Lithium, being a trace element, is also available as a supplement, and might not be a bad addition to the medicine cabinet.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/14828519/L...isk-of-suicide
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/0...r-suicide.html
http://www.unt.edu/honors/eaglefeath...lanagan4.shtml
Originally Posted by Iaintliein
Not wanting to argue too much, but I would be very cautious of the sources cited here. Lithium is a very toxic substance. It can result in death if taken in high enough quantities. This is in fact a problem for using it to treat Bipolar Disorder - doctors are in a sense giving the person a prescription that if taken all at once could kill them (and remember - people with Bipolar Disorder are often suicidal). That combined with the fact that blood levels of lithium vary with things like dehydration, exercise, pregnancy (most of the drugs used to treat Bipolar Disorder are not recommended for use during pregnancy), etc.
In fact, adding a little trivia to the mix - ranchers have been known to inject lithium into meat, put it in the fields so that wolves (or other predators) will eat it - get sick and form a taste aversion so that they won't attack sheep and other cute farm critters.
Very careful use of lithium is the only safe approach.
Just my .02 cents.
Schrodinger's Cat