Studies of recovery identify `acceptance' as a significant factor in the recovery process for many/if not most people.
It is certainly a common thing for people to reject the idea that they could possibly have a mental illness and so not seek help, not want medication and not want to change.
Often it is the acceptance of the diagnosis that triggers recovery in that it becomes clearer what it is that we need to recover from.
However, sometimes acceptance can hold us back. What if we accept the wrong diagnosis for example. many people are still misdiagnosed. E.g. Schizophrenia when really you are more bipolar. With misdiagnosis can come inappropriate medication.
Acceptance can also work against us if we are believing that the doctor always knows best. In fact doctors rarely know best when it comes to bipolar disorder. The reality is that each of us is the expert on our own mental health and so we need to work with doctors to find the best medications and appropriate dosages. As we recover dosages will almost certainly need to change. At other times we might go through difficult patches and need extra medication to avoid worsening warning signs.
When did you last talk to your doctor about alternative mediations or changing dosage according to mood?
Training course available in the UK: Understanding Bipolar Disorder