I'm bipolar with GAD & insomnia, too. I've often thought that my alcoholism was self-medication, as well. I've now been sober 10 years & have weathered many med changes, episodes, good times & bad. I've been able to weather them all without alcohol. I'm not trying to be self-righteous; I'm just trying to give you hope that it can be done with a MI. The several suicide attempts I made before getting sober were all directly attributable to excess use of alcohol. I know I wouldn't have tried had I been sober; the alcohol just lowered my inhibitions. For me, pouring a depressant (alcohol) on depression is craziness...not self-medication.

Blah, blah, blah...I know you must have heard this too many times before, but going to AA has helped me realize that bad crap can be dealt with without the use of alcohol. If you've tried it before & it hasn't worked for you, I'm sorry to bring it up again. MI really sucks! For me, MI + alcoholism is dancing with death. Give sobriety a good chance before packing it in. Good luck, RxQueen, whatever you decide to do.