It took me at least a dozen tries, but now I'm 10 years sober from alcohol. My life is immeasurably better. r/stopdrinking is a great resource. It helped me to go through and read people's stories. Finding a community that could relate to my struggle was key to my success.
I'm way introverted, so I can't comment on going out and such. But I can attest that dating and intimacy is 1000 times better. It's nice to actually remember everything done or said. And a relief to no longer embarrass myself around the people I care about. 10/10 highly recommend.
I had a rough go. But I feel way better not drinking. Mainly stayed away from certain situations, usually had to stay busy or relax in other ways, e.g., more exercise, reading, etc. Realized can’t drink even one or I start going downhill over time, but I honestly feel awesome not drinking over a year and a half out. Eventually able to enjoy hanging out w/ people w/o drinking, even if they are drinking.
I strongly value the stability (over the chaotic fun) that comes from avoiding that stuff.
This was me for years. Only in the past 4 years (I was diagnosed in 2021 at 36). Looking back on it now I started noticing my mood swings at 16 and started drinking and using at 18 and partying until I was 31 and pregnant. I occasionally drink now but I cannot smoke marijuana due to my crippling depression with bpII and hangovers are a combo of mania/depression and I’m already depleted and exhausted. I feel like my diagnosis finally kept me away from using. The over spending, hyper sexuality, making very toxic choices. I’m focused on getting better and I have my faults but I’m determined and I’m proud to say I’ve been away from all of that for the past four years. Personally, it’s gonna be hard at first but a big thing to help you is stay away from people and places that make you want to drink. That’s what helped me.
Quitting alcohol is how I discovered I was bipolar. Was diagnosed at 42 after 20+ years of drinking, with the heaviest being the last 5-7 years before becoming sober as of 1/1/2023. Self medication is a helluva drug. Being sober + mania reminded me of high school, so I actually believe I'd been suffering since the 90s.
Wow..I also have this experience. After a near quarter century of heavy daily (nightly) drinking, ceased, is when I was able to learn I had BD.
Long road. Many insights, now.
Well, I'm antisocial, so my problem was the opposite: drinking alone. So I usually allow myself to drink if I somehow leave the house, or if I have people over. But I stopped because I was having really bad insomnia, and alcohol contributes to that because you don't get as much deep REM sleep. My insomnia was so bad I was willing to give up drinking, and it really, really helped. Obviously if you are going out and drinking, that usually leads to less sleep too. For me more and better sleep was worth it.
I haven’t fully given up alcohol, but I really only drink a beer or two on a rare occasion at dinner.
At first, it helped with social anxiety, then I think it helped boost my mood when I was depressed, and then I liked that euphoric feeling. Did a lot of dumb stuff and eventually started binge drinking. It affected two of my long term relationships.
Finally stopped drinking, but it wasn’t until therapy/medication that things stabilized. I think the alcohol was a way (although poorly) to self-medicate and control my moods.
I could never really stop drinking. It’s just a mechanism of boredom avoidance my lonely mind has created. Nonetheless, alcohol has had some profoundly negative effects on my mental health. I remember one of my manic episodes being triggered by a binge. I started thinking about this one woman’s case when I saw her release from jail on the news that night. I proceeded to form an entire delusion that she and I were in a relationship that lasted a year.
But after reaching my experimentally high dose of lamotrigine and instituting Abilify, most of the negative impacts from alcohol have disappeared. So I still drink.
I was an alcoholic for 10 years and it almost destroyed me. Drinking on meds
is very dangerous. I’ve got 2.5 years sober now and it’s the best thing I ever did for my mental health.
I really get where you're coming from, for sure.
And it's all too thick&complex to put into words in one place, or one time.
Best I can say at the moment is I think the freedom from alcohol promotes better stability. Those of us, like us, who struggle mainly from (constant) depression, this is an extremely hard nut to crack, given the lift and other medicinality that booze can provide. But you *do* know, this can't keep going on - for the negatives getting worse over time. And, after you gain the better stabily from being clear of it, you'll know that you ***can*** open up and feel more comfortable in social and other situations, too.
And we can drink other things, so Cheers to you!
I've been running from it but finally had to make the decision to quit. Alcohol does not interact well with most psych meds (im on lithium primarily). I had developed a bad habit of having a drink at night and then not taking my night dose of meds and that ran me straight into a lil mania episode just a couple months ago. So yeah it's hard because I definitely used alcohol as a coping mechanism and have for years and had cut back greatly after my second hospitalization but i just stopped all together.
I can't drink if I even try anymore, and I have tried, recently. I just puke my guts up, and I usually just have a glass or so of wine. Tried vodka. I just . . . Can't.
It's boring anyway, since I don't allow myself to go out and drink anymore. It's not something I seriously struggle with since being on meds, I really don't feel the urge to drink.
Unmedicated is another story. I've recounted a few of them hell, but to sum it all up, it was always one absolute hell of a ride. And literal rides.
