Bipolar Disorder

[Angrboda]

I don't know that I have anything to add. Unless you're experiencing a sudden change due to medication, things don't happen all that quickly in treatment, so you'll have time to adjust. In my experience, it takes 1-3 years for a person to go from the baseline of discovering they have an illness to having the routine of coping down, both emotionally and intellectually. There are a lot of things to learn, and new skills to develop; it just takes time. (It's been analogized, I think accurately so, that being diagnosed with a mental illness is just as traumatic and world altering as any other major trauma, from losing a limb to being diagnosed with cancer. Just like them, finding out you have a mental illness just takes time to work through. Don't rush yourself. And don't beat yourself up for dragging your feet, procrastinating, or "being lazy." You're only human.)

Regarding alcohol, I'd say abstinence is an ideal to shoot for. Me, I'm reckless and self-destructive, so I do whatever the fuck I want and drink like a fish if I feel like it.

I'm probably not someone to model your behavior upon. However, if you do drink while on medication, be knowledgeable about interactions. Some meds are cool with alcohol; some combos are more dangerous. It's the same as with mixing any other two drugs (alcohol is a drug); watch for side effects and interactions. (Last time I was in the hospital, we were discussing medications and one person was alerted to a combo with Xanax that occasionally results in the person stopping breathing. That kind of shit is important to know.)

I've been this way so long that I don't know what it would be to be different, but if you have specific questions, I'll do my best to answer (you can PM if you like). I have schizo-affective disorder, which is basically a mix of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. However, I have little experience with the manic side, with only isolated and short-lived manic episodes; most of my stuff is depression, delusions, and other psychotic symptoms.

Not sure where I left off here. One thing I suggest you keep in mind, is that living with an illness, especially a mental illness, will put you in situations and times when you feel very vulnerable and helpless. It's natural, especially for men and Americans, to try to "handle things" when that occurs, but I believe you'll cope much better, if you are such, to learn to embrace your vulnerability, and when you are feeling that, to let yourself ask others for help. It's an issue I still deal with, and am not sure I'll ever truly master. Over the years, noticing that my mind and behavior was beyond my abilities to care for, I've had to ask family or friends to look after me until those things pass. I never had too much trouble doing that, but when I lost my fingers in 2008, I was faced with learning a whole new set of vulnerabilities. Things like, being unable to operate a credit card reader, and having to ask a stranger to do it for me. I do my best to avoid such situations, and still struggle with them at times. Being vulnerable is hard.