am i bipolar, or just an alcoholic or both?

[girly wirly]

hi everyone

anyone with experience of bipolar? i've done enough research to know that i have alot of symptoms, but i also know that these symptoms can be caused and accelerated by al. racing thoughts, manic episodes, depression, elation....i'm sooo confused, i feel like i'm going mad. i feel like when i talk, people think i make no sense. or i talk so slowly or move so slowly people think im wierd. can anyone relate? should i go to the gp? please help i'm in an awful mental place right now.

[JackieClaire]

am i bipolar, or just an alcoholic or both?

Hi Girly,
Most people here will agree that drinking messes up with our minds. I suffered acute depression for years and it wasn't until I finally gave up AL that I was able to ditch the ADs.

Using google can lead us to all sorts of self diagnosis. eg. Is this headache really a brain tumour.
Sweetheart this is really one that only a doctor can diagnose. My friend is bipolar and not a drinker, with help from her GP she leads a completely normal life.

J x
:l

[Guitarista]

am i bipolar, or just an alcoholic or both?

Hi Girly,

A good G.P. is a good place to start. They can do a basic assessment, then refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist if necessary.
Al might be masking any mental health illness such as bipolar too, which means while you are drinking, it may be difficult to diagnose. Drinking can affect the way medication work's too. In the case of anti depressant's, al can stop them working as intended, kinda neutralising them.

A G.P. should be your first stop, so book in today (now) if you can.

Best wishes, G.

[Guest]

am i bipolar, or just an alcoholic or both?

Girly

A couple of well-meaning friends offered diagnoses of bi-polar, depression and even schizophrenia because of how I was both drunk, as well as sober.

In reality it was the drink but yes I did show signs of ALL of the above. All so often it's difficult for either ourselves or those around us to admit alcohol is the problem, that we are alcoholic. Not sure why when it's so simply, but possibly the stigma(which I eschew anyway). Everyone wants it to be anything BUT the alcohol.

It almost definitely is the alcohol - it's a mind altering drug after all.

[momof3]

am i bipolar, or just an alcoholic or both?

I don't know how much you are drinking but if it alot, all sorts of symptoms can surface. You will be better able to determine your health situation and your diagnosis when you are AF.

[Cinders]

am i bipolar, or just an alcoholic or both?

My doctor and I discussed this last Friday. But she was only willing to look at this diagnosis when I was AF for a while. Which I have been.

I do exhibit the signs of bipolar and she gave me a new med to deal with it. A med I did not want to take but one she says has the fewest side effects and she only wants me to take it when I am in my manic phase.

I haven't posted about this yet because I haven't started the med and I am not in a manic phase right now so I did not want to set any expectations.

However, she told me that 80% of bipolar people soothe it with alcohol and most of them become alcoholics.

I will be glad to let you know how it goes.

But, if you think you are bipolar, go AF for some time, not a week or two, months, then re-evaluate. Only then will you know.

Alcohol makes us all sick. It is a poison to our bodies and our brains. Only when we cease ingesting it do we know what is really wrong with us if anything.

Do not make the mistake of thinking you have an issue that will cure you of the alcoholism. Treat the alcoholism first.

Cindi

[Cinders]

am i bipolar, or just an alcoholic or both?

Oh, yes. I forgot to say I use Baclofen to help me stay AF.

It is not the "cure all" that Dr. Amiesen talks about for me.

It is an incredible help, though.

I can stay AF on it even though I do want to drink. If that makes sense.

Cindi

[coalfire]

am i bipolar, or just an alcoholic or both?

Twice now I have read on MWO that psychiatrists have told Mwo members that 61% or 65% (depending on the psychiatrist) of women with alcohol problems have bipolar. Now I dont want to drag the do I / dont I debate up all over again but for anyone who is debating this or just struggling with their moods can I suggest you go over to the holistic healing section and research all the old lithium orotate posts. I have been researching this topic a lot in recent weeks and its amazing the amount of people you find quietly tucked away down there saying how much it helped them to go AF. Quite a revelation! I wish I had copied those posts as I went along then I could paste them all here but I didnt and Im too lazy to go back and do it again. It took me days to find them all so you will have to do it yourself if you are interested! Anyway Im not trying to sell Lithium Orotate as a cure but those figures given to MWO by their psychiatrists are astonishing I think, so it might be well worth highlighting this issue. If even 5% of the women on MWO had bipolar symptoms it would be worh highlighting.

[Softy]

am i bipolar, or just an alcoholic or both?

Bipolar

My father suffered all his life and spent many times in hospital. Now at 44 I have been on SSRIs for three years I came to the same conclusion. Then I also realized that I have to own up to being an alcoholic. I am going to see the GP on Wednesday. I have admitted to my wife that I am an alki but don't feel brave enough to admit to the doc. I keep being told it isn't hereditary but I think back to my dad who was also a drinker and wonder what he would have been like if he didn't drink. He took lithium for years before they decided that Depokote was safer

[girly wirly]

am i bipolar, or just an alcoholic or both?

thanks for bumping this coalfire, i'll take a look x

[gyco]

am i bipolar, or just an alcoholic or both?

hi girly,genetics,look at your family history and it will tell the story,any time one self medicates there willbe consiquences ,like a volcano,when it it hits a head , it boils over,so do are minds,my dear i do wish you well,gyco