I think you're absolutely right. Strangely enough my bipolar disorder has worsened in the 18 months since I quit drinking. However, I have heard a number of other people who were diagnosed with all sorts of serious mental illnesses and all their symptoms disappearned when they sobered up. Its imperative that doctor's question a patient about alcohol and drug use. Unfortunately I always told them I was a "moderate" drinking. Yeah, right!

Since I quit drinking 4 mths ago I am off my Respiridol and ambien...but I did have my Doc up my lithium.

I know alcohol makes many symptoms worse...but...do you know an alcoholic that will say "Heck ya! I grab that bottle going in the door and don't quit till I pass out!"

I think the conditions are very intertwined. Like a dog chasing it's tail.

I was not honest with my prior head doc.

Now I am.

I will take another 24 and thank God for Lithium and AA.

Yes, doctors should think before they diagnose alcoholics. I too have stopped my medications (lowered dramatically) and I feel much better. Been sober for 4 years and and all of my psychological probems went away. Removing alcohol was the remedy...i think.

I was COMPLETELY honest with my doctor. He never wanted to treat me for anything other than my alcoholism. I told him I felt some depression, but believed that it was stemming for my alcohol abuse, and we were in agreement there.

I feel we have to be 100% honest when it comes to our own health and help the doctors to help us in the most effective ways.

He told me to try; AA meetings, Church, Counsoling, and here, try this too to try and knock the edge off.

I think my only bitch with my doc is that while he was writing that percription out for me (paxil) he should have been taking a little time out to share me AT LEAST to make SURE I read the insert that come with it, because some of the side effects are awful and the withdrawal isn't always too pleasant either. Sure, I know I should have just known to read these things first, BUT, we do take our sorry asses to the doc when we are Sick, not really too with it, and trusting what the doc has to say.

"doctors should be more restrained in giving medicines to alcoholics"

Yes, and alcoholics should be more honest and forecoming with their drinking history. If I go to a doctor and present with the symptoms of depression, but "neglect" to tell the doctor that I drink a fifth of vodka on a daily basis, who is to blame if I am incorrectly prescribed anti-depressants.

I didn't know I was bi-polar until I checked into a psych hospital for help with my alcoholism. Come to find out I had been self-medicating my mania with the most readily available depressant I could find - alcohol.

I would not stop taking my mood stabilizers because I thought I was cured of my bi-polar disorder any more than I would stop going to AA because I thought I was cured of my alcoholism.

This is a dangerous area for many dually diagnosed individuals. I do not profess to know enough to advise anyone to disregard their doctors advice regarding their medications.

I think many of us are too eger to hear 'you have this, you are that', and put our hand out for that 'fix all'. I don't want to do that. I don't trust enough of the meds on the market today. Paxil has been around since 1992, so I trusted that it was a good drug, and it is, but not for me. I was on it first back in 1994 and no side effects that I can recall, but appearantly my body has changed...chemistry or whatever it's called.

I do not disagree with your post however I would be extremely careful or hessitant to reccomend this to others. You are not a doctor and such decisions should be left to patient and doctor. I have seen too many suicides as somebody reccomended another person stop taking thier meds. I'm sure you do not want that on your conscience.

I understand what you mean, but you can't blame your doctor if you didn't tell him about the booze.

The prescriptions that can be given out to people diagnosed with bi-polar can be really serious. My mom was given 6 prescriptions by one shrink...three downers including zanax, something also to make her sleep, one mood stablizer and then something to get her up and going. It is insane to give zanax to an addict. Her therapist knew she drank but I guess that information didn't make it up to the prescribing md. She died at a very young 62. If you are a practicing alcoholic and you are prescribed extra meds then it is a crapshoot whether or not your body can handle it. I think the medications that are given out these days are pretty strong and in the right doses with alcohol it is going to kill you. We have seen it with movie stars but I am just wondering how many deaths now that "they" say are alcohol related don't also have prescription drugs involved too.

Knowing what meds to prescribe for mental illnesses is a bit of a crapshoot for even the most seasoned psychiatrist. We need to, if we are mentally capable, to do research on our own too.

These meds effect each person differently and docs prescribing it are often working from a hit and miss angle. Like "Oh, this med did not help? OK lets try this one then..." and they will go often with YOUR lead.

Unfortunate or not-it is just the way it is now. Treating mental illness is not something that is a hard science, and it is very subjective.

Also, if you do not present yourself truthfully, you will get the wrong prescription most likely.

Many shrinks are good at figuring people out, but they are not mindreaders and often don't sit with a patient long before they dole out prescriptions.

Always read about meds and a disorder you have been diagnosed with and see if it sounds correctly suited for you. Again, if you are mentally able, you must take this on as the feild of psychology and meds are still largely misunderstood by many in it!