I'm dually diagnosed with both alcoholism and bipolar disorder.....drinking is probably what masked the BP for years. I've been sober for just over 20 years now and haven't had anything to keep the crazy away but antidepressants and benzos. It worked for almost a dozen years, and then everything went to hell in a bushel basket. I can only imagine how crappy things would be if I were still drinking, especially on all these medications....probably woudn't even have a liver by now. Blech.