Alcoholism Support Group

Alcoholism is the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, even when it is negatively affecting your health, work, relationships and life. If you think alcohol is causing you to lose control, it's time to seek help. Our group is a safe place to vent, check in, get back up if you fall, and reach sobriety.

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mental illness or alcoholism?

deleted_user
deleted_user
I'm starting to think I was misdiagnosed... how much of all this "mental illness" was just from my alcoholism and bad coping skills? I'm working on going off my bipolar meds, and have gotten off the main one and am doing fine, some ups and downs but they're normal ups and downs due to stress I'm under. I'm going off the other 2 meds in the next 2 weeks. I was drinking at the time I was diagnosed, my boyfriend tells me it's common to get misdiagnosed when you're drinking. I'm wondering how much else was misdiagnosis? We thought I had multiple personalities... and since I got out of hte bad situation I was in, I'm not dissociating any more at all, or hearing voices, was that some screwed up coping mechanism to deal with the stress??? I'm starting to think I'm not so screwed up as the drs and everyone else think I am. I got out of a bad marriage, moved in with my new boyfriend 12 hours away from home, and I can't say all my problems have gone away, but I'm functioning now, dealing with things, learning to live life on life's terms. Yeah, I still get depressed, but I deal with it, and I have a great support system and people who pick me back up when I fall, something I never had back home.

I'm not getting to enough AA meetings though, only been to one since I got here 2 weeks ago, and haven't found a sponsor up here yet. We have to drive into town to go to meetings, and there's so much to do here on the farm, and trying to help my boyfriend's friend wiht a problem he's going through, it's just been next to impossible to get to a meeting. I need to get to one soon though and get a sponsor. Once I learn my way into town I can get to meetings on my own, but right now I don't even know how to get around this small town I'm in, much less get into Lincoln. I'll have to figure it out soon though if my boyfriend doesn't help me get to more meetings.
deleted_user
deleted_user
How long have you been sober? Are you sober? I can tell you from experience that I NEVER wanted to admit I was an alcoholic. Anything but that. Bi-polar? MPD? ANYTHING but ALCOHOLIC. Now that I am sober, to a degree as it as only been 49 days, I am seeing that those voices, racing thoughts, and isolation are all part of alcoholism. So I went off my antidepressants and got sober. I didn't know if I was drinking because I was depressed or depressed because I was drinking. My therapist says that we will wait until I am about 3 months sober so that we can tell for sure what my problem really is.

Keep trying to go to meetings. They say meeting makers make it. Sometimes if you get a hold of someone in the program, they will help to make sure that you get to the meetings.

I wish you much luck!!! Keep it simple!
Alecia
deleted_user
deleted_user
I've got almost 6 months sober. Managed to get to a meeting tonight, and will get to one tomorrow. My boyfriend I'm living with is in AA, 13 years sober, but he doesn't get to many meetings, it's just hard making it to meetings living on a farm and out in the country. But we talked about it tonight, how I've got to get to some of these women's meetings someone told me about and get a sponsor. I need to get back into my stepwork.

I really don't think I have all this mental illness that I've been told I have, I'm really doing so much better just since I got sober. I figured if I get off my meds and I get all screwed up again then maybe I do need them and I can go back on them. But I don't really think I need them, I think I was misdiagnosed.
deleted_user
deleted_user
You may have been misdiagnosed with BP as some psychiatrists sometimes see alcoholism as a form of self-medicating for bipolar. I am a bipolar alcoholic, I don't know how they relate. I do still drink on all my meds though, I know it's not good. I was forced into AA at one point and time, went through my required meetings and never went back. I just didn't like the program, mabye I didn't give it a chance. Hope you can find a way to get sober and stay sober :)
deleted_user
deleted_user
Wow, this is very interesting to know regarding alcoholism coloring one's mental illness status. I didn't know about that but it makes sense. Years ago I had problems with drinking and my bipolar disorder was pretty bad back then. Now, I'm sober (well, I'm starting to backslide) and I'm doing alright. I'm actually stable. Okay, was stable, I'm starting to drink again triggered by my cousin's 21st b-day celebration. And, I'm starting to have mood swings again. Mild mania and mild depression. Stress is eating me alive to the point of apathy and that's pushing back my work even more and causing more stress and more drinking. It's a vicious cycle. I've never been to an AA meeting. I usually am able to quit cold turkey. I hope things work out for you and thank you for posting this. I found it very helpful and informative. :-) Oh, and as you've said for yourself, I too am going through episodes of dissociation (depersonalization and derealization, not MPD/DID) in relation to drinking. You're not alone in dissociating because of alcohol, though mine is somewhat different. You sound like all in all that you're doing well, going toward the right direction, and that you'll make it through this. :-)
deleted_user
deleted_user
I have to say WOW. There is alot of great stuff posted here. I would like to comment on a few things. I was clean, oh I say clean Because i am just addicted. lol. I was clean for 5yrs. I too stopped my meds, I am bi-polar P.T.S.D. also add to go figure. I made it a couple years without being to mentalbut then it started, I was getting less and less sleep. Well eventually I had to ask a dr frind to help me out. I was broke at the time and no ins. I got back on the meds again and I was great. Had a couple more years clean, thought I had the disease right were I wanted it. So I drank just a little at first then until a couple weeks ago when I checked in the nut farm because i frequently go off my meds and people ask my shrink and he will give you all the details about why I should never be off my meds Most of the time we do drink because we are depressed wich inturn makes us more depressed and manic depression and bi-polar are frequently miss diagnosed with alchaholism. So lisa its a tough call. I would say if your diagnosed before drinking stay on your meds but you were diagnosed while drinking. Good luck with your descision. I wish you all the luck.
Jason
deleted_user
deleted_user
Well Lisa, this is a great discussion to have and one that can be argued over all day long in an AA room, but I feel that with true recovery come true thoughts. I leaned my most valueable lesson in AA; When in doubt push on the gas. Now I do think that its wise to seek advise, but do not be doubtful in every decision that you make sober because that will also drag you into your own head and you know that you are your own worst enemy. I think that the medical treatment is better left up to the medical professionals just like bill and doctor bob, so my advice is to seek a new physician that can give you a second opinion on this subject and steer you in the right direction that is best for you and your fight with alcoholism. Thanks for such a though filled discussion.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Three months ago, I thought I was doing so well that I decided to get off my meds. I had what seemed like the very logical reasons that I had been feeling great, I had learned a lot about handling feelings, and I was convinced that I would do better without meds. I had also been drinking right along. Since then I have 75 days sober and back on meds. Here is what I learned from personal experience, pshch advice, and much, much reading on internet: Do not quit meds abruptly. Serious consequenses can happen from that. Do not drink with meds for BP,Anxiety, or depression. Alcohol can negate the med effects or actually magnify them. I ended up in jail with felony charges from an alcohol induced psychotic episode.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Thanks for the replies everyone! I've been off the other 2 meds for a few days now, and guess I've been off that main med for a couple of weeks now. I'm doing great really, got pretty down the other day, but realized it's just cuz I needed some space, some "me time", something I haven't gotten much of since I moved out here. I got some time to myself and felt so much better.

