[saturdaybell]

So recently i started realizing I have a binge drinking issue. It started long ago but in last few months i started drinking 3 to 4 bottles of wine when ever i could get my hands on a box. I do not spend my money for it that is used for bills. But when i had a steady small income lots went to wine and weed. I realized recently due to a horrible break down with 4 bottles in one night, relapse with cutting and my brother coming at 3 am that i haven't been sober for more then a week or two total in year or two. Its either wine or weed. Do i need to stop drinking and smoking all together as if I was an alcoholic or do i need to stay sober long enough to have better control over the amounts i drink and smoke! I am having huge urges to smoke, drink and self harm. I haven't drank in week but am smoking the little resin of weed i have. Hopefully i will be starting a partial hospitalization program soon so maybe they can give me an answer. I'm also on bipolar meds that don't mix with drinking. Manly klonipin

[shezbut]

IMO, it's awfully tough to just tone down binge drinking and smoking. And, as you mentioned, the effects of alcohol and your BP meds don't mix together very well. Personally, I am an all-or-nothing kind of person. Otherwise, it's too easy for me to give in to having "one more", then another, and so on.

I hope that you're able to find the right cure for yourself soon. Best wishes sent your way!

[saturdaybell]

Originally Posted by shezbut

IMO, it's awfully tough to just tone down binge drinking and smoking. And, as you mentioned, the effects of alcohol and your BP meds don't mix together very well. Personally, I am an all-or-nothing kind of person. Otherwise, it's too easy for me to give in to having "one more", then another, and so on.

I hope that you're able to find the right cure for yourself soon. Best wishes sent your way!

I'm an all or nothing to. I'm not very good (especially at home) to have must a bottle or two (high tolerance) and the weed i wake and bake (also high tolerance.) and 40 of regular only last a few days unless i have stuff to do. But alcohol is the worst. 1 glass would be pointless when that one glass would give her buzz. A bottle gives me a buzz. I'm just afraid it will become a problem or i have one. And everyone still drinks around me ugh.

[Caretaker Leo]

I, too was an all or nothing.

I was diagnosed with depression many years ago, but never took any action other than being on meds. And, after awhile, I started drinking - which I later discovered was actually just a way to self-medicate. I didn't start as a binge drinker, but my drinking quickly escalated to that point. My binges went from just weekends to every night occurrences. And money that I should have spent on necessities in life got spent on buying more wine.

My family (thankfully)! did an intervention on me. It worked because I was ready to get help. I was slowly killing myself with the damage the alcohol was doing to my body. So, I'm glad to hear you have an opportunity for partial hospitalization. If YOU really want to get help and become willing to put everything into working on changing your choices, the opportunity for a happier and healthier life awaits you. Realizing and being aware of the binge drinking and using are great first steps.

Also, I have a son with BP. He is currently in treatment (again). This time, he really wants to be clean and sober. His drinking and using completely destroyed any good effects of his BP meds. He started making really bad choices that now have legal ramifications. Now at 4 months clean and sober he is on completely different meds for his BP and I can see the wonderful person he really is for the first time in over a decade.

I wish the best for you!

[Sabrina]

I'm also all or nothing. 5 months sober now and loving it.

I worry that you are taking in quite a lot of alcohol. I am glad about the partial hospitalization, hopefully, this will give you answers you need.

[saturdaybell]

Originally Posted by Sabrina

I'm also all or nothing. 5 months sober now and loving it.

I worry that you are taking in quite a lot of alcohol. I am glad about the partial hospitalization, hopefully, this will give you answers you need.

I even a few times drank almost a whole box and there are 6 and a half bottles of wine in there. I have hang over's every weekend and when i would work i would drink 2 bottles because i wouldn't get to bad of a hangover. I know my dr doesn't want me drinking due to med but I'm starting to wonder if I'm a alcoholic and abuse weed. I haven't really been sober for more then a few days in a year between the pot and the alcohol. I haven't drank in three days and the craving is really hard to get through and makes me want to self harm. Are these alcoholic behaviors?

