Posted by Ritch on August 19, 2002, at 10:14:01
In reply to Probable Bipolar drug addict seeks advice , posted by Mr.Scott on August 19, 2002, at 1:39:01
>
> I drink alcohol and use cocaine. I then feel very depressed and irritible afterwrads, even suicidal. I use to fit in socially with a group of idiots I have nothing at all in common with.
> Then I stop for 2-3 weeks and in 10-14 days my depression lifts fairly reliably, however I experience tremendous anxiety or what might even be mixed episodes.
> My circadian rhythyms get all messed up and I want to sleep all day and stay awake all night while in this sober period...then I finally break down while anxious, restless, self-destructively inclined and maybe even hypomanic and do the drugs and alcohol again.
> I don't want to live my life this way anymore. I don't want to spend another day feeling depressed because of the drugs and alcohol, but I think I used them to deal with hypomania??!! Maybe I'm just a drug addict.
> What should I do? I'm thinking about checking in to rehab. It worked last time for many years until I relapsed again 1.5 years ago.
>
> What do you think?
Scott,If you are wanting to "rule out" a bipolar diagnosis you would have to be off the coke and booze long enough to see if your cycling would fade away. Did your mood problems fade away when you got clean the last time? If so, your bipolar symptoms are being induced by the substances. If you still experienced hypomanias despite being clean-well you have got BP for sure. Coke and booze, that is the "Dennis Hopper" combo. I recall an interview on NPR about 10 years ago (after he got clean), he was doing coke to feel good, and then he would get all wired out on the coke and would drink to calm down. Booze hoses up your sleep big time. Then it sets up its own withdrawal. Sleep all day-stay awake all nite, that in itself can do you in (drugs or not). Is there any way possible you can stop the coke and taper the booze away, so you don't yo-yo your system? If not, rehab. is your best option.
Mitch
poster:Ritch
thread:116891
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020814/msgs/116930.html