Made it to a meeting Thursday to get my 6 month chip, it was a really good meeting, my boyfriend liked it too and wants to keep going to it every week. I need to get back to at least 3 meetings a week like my sponsor back home "required", so there's that Thurs meeting, and a Sunday and Tuesday night meeting in the next town over that we can definitely get to. So that would make my 3 meetings a week. Of course I should try to get to more than that, but I need to at least do that much.

I've thought a lot about all this, and realized how I never got much parenting, I was never taught how to deal with things really because with my parents i had to bottle up emotions, let everything build up inside, I couldn't express my feelings to anyone, I was taught that you're not supposed to. Then things would build up and I'd lose it. So when things built up way too much and things got really bad, they threw me on meds. I've been on meds off and on for almost 10 years now. Makes me think my problems and issues are more from not knowing how to deal with things, not knowing how to live life on life's terms and all that... since being in AA I've learned more of how to handle things, and to ask for help, and am learning to express my feelings to people I'm close to and be able to open up a little to some people, and with that I'm doing so much better. makes me wonder if I ever needed all those meds.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I self-medicated with alcohol for about 6 yrs when I was in high school till I turned 21. Sobered up in AA, been sober since then. My mania and hypomania started up around the age of 23 and I also suffered with really bad depression most of my life(even as a child). You may be ok without your meds. I would suggest you keep a mood diary and rate your moods each day from 1to 10, 1 being really bad and 10 being great. That may help you keep a handle on things and catch a problem before you crash(if you do ).Good luck.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Hi Lisa, I have a girlfriend like who has the same symptoms that you do, and I think that the medications throw her off cause she dosent tell the docs that she drinks, and she is moving in with me. Ive had a liver transplant from alcohoilism and have been sober 2yrs and 7mths, but couldnt stay sober until I got into A A, your right you need to get into A A meetings more often, and your boyfriend needs to help you get there cause that is like counsling and therapy, they will help to stay sober and everything else you do in life...
starfish
starfish
Time will tell...just stay honest with yourself, and maybe allow yourself to be accountable to someone you trust, as with BP in particular, you tend not to recognize when you are acting differently.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Sweetie. I use to work at a pschyiatrist office and think about it how long did you drink???? That is how long it will take for you thinking and feeling to stop bouncing!!! Doctors a quick to give out meds... AMA has opinions on medications.. lots of people are diagnost incorrectly... find someone who has more then 5 yrs sober as for there experience and if they have a pscyh they trust .... be careful get your self as much info as you can.. and again be careful
deleted_user
deleted_user
I'm at work, so I haven't had time to read thru the entire thread. However....

THis is my experience with BP and booze. I was diagnosed BP in 2000, while still a VERY active alcholic. I started taking my meds. In 2001, I got sober. Somewhere around early spring of 2004, I quit taking my meds, by May I had relasped. I had also quit going to AA meetings. I don't what contributed, if any to my relaspe.

I went back on my meds, started going to meetings in July 2004. I have been on meds and sober ever since.

Just my story.
AnneL
AnneL
The problem is, we can also trick ourselves into thinking we don't have mental disorders out of pride. Be very careful about making the decision to go off the medication. You could have been self-medicating. I know that I did that for a little while to help with anxiety/depression but it only made things a LOT worse. You really should consult the doc you're working with and discuss your concerns. They honestly can't force you to take anything or remain on the medications. My mother resisted treatment for bi-polar disorder because she did not want to believe she was bi-polar. Well, she almost lost her mind and finally submitted to getting help. Take care of yourself and pay attention to what's happening in your body and please at least discuss this with the doc. All your concerns, doubts, fears. Ask why they came up with the diagnosis they did. What symptoms would lead to this diagnosis? Lots of questions and then your better able to make an informed decision. Blessings and peace to you.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I would just like to reiterate what a lot of people here have said, that it's not wise to come off your meds without specific advice from your doctor. Having a manic episode could lead you back to drinking.
If it is the case that you were misdiagnosed then it can be dealt with. Please seek help from a medic who understands alcoholism and mental illness!
It is true that many people are mis-diagnosed with mental illness, when what they are suffering from is alcoholism, but there are also many for whom the reverse is true, that they are alcoholic AND have a diagnosable mental illness.

The point about recovery is that it is not about the meetings you make, it's about the steps you take. Many meetings do not a sober alcoholic (necessarily) make.
PM me if I can help in any way.
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