I quit drinking on January 1, 1992. I had no clue then that I had been self-medicating, but looking back on it I realize that I drank out of impulsiveness during mania, and to drown my sorrows in depression. Still, it was almost 20 years before I discovered I was bipolar, and then the drinking made all kinds of sense. I still crave alcohol from time to time but have not taken so much as a drop of Communion wine in over 23 years. The cravings never go away completely but they can be controlled.