Bi-polar Disorder & Alcoholism

Flamed Diving

Hello. I have a query to put to you good folk and I think this is the right forum for it. For the majority of the past three years I have been attending psychiatrists and counsellors to try and get to the bottom of whats troublin my noggin. I was diagnosed with about a million different mental illnesses until I went to a competent psychiatrist who correctly diagnosed me as having bi-polar affective disorder. I was also attending a counsellor during this time as I was having a number of emotional problems which were affecting my life in a negative way, particularly with relationships. After years of attending these I'm glad to say that I have ironed most of these out expect for one major obstacle: alcohol.

My counsellor was of the opinion that I was an alcoholic and that I should seek to quit drink forever. This view was also held by two of my ex-girlfriends, who were unfortunate enough to be the reasons why I started to seek help in the first place (dont worry, i didnt hit them). However, I am not entirely sure if alcoholism is an adequate diagnosis for my problem. Instead, I view my alcohol problems as being a symptom of my bi-polar cycles.

When I am depressed, I tend to drink an awful lot over a sustained period. I partake in this drinking alone for most of this time, as it can be quite hard to find a drinking buddy on a monday night! Seriously though, I become quite ashamed of my drinking when I am in this funk, so I lock myself in my room with a few bottles of wine and drink till I pass out. Conversely, when I am in an elated mood cycle (manic) I tend to swing to the opposite side of alcoholism. I drink less frequently, but I consume more volume. In addition, because I am in a Zeus-like state I do anything but lock myself away and hit the town with whoever I can persuade to head out with me (which isnt hard). This is the state I currently find myself in. I am having a ball, I must confess but I know where all of this is heading, as my mania tends to become more aggressive and erratic when mixed with alcohol.

But this is what makes me questions my alleged addiction to alcohol. When I am in remission (a middle state, no mania or depression), I can go months without touching a drop. In fact, I find the idea of alcohol quite boring and a waste of time and money. So when I am not in a bipolar state, I don't have an alcohol problem. So wearing my science cap for just a while, it is clear to me that alcoholism is a symptom of another process, and not a diagnosis in its own right. I am (finally) on the correct medication for someone of my condition, so with time I hope that those remession periods will be more frequent and longer lasting, which means that I will drink much less or not at all if I choose to.

Anyway, I guess the topic for discussion is whether you think my alcohol problem is symptomatic or runs deeper than that. Don't worry, nothing you say will make me run into a crisis or anything. I think I just need to talk about it as I haven't been to my counsellor in a few months (im pauperised!).

Kevster

Hey,

Your alcoholism is your way of coping with your depression / bi-polar. Each person who suffers from depression has their own way of coping with it: Some resort to alcohol, while others self-injure, binge-eat, or become violent. They are all just impulsions that we have whenever those dark feelings enter our head.

There are people, of course, who respond to depressive feelings constructively. These are the people who exercise, listen to music, or talk to their friends, for example.

Take care,
Kevin

nesf

There are very strong links between bipolar and alcoholism, there are many theories as to why too. Interesting stats: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh26-2/103-108.htm

Honestly, if you can't stop it from turning into a series of binges after a while then the best thing is just to not drink at all or just drink very infrequently. The latter is the approach I take. Half my mother's siblings being alcoholics/recovering alcoholics being a lesson in where not maintaining control will lead.

My biggest demon at the moment is nicotine, I smoke very heavily and really need to quit.

Terry

I drin when I'm depressed too.
Now I kknow that alcohol is a depressant, but I do it anyway.
The thing is, over the past few weeks, I've been getting reaally messed up while drunk.
I've been feeling even more depressed than usual.

Normally, I would have a few (12) and would feel like crap the next day.
However, over the past few weeks, I have been feeling really down after drinking.

This is something you should watch out for. It's not nice.

Basically what I'm saying is that you really need to stop binge drinking. It's not good for the head.
I don't know anything about Bi-Polar disorder, but I do know about alcoholism.

