Drinking and drugs alters a persons brain chemistry. A pdoc told me that I had to be clean and sober 6 months before he knew if I had a mental illness or was suffering from the disease of addiction. When I'm drinking and even when sober during a drinking period I can 'look' bipolar. But don't diagnose me while I'm running and gunning bc it will be a false positive.

I went to Hazelden for rehab down in Naples. I learned about PAWS, post acute withdrawal syndrome. From the period of detox to about 2 year clean the recovering person experiences; extreme mood instability, low enthusiasm, anxiety, irritability, variable energy, variable concentration, mood swings and tiredness. This is your brain chemicals adjusting to reach a new equilibrium. Not a good idea to get a diagnosis for bipolar if you drink, do drugs or are just getting clean