Are you bipolar or an addict looking for insight from a like-minded soul? Have a loved one suffering from bipolar or addiction and want some inside advice? While I’m not a doctor or medical expert, I can tell you about my experiences with this dual diagnosis and look to support others with replies. Note that…
There is no cure for alcoholism. Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. It’s a chronic disease. But it can be confusing to some why us alcoholics always refer to ourselves as recovering even if we’ve been sober a long time. We alcoholics have dark pasts. Some of us have attempted suicide. Stolen. Ostracized people. Acted out sexually. Even exhibited violent behaviors. These acts can never be undone. So an addict or alcoholic is constantly in need of setting things straight.
We’ve seen it in movies – think Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest or Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange. In the case of both films, electroshock therapy is shown as a punishment. The efficacy of the treatment is shrouded in mystery. But electroshock therapy is not archaic, as some would believe. The treatment has evolved.
I’m not the best role model when it comes to coping with bad days. Oftentimes I will take a nap, but that’s just an easy way out. However, I find that any of these five action steps can help relieve the pain of a bad day.
Bipolar and depression are completely different, yet similar, diseases. Depression is one component of bipolar, formerly called manic depression.
“I’m bipolar 1, I have borderline personality disorder, and I’m a recovering addict. The meds for bipolar make me feel as though my brain is in a vice grip.”
“My friend Steph has bipolar and a drinking problem. She had been sober for about 3 months. But she texted me and mentioned she was having a couple beers, which concerned me.”
Conor answers a question from a reader about weaning yourself off drugs and how that can result in hypomania.
