I started having depression when I was 13. When I was 14 I started using drugs and alcohol. I am fortunate enough to have both alcoholism/ addictive personality genes and depression/ bi polar 2 genes.

I drank and used for 17 years. Most of those years I functioned quite well. I did still have some problems with depression but not so bad. I never missed work. Did very well at work. Got married, had a baby, and bought a house. The American dream was happening and we were doing good. The self medicating was working for a number of years.

Of course the drug and alcohol use made it all come crashing down. It didn't work anymore and was affecting every area of my life. So I went to treatment and AA and have been clean and sober the 19 years since then.

Here is the point of my story....My depression got much much worse after I got clean and sober. I sought help with meds and therapy at about the same time I went to drug rehab but it wasn't working so good yet. After a couple of years clean and sober I discovered I had all these co dependencies that I never knew I had. I had thought I am the alcoholic and my wife is the co dependent. So it turns out I was using drugs and alcohol to cope and deal with life and to cover all kinds of stuff up. I had to work very hard in AA and in therapy to unravel all of this and heal from it. I still suffer from depression all these 19 years later but it is deeply biological with me. I cannot go back to self medicating even though at one time it worked. it will not work any more and will ruin my life.

I tried many many times to quit under my own will power and with the help of my wife but I just absolutely could not do it. Only you can find out if your strategy will work or not.

I have never heard of a blood test for bi polar. I do not think one exists. They do blood test to rule out other possible physical problems. It is very strongly believed to have a genetic biological basis but there is no blood test to tell them.

You will only know if you have underlying problems if you stay clean and sober for a good period of time. I mean like over two years.