I struggled with drugs and alcohol for 30 years or so. I just quit. I didn't have a problem, per se, but when I partied, I went bonkers. So I turned away from all my "friends" and I just started with a clean slate. I can't be around them anymore. In my life, substance abuse is triangulated with mania, not depression. So instead of seeking all those manic "good times" that made me the life of the party, I walked away. I haven't spoken to some of the old party gang in three years - none of them knows I'm BP. To channel my need for challenges and a good time, I took up new hobbies at 50 like climbing mountains and building models. Not only is it fun, it's therapeutic as well.