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scooby
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. Hi I'm Scooby (Scooby D to be anonymous) and I've been sober for two years. My background includes marijuana, LSD and mescaline use. The A.A. program and people stuck with me until I found sobriety. I have bipolar disorder and take medications. When I drank and took medications I really had a bad time, a hell of a time. Some in A.A. used to frown on taking medications and working the program. Times have changed. I'm 62 and recently moved to another city in Northern California 25 miles from where I used to live. I'm now in a place where I know hardly anybody but I'm attending meetings here. I like being with people who are growing in sobriety and self-knowledge. I'm looking for a sponsor to help me work the steps; I have more to go. Right now I'm sitting and listening to people with considerable sobriety share. My last sponsor was a sober old fogie it's my opinion that in this program old fogies rock. So that's my introduction and I look forward to knowing more of you here and maybe shaking your hand at a meeting some day. Scooby Post edited by: scooby, at: 01/15/2009 15:44 |
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uppitywoman Posts: 42362
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Welcome Scooby. I am a friend of Bill and have AA to credit for my sobriety. I hope you find the sponsor you need to help walk you through the remaining steps. They are so important in getting things cleaned up and adding to a secure sobriety. If I can help in any way, just let me know. You'll find a lot of supportive folks here. With God, all things are possible
My blog:
http://uppitywomantwo.blogspot.com
Bipolar I
10mg Abilify--400mg Lamictal-90mg Cymbalta--25mg Ambien CR--200mg Topomax--30mg Temazapam--1mg Ativan as needed.
Please note that I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist. My opinions are personal only. This site is not intended to be a substitution for professional care, nor is anyone here qualified to make diagnoses. |
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AndysCandi
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Hello Scooby!! Welcome, welcome to the group, my friend. You are doing all the right things to live a sober lifestyle. I am almost done with the fourth step. I haven't had the experience of aaers that frown upon medication especially if you are dual-diagnosed. You do what you need to do to keep your sober head above water, period. I take lexapro and seroquel. I have to...it keeps me sane. I am really looking forward to your posts. You are safe here and you will get some good support. Hugz, Ange |
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scooby
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Hello Andyscandi, Earlier AA members frowned on the use of medications by AA members and they were vocal about it. I think they believed that in the path to sobriety medications wouldn't be needed. I wish it were so but it isn't for me. I've tried abstinence from meds and it was bad news. An old-timer told me that Bill W. suffered from depression and after a number of years dealing with it, he sought medical help and medication for it. Times have changed. Today we see advertisements for anti-depressants, sleeping pills and more. It seems we've become a "if something's wrong, there's a pill to fix it." I'm content with my medications but I do take an atypical anti-psychotic, Seroquel. Because it increases my appetite and is related to diabetes, I keep my use of it minimal (with pdoc's awareness). With all the pills now, I think being aware and asking questions makes sense. What's good for one isn't for the other. Lexapro seems to be good for you, Wellbutrin works for me. But the bottom line for us is that alcohol doesn't fit in the picture! Scooby Post edited by: scooby, at: 01/13/2009 11:16 |
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annie966 Posts: 235
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Hi Scooby and everyone - I always go back to How it Works when I forget that the Big Book actually talks about the "manic-depressive type who is, perhaps, the least understood by his friends and abut whom a whole chapter could be written". That is in the Doctors Opinion - in how it works it says that "there are those who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest." I have ran across a few people around the tables that get irritated when someone talks about taking meds for depression or says they are bipolar. In fact, my first sponsor told me when I got to step 9 and started feeling great that I probably wasn't really bipolar and didn't need medication. So very wrong of her and I stopped meds, relapsed after almost two yrs. of sobriety. I am back to having a good stretch of sobriety and will never let anyone make me feel that I am doing something wrong by taking meds. I think those of us with other problems besides alcohol and drugs have to work twice as hard to maintain our sobriety. AA has saved my life but I have learned that I have to trust my gut and just because someone has 25 yrs sobriety doesn't mean they know it all. So happy to have found all of you. Hope everyone is having a good day. Love - Annie I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see.
I sought my God, but my God eluded me.
I sought my brother and I found all three. |
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scooby
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Hi Annie, Nice post  I'm wondering what it will be like when I get to Step 9. (((annie))) Scooby ------------------------------------------------------ Oh Lord if you're listening I know I'm no Christian...but Oh Lord if you hear me, touch me and hold me and keep me from wasting away... (Oldies Lyrics Scrapbook) Post edited by: scooby, at: 01/13/2009 09:01 |
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uppitywoman Posts: 42362
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The reference to "many of them do recover" is specifically applied to alcoholism. When I first started attending AA mtgs., there were those who wanted asny talk of drug abuse left out of discussions because of NA. I went ahead and would always mention my drug addictions without a lot of detail because it was tied in with my alcohol addiction. The same goes with my bipolar. It drove me to self medicate and the result was addiction. It makes no difference how we bacame addicted to alcohol. It only matters that we were and needed to break free. I was a daily drinker for years and AA saved my backend. I will have 25 years this March. If I tell my AA group that I am bipolar and have to take meds for it, then they'll just have to deal with it. It's a part of my alcoholism history. It is what it is. With God, all things are possible
My blog:
http://uppitywomantwo.blogspot.com
Bipolar I
10mg Abilify--400mg Lamictal-90mg Cymbalta--25mg Ambien CR--200mg Topomax--30mg Temazapam--1mg Ativan as needed.
Please note that I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist. My opinions are personal only. This site is not intended to be a substitution for professional care, nor is anyone here qualified to make diagnoses. |
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scooby
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uppity, I think appropriate detail is important. I've heard some people share their drunk histories and go on and on. I've shared about my bipolar disorder in AA meetings and got feedback that I could make the point and move on. As you can probably tell by my wordy posts, telling the story and venting are important to me, but I'm a work in progress. Most of us are. Scooby |
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uppitywoman Posts: 42362
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Yes, indeed. I have sat through some pretty long winded folks. I agree that the point is not to belabor, but to briefly share that self-medicating played a part in the descent into alcoholism. I know that the members of my AA group do not need to hear the last 36 hour hypomanic episode! With God, all things are possible
My blog:
http://uppitywomantwo.blogspot.com
Bipolar I
10mg Abilify--400mg Lamictal-90mg Cymbalta--25mg Ambien CR--200mg Topomax--30mg Temazapam--1mg Ativan as needed.
Please note that I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist. My opinions are personal only. This site is not intended to be a substitution for professional care, nor is anyone here qualified to make diagnoses. |
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scooby
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When I got feedback about sharing my bipolar disorder in the AA group when I did, I think I may have over-reacted and then chose not to say a word about it. I'm there because I had a problem drinking and that is the only prerequisite for AA attendance. It happens that bipolar disorder is part of my life and how I take care of it around alcohol is relevant to my shares. When I have mentioned it once and awhile, it is interesting to hear from other people with mood disorders too. I wonder how many alcoholics do have bipolar disorder. According to those that keep those sorts of records, our prevalence in the general population is between one and two percent. Just from my AA experience, the numbers may be quite higher. scoob |
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