Bipolar Support Group

Many studies have shown that at some time in their lives, two out of three people with bipolar disorder will have a substance abuse problem at any one point in time. ( Bauer 2008a)

Do you use substances?

I am curious about this because the number is so high. I don't use substances.

Post edited by: tinlizzy, at: 02/13/2010 10:34 AM

Is the question do we use substances when ON bp meds? (then the answer is no) or when we are NOT on bp meds? (then the answer is yes - a pretty substantial coke habit when in college and smoked pot regularly, too. have done neither in years and years.....)

H.

I don't anymore but I have used marijuana and LSD before. The LSD was bad though, made me completely go off the wall. I think that marijuana should be legalized for bipolar, it personally helped me alot when I was using it. As for LSD and other "harder" substances.. I'd say to avoid them with BP.. too risky. Plus alot of substances can interact with meds and give you seizures or weird reactions.

I self medicated for years, eventually becoming alcoholic. I did pot PCP, hash, LSD, mushrooms, and speed. I was a total mess. It's been a long time since those days.

I don't recommend any mood altering substances. My meds are mood altering enough, but in a positive way. I am in control now. Self medicating did not give me control. I thought I was in charge when I was using, but I was instead being controlled by the substances I was using. That's what my experience was.

ive been self-medcating for years..an just recently started takin bp meds again but last 5 or so years ive been takin lots of pain pills to alter my moods ,now im trying get a mood stablizer see if it well do similar afect, i drank heavily for years but now only got it to beer or 2 here there...smokin pot helps when it dont make parnoid... been smokin popin pills to change my moods for the better...but it aint workin anymore.....i did speed for 7 years also irt was like i was in manic state for days days at time on it but then it got to point had have just deal with daily activities....but that was in past...now tryin get stable the right way..

Using anything besides meds from a pdoc were definitely not a good idea for me. I was leaning heavily on alcohol until recently because I felt I needed it to control my anxiety. Oddly, (or maybe just odd to me) when I quit I found my anxiety went way down. Maybe self medicating doesn't medicate at all or makes matters worse.

I was just diagnosed a few months ago and put on bp meds. When I was 17-22, I was a complete meth head! Daily use. I got down to 80 something pounds. I always drank in high school, like all my other friends. Not sure if this was purposely b/c of the symptoms of bp. In fact, not even sure if they were there at that time. For the past several years, have been drinking heavily. Since being on meds, my drinking has decreased substantially. I know, I shouldn't be drinking at all...but anyway, that's my story!

It is very common for people with mental issues (no matter what kind) to self medicate.

I have self-medicated since I was in junior high school. Mostly with alcohol & pot, but I have dabbled in LSD, ecstasy, coke & meth. For about 2 years before I was diagnosed bipolar I was drinking pretty heavily. I was taking Zoloft at the time & it turned out that the Zoloft was making me manic & drinking heavily was the only way I could slow my mind down or get any sleep at all. I have since limited myself to a couple drinks every couple of days, even though I know I shouldn't drink at all. I also still smoke pot every day. It relaxes me. I am so anxious all the time, but my pdoc won't give me anything for it because I have been a recreational drug user. So I keep smoking pot.

jen: that's interesting what you said about Zoloft! That was when I had my biggest trouble with alcohol. When I started taking that, I started drinking SO MUCH!! It was like I couldn't get enough of it! I read up on it and they say that can be a side effect...although some people don't believe it! NOw that i'm a little more stable my alcohol use has decreased!