Bipolar advice?

I have a friend who is bipolar and is currently in jail due to her bipolar state, making irrational judgement, drugs, sex, etc. She thinks that she can go through counseling and is journaling to put her self through a healing process. when she gets out she wants to do therapy but will not get medicated. We have/had been best friends but lost touch for 10yrs. Now that we finally got in touch, she wants to move in with me/or near and brainstorm ideas for a business. I have been around her prior to her jailtime; and it was very draining for me as she was very self centered (because of the bipolar), she made excuses for her irrational behavior and put our friendship in jeopardy. I have asked her what is going to be different if she were to come back to this area? she said she is doing healing. I personally think once she is out of jail, she will not have the "control" . How do I encourage her to medicate & ...how do I tell her NO. I think it would be a mistake to proceed without her medic

this is all very excellent advice.
I have told her before some of the boundaries I needed and when I tried to communicate to her my frustration with her irrational behavior, she wouldnt allow me to communicate saying she had to much to contend with...my letters to her angered her when I finally vented as she was forced to read....but she moved on and told me she wants to move forward. from the research I hav done, medication is the only way to go yes? is this correct? she is very very bi-polar. It is a very strange thing to deal with. If this is what I have to tell her I will. Maybe it will prompt her to take meds...who knows. I would hate to lose her as a friend....but I want to be the stronger person and support her in whatever way is healthiest. It is confusing to me because she says she doesnt need the medication, Im not sure how to respond to that. Any key words or comments? that would hit a "thought" nerve with her? thanks so much **********

If she has bipolar as profoundly as it sounds, she NEEDS the medication to function. I have had much, much experience with this, and there simply is no substitute. She is almost certainly on Lithium, and sounds like a rapid cycler. Although she can't control it, the "brainstorming" is most likely her racing ideas while manic. It will go away, along with the motivation to actually do anything about it, most likely. You just need to tell her straight up how you feel. Let her know that you are her friend, and will help in any way you are able, but what she is proposing is beyond what you can offer. You have the right to say no. Dealing with a very bipolar individual, especially un-medicated, is extremly hard, with most family members unable to provide support in that capacity. To expect a friend to do it is, well, as you stated, very self centered of her.
There is no easy way. You just need to lay it out....as her friend, you think she needs to be in situation "X", taking her medication, and you are unable, and unqualified, to offer any thing more than friendship on *your* time table.
Good luck. Wishing you the best in this situation. :)

Edit

This is not just a mood disorder with her level of disorder.
Hearing voices, hallucinations, and entirely parallel and unreal mental lives are common. MILD bi-polar is a mood order. Profound bi-polar disorder can me more akin to an LSD trip at times.

She must do what she feels is right.

bipolar is a mood disorder. They have rational thoughts, they just have mood swings. i guess this could cause irrational behaver but what you described is her just being a rebel.

It's something that she wants to change. Maybe she should recieve counseling. You can't talk her into doing anything. She will realize when she is tired of making the same mistakes. Sadly, some people never change.

Just do it. Tell her no and why exactly like you just did here. It would be a serious mistake to even try to be her friend without medication.

People with bipolar sometimes go on the medication and see them selves as fixed and just randomly stop taking them (without informing anyone) which can cause even more extreme erratic behavior sometimes it's hard to say whether the medication is really going to help the situation. She will always do what she wants no matter how much you encourage her but it's a good thing for you to encourage her. If the situation is draining you, no matter whats best for the friendship or her, you really need to get out because you still want to enjoy your whole life without feeling drained all the time.

Just say no! Let her know until she receives couselling & medication to combat her condition, she needs to find a new pal to deal with her moodiness.

Regarding Bipolar Disease: I've seen many people use their moodiness & irrational thinking to get by!