My husband's life was completely changed with medication - after his first breakdown it was with one kind of medication - then more recently with a different one. It can take a little trial and error to find the right one at the right dose to suit you, and they take between 4 and 8 weeks to get into your system at the therapeutic level, but without them things would be very, very different not only for my husband and in turn myself and my children, but for lots of my friends.
It has to be your decision with your Dr though, but just don't rule them out completely would be my advice..