Posted by Twirleygirl on October 4, 2002, at 11:48:17
In reply to Depression and psychosis triggered by alcohol, posted by Burt on October 4, 2002, at 1:41:07
Hi Burt,
I can sympathize with your bafflement about what it is that is making your wife behave so strangely when she drinks. I say this with the weight of eight and a half years of recovery from alcoholism behind me. I, too, did not suffer cravings and never had withdrawal symptoms and was basically a binge drinker. But when I drank, something happened that no one could explain. I ususlly got into trouble or did something "crazy" that i would later regret. Continually doing this led me to my bottom.What I'm trying to say is that even though the diagnosis does not "match up" with clinical assessments of alcoholism, the fact that under the circumstances, even though she knows what happens when she drinks, she continues to drink, for me pretty much raises a red flag that she might be an alcoholic.
I did get sober in AA. I'm not advocating it for everyone but it helped take the mystery out of why I drank the way I did and gave me a community of people with whom I could identify and from whom I could give and get support. I have also struggled with depression and an currently taking medication to help me get unstuck. I have also been in and out of therapy and have had to find a spiritual way of life which is comfortable for me. But I had to do away with the alcohol first and it was clear that I could not stop and stay stopped on my own. I was to make no progress until I cleared away that first block to growth, namely my substance abuse.
If you are open to suggestion, perhaps begin investigating AA to see if it might have the answers to some of the bafflement which is controlling your life. There are open AA meetings which the curious can attend. There is also alanon which provides help and support for the family and friends of those who suffer from the effects of alcohol.
It is a terrible place to be in, I know.
What ever you decide, I wish you peace.Very best regards,
TwirleygirlAfter years of research it was determined that her episodes of severe depression are triggered by alcohol. Given enough alcohol, the depression turns into a psychosis.
> What makes her drink remains a mystery. Her deceased psychiatrist was one of the preeminent experts in the field of chemical dependency, but he also was honest. He said: "We know what alcohol does to her. She knows it also. We really don't know why she drinks."
poster:Twirleygirl
thread:122250
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020930/msgs/122306.html