Yeah dual diagnosis makes it much tougher. There are many of us in there though. Find people in your group and town who also suffer mental illness and it makes a good support group outside the rooms. Thats what I did. Not really on purpose, it just happened by being honest about it with people. Sometimes I would talk about it in meetings but you might get negative feedback from some....outside issue, just work the steps, you are not sober if you are on those psyche meds. Crap like that. I said screw those people and talked about it anyway. People would come up to me after the meeting and say I am dual diagnosis too. Of course it is related to our drinking and using so not an outside issue imo. How can you chair a meeting and tell your story and leave that out, self medicating was a big part of it.
I applied the steps over and over to my depression. It didn't work. I don't know why. It sure worked to take away the obsession to drink why not the depression? Doesn't work that way. As you know we need lots of outside help. I hope they get your meds right. I gained a lot of weight after I got sober too. I needed to after all the meth use but I gained to much and as I get older I gain more and it is hard to get rid of it. Meds can cause weight gain too. The AP's especially I hear.

It was in 1995 when I got sober and 96 when I got divorced. I was 32. I don't know if we stood a chance, alot of damage had been done. mostly all my fault. Sure she went to Alanon for awhile before I got sober and good for her but then she quit going after I got sober. she was supposed to keep going and be a part of recovery for both of us.

I went to Alanon for many years. It helped me a lot. I had a string of unhealthy relationships after I got divorced and found out how condendent I was. I grew up in an alcoholic home and codependancy just becomes part of it even if you end up being an alcoholic. The codendency and depression issues were in face after a couple of years clean and sober. I chose Alanon to deal with it and I loved it. some didn't much care for men from AA coming over but they loved me.

In treatment we had this spiritual guru guy come in and give a talk on the third step. He was very good. One thing he said though was....If you are not with someone who is on the same plane as you find someone else, that simple. I thought damn that is kind of harsh.