I'm on my 8th now and will drink more, so this is a bit rich coming from me, but you really need to watch the drink. It'll mess with your meds too.

LegacyUser

When you are in this Zeus like state and drinking way too much, do you also think that you're irresistable to the ladies? I have a friend who seems to be very much like you, and I've thought for a while that he's bipolar.

When he's down, he's very down and does drink alone. But when he's up he drinks a lot out in public, and says things like "i'm so sh*t hot, I could have any girl here" which is grand, but he keeps repeating stuff like that over and over on nights out and just seems to spiral between thinking he's better than everyone else, and feeling crap. I've asked him to go to the doctor, and he has said he will sometimes when he's in a depressed mood, but then a few weeks later he seems to go hyper and loves life again and says there's nothing wrong.

I studied psychology a little bit in college, so maybe a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but when I read your OP it felt like my friend had written it. As a matter of interest, what made you think initially that you needed help? Was it because friends thought that your behaviour was unusual, or did it come from yourself?

Flamed Diving

bipolarcurious wrote: »

When you are in this Zeus like state and drinking way too much, do you also think that you're irresistable to the ladies? I have a friend who seems to be very much like you, and I've thought for a while that he's bipolar.

When he's down, he's very down and does drink alone. But when he's up he drinks a lot out in public, and says things like "i'm so sh*t hot, I could have any girl here" which is grand, but he keeps repeating stuff like that over and over on nights out and just seems to spiral between thinking he's better than everyone else, and feeling crap. I've asked him to go to the doctor, and he has said he will sometimes when he's in a depressed mood, but then a few weeks later he seems to go hyper and loves life again and says there's nothing wrong.

I studied psychology a little bit in college, so maybe a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but when I read your OP it felt like my friend had written it. As a matter of interest, what made you think initially that you needed help? Was it because friends thought that your behaviour was unusual, or did it come from yourself?

Your friend sounds like he could be bipolar, but neither you nor I are qualified psychologists, so maybe he should talk to a doctor about it. The reason I went for help was because I couldn't have a proper relationship. I have no problem attracting women, but when I become emotionally involved I start to crack up and act selfishly. I become very paranoid about the other half cheating whilst simultaneously cheating on her myself. The funny thing is I would not even acknowledge the double standard in that. I can imagine it must have been very difficult being in a relationship with me. One minute I'm this caring, loving gentleman, the next minute I'm this delusional, arrogant wanker.

The final straw was when I lost the women who I was convinced I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. She was going through a really tough time back then, and yet I couldn't stop being a selfish twat. I made things so much worse for her when she needed me the most and in the end she dumped me. I couldn't understand why I kept behaving that way. In the moment it was happening I felt fully justified in whatever action I was taking, but the next day I would feel terrible for what I had done. I went to seek help after I had lost her, I came to the conclusion that there was definitely something wrong with me and I suspected it was bipolar after a little research, and though I have made a lot of progress since then I still have a lot of work to do as you can see. I broke up with that girl over two years ago and we are still in daily contact, she has been so supportive of me despite the **** I put her through. She really is an amazing person. Anyway, I'm waffling, I hope that answers your questions.

LegacyUser

Thanks a million. I've read that people drink when they're in the mania stage as it stabilises the mania or something. I guess I've also read that it's difficult to get people who are bipolar to admit that they need some help. I've been on the receiving end of some not so nice behaviour from this friend and I was hoping that I might be able to convince him to go to the doctor myself. But I think it's something he has to realise himself (and believe me I've tried, though I didn't say I thought he was bipolar, just to try to get some help for his issues...) If he's not bipolar, there's definitely something similar or something with very similar symptoms going on! Your first post made for a very interesting read. It's hard to get a real feel for depression/bipolar except through the eyes of someone who has been through it. I know you weren't just writing it to keep posters here interested, so I hope you get the answers you were looking for and that it all works out for you!