturally occurring mineral found in rocks, soil, and even small amounts in drinking water. In medicine, it is most often prescribed as lithium carbonate, a salt-based compound that helps regulate mood.
It is not a synthetic or experimental drug. It is a simple element with powerful effects when dosed correctly.
Despite being one of the oldest psychiatric medications, lithium remains one of the most thoroughly studied and effective options for treating bipolar disorder.
The only reason it is not more widely promoted today?
It is cheap, not patent-protected, and has no marketing team behind it.
But the science has never stopped supporting it.
How lithium works in the brain
Lithium is not a sedative. It does not numb emotions. It helps restore balance in a brain that swings too far and too fast.
Here is how it works:
It balances dopamine and norepinephrine, which are tied to energy, motivation, and mood
It reduces glutamate, a neurotransmitter that can be overstimulating during manic states
It increases GABA, which has a calming effect on the nervous system
It promotes neurogenesis in the hippocampus and protects brain cells from damage
It helps stabilize circadian rhythms, supporting sleep and daily structure
These effects are especially important for people with bipolar disorder, whose brains tend to be overactive, reactive, and chemically unstable without support.
The suicide data no one talks about
This might be the most important part.
Lithium reduces suicide risk in people with bipolar disorder by up to 60 percent. That is not opinion. That is evidence, supported by decades of clinical research.
A 2024 study by Tondo and Baldessarini confirmed that people treated with lithium had a fivefold lower risk of suicide compared to those not on the medication.
No other mood stabilizer or antidepressant has that kind of protective effect. None.
If you are living with a condition that makes life feel unsafe or overwhelming, lithium could be the thing that helps you survive it. I believe it helped save me.
The surprising connection between lithium and lower crime rates
Here is something most people don’t know. In areas where lithium is present in trace amounts in the water supply, suicide rates are lower. So are crime rates.
Several studies in Texas, Austria, and Japan have found that counties or regions with slightly higher levels of naturally occurring lithium in their drinking water had fewer suicides, less violent crime, and fewer arrests related to drug use.
These were not prescription levels. They were tiny, environmental exposures. But they still had an effect.
Researchers believe even low-level lithium may reduce impulsivity, aggression, and emotional instability on a population-wide scale.
This is not a call to medicate the water supply. But it is a powerful reminder of how deeply this mineral can affect our brains and our behavior.
The side effects are real but manageable
Lithium is not without risk. Like all medications, it comes with responsibilities:
You need regular blood work to monitor levels
You need to stay hydrated, especially during heat or illness
It can affect kidney or thyroid function over the long term
Some people experience increased thirst, more frequent urination, tremors, or mild weight gain. But many find these manageable, especially with good medical support.
Personally, the only side effect I have noticed is needing to drink more water. I’ve been on lithium for five years, and that is the only adjustment I’ve had to make.
The fear is real too
We are taught that needing medication means you are broken. That asking for help makes you weak. That stability is boring and lifeless.
But that has not been my experience.
Lithium didn’t take away who I am. It gave me access to it.
It gave me space between a thought and an action. It gave me breathing room. It gave me the ability to stop spiraling long enough to heal.
Stability is not the enemy. For me, it has been the foundation.
What it’s done for me
Before lithium, I lived in cycles. Mania, depression, confusion, regret. Over and over.
I couldn’t trust my mind. I couldn’t trust my patterns. I couldn’t hold anything steady.
Since starting lithium, everything changed.
My thoughts are slower. My moods are less extreme. My days feel more predictable. I can sleep. I can plan. I can show up.
I have been on lithium for over five years. The only side effect I’ve dealt with is needing to stay hydrated, especially in the summer.
What I’ve gained is peace. Not perfect, not every day, but a baseline I can stand on.
As a suicide survivor, I believe lithium is one of the reasons I am still alive. It is not just helpful. For me, it is essential.
Like a seatbelt I wear every day without thinking, but one that keeps me grounded when the road gets rough.
If you’re afraid of it, that’s okay
You don’t have to be excited about medication. You don’t have to commit forever.
You just have to ask the question: what if this helps?
You deserve peace. You deserve safety in your own brain. You deserve the chance to live a life that feels steady and worth building.
Talk to your doctor. Ask what is right for you.
But don’t let fear be the reason you stay stuck.
Final thought
If no one else has said this to you yet:
Taking lithium doesn’t mean you are broken.
It doesn’t mean you are weak.
It means you are choosing to live — and to live well.
That is something to be proud of.
Citations and Further Reading
Tondo, L., & Baldessarini, R. J. (2024). Prevention of suicidal behavior with lithium treatment in patients with recurrent mood disorders. International Journal of Bipolar Disorders, 12, Article 6.
Kapusta, N. D., et al. (2011). Lithium in the public water supply and suicide mortality in Texas. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 45(7), 970–974.
Malhi, G. S., et al. (2012). The science and practice of lithium therapy. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 46(3), 192–211.
Moore, G. J., et al. (2000). Lithium-induced increase in human brain grey matter. The Lancet, 356(9237), 1241–1242.
Lenox, R. H., & Hahn, C. G. (2000). Overview of the mechanism of action of lithium in the brain: fifty-year update. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 61(Suppl 9), 5–15.
Gitlin, M. (2016). Lithium side effects and toxicity: prevalence and management strategies. International Journal of Bipolar Disorders, 4(1), 27.
McKnight, R. F., et al. (2012). Lithium toxicity profile: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet, 379(9817), 721–728.
Nolen, W. A., et al. (2019). What is the optimal serum level for lithium in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder? A systematic review. Bipolar Disorders, 21(5), 394–409.