My first notable unhealthy one was drinking alcohol. I drank to ease agitation and other bipolar symptoms. I started as young as 15, drinking occasionally. Then at 17, I was often sneaking alcohol and even showing up to school either buzzed or slightly drunk. I never told anyone and remained mostly a closet drinker. It was intermittent (symptom driven) during my 20s. It reached its peak at age 34, when I had been drinking heavily each day for some years. My tolerance was high and I could drink many men under the table. I had to detox during my first psychiatric hospitalization. It was hard to stop, taking about four years to stop "blips" of abuse, and shift to healthier coping methods. It exacerbated my bipolar disorder and my bipolar disorder made me prone to abuse alcohol.

A reliable good/healthy coping strategy has been "laying low". Avoiding over-stimulation and social interactions (sensory overload). It's not always easy, though, and hypomania and mania makes me not want to. My lifestyle this past decade gives me a choice. I now keep things simple and easy. Choices I've made help ensure that.