Bipolar Support Group

I'd like to talk about a psychotic break or episode for a minute. Has anyone else had one? I would also like to talk about narcotic use and if anyone else has struggled with drug addiction due to the need to self medicate.

I'd like to share my story but I'm not sure if anyone has had the same issues as I have.

Welcome Laurney! Glad you are here and posting with us I think several of us have had a psychotic episode but I am not exactly sure what you are refering to so not completley sure.

I know that we have had several members struggle with self medicating and I have done it with food sometimes.

I am sure others will have more input for you. Keep Posting!

I used drugs (mainly marjuana & a little Acid/THC & uppers) in my teen yrs. When i hit 18 i did suffer a psychotic/major depression and was hospitalized for 9 wks. Now this was a long time ago and thank God i've never suffered another psychosis again. I truly believe that my choice to say on meds, see my pdoc regularly & therapists, and by practicing my religion has kept me from every going back to psych. hospital involuntarily again. A lot of people self-medicate, i continued to self-medicate but with alcohol in my 20s; when i was 32 my pdoc decided to add a mood-stabilizer to my med cocktail and that's when i decided to no longer drink alcohol excessively.

Welcome Laurney! I am sure that at least SOMEONE if not a lot of ppl here have experienced something similiar to you. I have (and continue to) self medicate, even tho I know it does not help. The marijuana does help some, but I can get the same thing from my clonopin. The alcohol does NOT help.

I have had some pyschotic episodes and tend to watch myself to make sure that my 'quirks' don't get out of hand.

I self medicated from the time I learned what the drugs were. I quit most of them 8 years ago. Until last week it had been four years since I had used marijuana. I am still on medications from pdoc for my bp. I dont recommend to anyone using street drugs in combination with your bp meds it makes you feel like you are losing control of your body all together. At least that was my case.

Hi Laurney-I used to be really addicted to hydrocodone & experienced what felt like being out of touch w/reality-it was one of the most scariest episodes for me. At that time I was taking up to 20 a day so no wonder. It only lasted 5 hours or less but those 5 hours were HORRIBLE!! I literally felt the walls closing in like they were going to suffocate me, I was full of fear(never experienced that kind of fear)-it was like something or someone was going to get me & I had to stay on the floor by my closet.Nothing felt real- that is the only way I can explain it. i took this as a sign that I should prob. quit using or I'd end up in some institution the rest of my life-of course being an addict, that didn't happen. Hope this helped.

Hi there,

Yes I self medicate at times and used to alot in the past. It is something hard I struggle with on a daily basis. If I get a legitimate RX for pain meds or narcs I usually use them up quickly whether I'm hurting that bad or not and sometimes I take it to make me feel better or to "numb" out from the world. It's hard struggling with this but you're not alone and the majority of us know where you're coming from. I'm getting better slowly but I also have many medical issues that cause me to need narcs from time to time so it will continue to be a struggle for me.

I have heard voices. I suppose that could be a psychotic break. As far as self medicating, with the exception of heroin, and the newer ones like crack, ecstasy, etc. I pretty much tried them all when I was younger, but I ended up addicted to alcohol and was a daily marijuana user. It was very rugged coming off alcohol. Giving up the marijuana was hard, too, because it made coping with undiagnosed bipolar easier. Living without it was really difficult. I lived for some years without taking anything. As hard as it was, I feel it is much better to live without drugs and alcohol and would never take them up again. Medications have made me stable.

Hello Laurney, Welcome to the group. I have self medicated for many, many years. I have had one psychotic break a few years ago and was finally put on the right meds. I don't feel the need to self medicate near as much as i used to. I used mainly marijuana and some alcohol. No Alcohol doesn't help, but the mj always has in several ways. But it is not for everyone and can cause some people to become more depressed. Write back anytime and we will get back with you as soon as possible. Take care.

I don't have any addictions, but have had 3 psychotic breaks and was hospitalized 3 times. My pdoc has given me permission to tweak my meds as needed (within certain parameters) to keep me out of the hospital. But my husband medicates me, because I don't always know when I need extra seroquel. The seroquel has kept me out of the hospital, since I've been on it. But when things get bad, I make extra visits to see my pdoc. There have been times that I have seen him every week for weeks at a time.