[x123]

@saturdaybell , I can't give advice on the addiction and bipolar, but maybe you could talk to a doctor about the interaction between alcohol and your medication? Be sure to tell the doctor that you drink several bottles of wine - not just a glass. You don't want to damage your liver or kidneys. Maybe if you dropped the alcohol without dropping the weed? That might be an achievable goal that would reduce the health damage?

[saturdaybell]

Originally Posted by x123

@saturdaybell , I can't give advice on the addiction and bipolar, but maybe you could talk to a doctor about the interaction between alcohol and your medication? Be sure to tell the doctor that you drink several bottles of wine - not just a glass. You don't want to damage your liver or kidneys. Maybe if you dropped the alcohol without dropping the weed? That might be an achievable goal that would reduce the health damage?

The doctors have been wanting me to give up both for a while i just couldn't come to terms with being addicted. They have been worried about med interactions. I'm just tired of self medicating to the point that i cant handle any stressors when I'm sober. I decided to give up both and my family has been all said they support it! My best friend and brother and girl friend especially. And a lot of my spare money is used on alcohol and weed so i have not been able to save. Along with mania bouts when i get obsessed with buy books or recently it was fish tanks lol.

[x123]

Originally Posted by saturdaybell

The doctors have been wanting me to give up both for a while i just couldn't come to terms with being addicted. They have been worried about med interactions. I'm just tired of self medicating to the point that i cant handle any stressors when I'm sober. I decided to give up both and my family has been all said they support it! My best friend and brother and girl friend especially. And a lot of my spare money is used on alcohol and weed so i have not been able to save. Along with mania bouts when i get obsessed with buy books or recently it was fish tanks lol.

I have heard of some alcoholics who switched to weed. I don't know if weed makes bipolar worse. Also I don't know if weed use might weaken your resolve to abstain from alcohol. Or maybe weed is connected with alcohol for you behaviorally. Like some people who are trying to quit smoking find that alcohol makes them crave a cigarette, because they always used them together. Maybe weed and alcohol are like that for you.

I have heard that alcohol and some medications are digested in the liver. So that can be hard on your liver. Maybe switching exclusively to weed would protect your liver and remove one of your addictions?

I don't know that much about these addictions or bipolar, so my advice should be taken with a huge grain of salt

[shezbut]

Originally Posted by saturdaybell

I'm an all or nothing to. I'm not very good (especially at home) to have must a bottle or two (high tolerance) and the weed i wake and bake (also high tolerance.) and 40 of regular only last a few days unless i have stuff to do. But alcohol is the worst. 1 glass would be pointless when that one glass would give her buzz. A bottle gives me a buzz. I'm just afraid it will become a problem or i have one. And everyone still drinks around me ugh.

It's really hard in that everyone drinks around you. That's not likely to stop, just because you're wanting to.

The best thing would be to take yourself out of the situation entirely, by moving in with someone supportive of you and going into whatever treatment that you are willing to commit yourself to. Hopefully, your true friends will soon come to your support and help you work through the binge ideation.

(((hugs)))

[saturdaybell]

Originally Posted by shezbut

It's really hard in that everyone drinks around you. That's not likely to stop, just because you're wanting to.

The best thing would be to take yourself out of the situation entirely, by moving in with someone supportive of you and going into whatever treatment that you are willing to commit yourself to. Hopefully, your true friends will soon come to your support and help you work through the binge ideation.

(((hugs)))

Its more the holidays. I live alone so thats good. Though at same time It can be a down fall. But for the holidays family are trying to find mock non-alcohol for me. I've been drinking Shirley temples alot.

[Introvrtd1]

I'm guilty of weekend binge drinking......My drink of choice is lite beer......Lots of it on friday, saturday, and a little less on sunday nights....

I work days mon- fri so i have to be sober during the week.

On weekends I would drink as many as 15 cans a nite with about 9-12 on sunday nights.

By monday mornings my anxiety is so bad I sometimes call in sick! I usually survive, but the worst is trying to sleep monday nights! The insomnia is horrible!

I'm usually back in good shape by Wednesday and Thursday night only to do it all again on friday night bingefest!

Sigh....

I'm really tired of it so I want to turn over a new leaf and quit altogether.

I wish you good luck on your endeavors to cut back or even quit!

Just wanted you to know you're not the only one with this problem!

Good luck...