I used to drink a lot more when manic or mixed to take the edge off. During mania, social drinking was more my thing, but during mixed or even depressive periods, I would drink by myself a lot. Now, I drink more in a social situation, or sometimes a glass of wine to relax. However, I do not consume as many drinks as I did prior to being on mood stabilizers/APs. Now, the cravings aren't really there much at all....maybe since the hangovers are twice as bad now on my combination of meds.