This study identified the strategies adopted by people with bipolar affective disorder (BAD) in face of the need for continuous medication. The qualitative approach was used, and the methodological framework was based on the Data-Based Theory in the light of Symbolic Interactionism. Fourteen people with BAD who were being assisted at the Outpatient Unit for Mood Disorders of a university hospital and 14 relatives indicated by such subjects participated in the study. Interviews and observation were the major forms of data collection. The results showed five categories which described the strategies adopted by people with BAD: adhering to the medication therapy; wanting to learn more about the disorder and the medication; participating in the psychoeducation group; seeking one's rights in relation to access to medication and having faith. It was observed that, in spite of the ambivalence related to medication adherence, people with BAD have the potential to deal with such condition.
Bipolar Disorder; Self Medication; Interpersonal Relations