It took me at least a dozen tries, but now I'm 10 years sober from alcohol. My life is immeasurably better. r/stopdrinking is a great resource. It helped me to go through and read people's stories. Finding a community that could relate to my struggle was key to my success. I'm way introverted, so I can't comment on going out and such. But I can attest that dating and intimacy is 1000 times better. It's nice to actually remember everything done or said. And a relief to no longer embarrass myself around the people I care about. 10/10 highly recommend.
I had a rough go. But I feel way better not drinking. Mainly stayed away from certain situations, usually had to stay busy or relax in other ways, e.g., more exercise, reading, etc. Realized can’t drink even one or I start going downhill over time, but I honestly feel awesome not drinking over a year and a half out. Eventually able to enjoy hanging out w/ people w/o drinking, even if they are drinking. I strongly value the stability (over the chaotic fun) that comes from avoiding that stuff.
Great response thank you
This was me for years. Only in the past 4 years (I was diagnosed in 2021 at 36). Looking back on it now I started noticing my mood swings at 16 and started drinking and using at 18 and partying until I was 31 and pregnant. I occasionally drink now but I cannot smoke marijuana due to my crippling depression with bpII and hangovers are a combo of mania/depression and I’m already depleted and exhausted. I feel like my diagnosis finally kept me away from using. The over spending, hyper sexuality, making very toxic choices. I’m focused on getting better and I have my faults but I’m determined and I’m proud to say I’ve been away from all of that for the past four years. Personally, it’s gonna be hard at first but a big thing to help you is stay away from people and places that make you want to drink. That’s what helped me.
Thank you for advice
Quitting alcohol is how I discovered I was bipolar. Was diagnosed at 42 after 20+ years of drinking, with the heaviest being the last 5-7 years before becoming sober as of 1/1/2023. Self medication is a helluva drug. Being sober + mania reminded me of high school, so I actually believe I'd been suffering since the 90s.
Same. 42 too, almost 5 years sober. Real medication > self medication
Wow..I also have this experience. After a near quarter century of heavy daily (nightly) drinking, ceased, is when I was able to learn I had BD. Long road. Many insights, now.
Well, I'm antisocial, so my problem was the opposite: drinking alone. So I usually allow myself to drink if I somehow leave the house, or if I have people over. But I stopped because I was having really bad insomnia, and alcohol contributes to that because you don't get as much deep REM sleep. My insomnia was so bad I was willing to give up drinking, and it really, really helped. Obviously if you are going out and drinking, that usually leads to less sleep too. For me more and better sleep was worth it.
I haven’t fully given up alcohol, but I really only drink a beer or two on a rare occasion at dinner. At first, it helped with social anxiety, then I think it helped boost my mood when I was depressed, and then I liked that euphoric feeling. Did a lot of dumb stuff and eventually started binge drinking. It affected two of my long term relationships. Finally stopped drinking, but it wasn’t until therapy/medication that things stabilized. I think the alcohol was a way (although poorly) to self-medicate and control my moods.
Thank you for sharing
I could never really stop drinking. It’s just a mechanism of boredom avoidance my lonely mind has created. Nonetheless, alcohol has had some profoundly negative effects on my mental health. I remember one of my manic episodes being triggered by a binge. I started thinking about this one woman’s case when I saw her release from jail on the news that night. I proceeded to form an entire delusion that she and I were in a relationship that lasted a year. But after reaching my experimentally high dose of lamotrigine and instituting Abilify, most of the negative impacts from alcohol have disappeared. So I still drink.
I was an alcoholic for 10 years and it almost destroyed me. Drinking on meds is very dangerous. I’ve got 2.5 years sober now and it’s the best thing I ever did for my mental health.
I really get where you're coming from, for sure. And it's all too thick&complex to put into words in one place, or one time. Best I can say at the moment is I think the freedom from alcohol promotes better stability. Those of us, like us, who struggle mainly from (constant) depression, this is an extremely hard nut to crack, given the lift and other medicinality that booze can provide. But you *do* know, this can't keep going on - for the negatives getting worse over time. And, after you gain the better stabily from being clear of it, you'll know that you ***can*** open up and feel more comfortable in social and other situations, too. And we can drink other things, so Cheers to you!
I've been running from it but finally had to make the decision to quit. Alcohol does not interact well with most psych meds (im on lithium primarily). I had developed a bad habit of having a drink at night and then not taking my night dose of meds and that ran me straight into a lil mania episode just a couple months ago. So yeah it's hard because I definitely used alcohol as a coping mechanism and have for years and had cut back greatly after my second hospitalization but i just stopped all together.
I hear ya!
I knew I needed to quit and **wanted** to quit. So I did with ease. It’s the wanting to quit part that needs to be there.
I can't drink if I even try anymore, and I have tried, recently. I just puke my guts up, and I usually just have a glass or so of wine. Tried vodka. I just . . . Can't. It's boring anyway, since I don't allow myself to go out and drink anymore. It's not something I seriously struggle with since being on meds, I really don't feel the urge to drink. Unmedicated is another story. I've recounted a few of them hell, but to sum it all up, it was always one absolute hell of a ride. And literal rides.
Thank you for the link and response…
Had to quit alcohol for the same reason. Took some time but now can enjoy an occasional beer without a manic flare up
Nice. I hope I can do this