(((Hugs))). I understand this is such a difficult issue. I personally try to remember the consequences in a constructive way to avoid giving in to the cravings. I try to think of other ways to self-soothe and get my mind off of the cravings. Try to think about things that give you comfort and engage in those behaviors, and you might find the cravings are not as intense. Also, this too shall pass.

It's dreary today and tends to be this time of year where I live too....

Anyway, I agree with you, LadyShadow, that there is a link between BP and drinking. My friend who is a Pharmacist also explained this to me. I have an on-off problem with alcohol. It's not to the point where I drink every day lately though. I can handle myself with 1-2 drinks sometimes, but there are times where I binge drink, and I've had serious incidents while manic and drinking where I woke up with an IV in my arm after blacking out and almost going into respiratory arrest.

During depressions, sometimes I drink too. I binge drank on Christmas Eve and had a terrible sleep, missed my PM meds, and it really threw me off. I try to be really careful, and I must say I found Lamotrigine to curb my drinking cravings, although I'm uncertain if others ever noticed this med doing this. This is where my Pharmacist friend explained this is possible. Prior to Lamictal, I went through a period of time I was drinking to some extent every day to self-medicate.

These days, I don't know if it's age or what, but whenever I slip up and drink too much, I feel absolutely horrible. I get insomnia, severe depression and irritability, and it takes a few days to fully recover.

Please hang in there.