[sugahorse1]

I wonder if anyone has ever considered the following:

Have you had a change in episode (Manic/depression) that seems to happen after a few drinks?

I know we are not supposed to drink, but honestly, I do think most people do - or again, please correct me?

I was going through a very deep depressive phase most of last week. On Saturday I battled to fall asleep at night and felt awfully bouncy. On Sunday I had 2 drinks at lunch time, which knocked me flat. I had a snooze and when I woke up, I felt even more manic. Just bouncy, talking fast, and not sleeping. Today this same feeling continues.

I know this sounds like a bit of waffle, but have you ever noticed something similar in yourself? I tend to have 2 drinks or so on most nights, so it's not like i should have been so badly affected...?

[la doctora]

I have definately noticed that when I drink I behave like I am in a manic state. Not sure how much of that is just being drunk??? I don't drink very often but I know how much I can have when I do drink. I noramlly attempt to get a good buzz at least. I know that when I am in a situation that I would normally be uncomfortable in, a couple of drinks and I am the bubbliest, most talkative person around. I am in a manic state for sure. I don't have to be drunk either. So I think that yes they can induce a manic state.

I really avoid drinking because of the meds. As my doc says, these are powerful meds we are on and it doesn't take much alcohol to really mess with them. So I prefer not to mess with them.

[Eloise42]

I could kind of see that but in a less direct way. Alcohol makes me less anxious, lowers social inhibitions and a good conversation triggers the higher brain activity, triggers mania-ness.

[venusss]

Alcohol supresses a part of me (the goody-two-shoes-what-would-people-say?). It does away with my anxiety and social phobia... but I cannot say it really triggers mania. It depends on my mood too. Sometimes when drinking I am happy, but sometimes I turn totally sentimental, almost "emo", it induces a world-ache in me.

But neither of those are unbearable. I don't get that anxiousity of mania when drinking.

[RRU96]

Drinking I think could cause mania symptoms. For me its more a social-relaxant. Like la doctora said, I become talkative to anyone.... more than I ever would. Compliment people on things I would normally keep to myself.

The danger comes when realizing that alcohol is a depressant. I drink on occasion, but I tend to do it in certain circumstances. I am a big Gamer.. and sometimes I get a friend or 2 over to play some Halo on my big 50" TV. Good time, good company... I have no problem getting pretty lit. Out with my sister who I dont get to see alot, taking my wife out which she doesnt do much. These are times when I know because of the circumstance, drinking isnt to bad on me.

When I was in the Army though, I just needed a breeze of wind to blow as an excuse to drink (though it was almost exclusively on the weekends). Even when I shouldnt have, I still drank. This caused numerous problems. To me it matters on the social occasion and my surroundings on how the alcohol effects me. Now, if my medications state that they are contraindicated in drinking, I may think twice regardless.

[questionable]

No, I never noticed a mood episode change. Sure, I may notice that I might feel a bit more talkative or giddy when drunk or even a little more down the next day, but it is a short lasting thing, so I couldn't call that an "episode". I think it's a good idea to remember that yea, we may have depressions or manias that last for a long time, but every emotion or reaction to drugs (or whatever) that we have is not necessarily a bipolar thing. If everything that excites us becomes "mania" and everything that brings us down becomes "depression", than what is left?

[venusss]

Originally Posted by questionable

If everything that excites us becomes "mania" and everything that brings us down becomes "depression", than what is left?

Word. And this is my problem with the moodchart on this page which seems to distinquished only depressed/mania. Sometimes I am just plain sad, like normal people are (supposed to be). And sometimes I am just excited and happy, not manic.

I think many people overanalyze their feelings. When you feel sad over something, it doesn't have to be a depression. Almost all people act silly when drunk (except for Russians - I have been told that Russians get drunk silently and do not cause trouble). Alcohol is called liquid courage for a reason.

and oh darn, I just used word "anxiousity" in my last post. And I have a degree in English!

[WendyAussie]

I'm an 11 years sober member of AA as well as being Bipolar and having Panic and Anxiety Disorders. I didn't seek psych treatment until I was 3 years sober, so I was never on psych meds while drinking. But I do know now that my mental illnesses and my alcoholism do interface with each other - thus I am a Dual Diagnosis patient, or Co-Morbidity.

I now know that I had Early Onset Mental Illness and I also started blackout drinking from age 14, very young to go in so hard, and I now know I was drinking partially because of a huge genetic predisposition but also to self-medicate my mental anguish. I was a blackout drunk until 32 when I got sober.

Phew, I told you all that because I now know that while I was unconsciously drinking to ease my mental illness, of course I created MORE mental illness - the moods were even more all over the place around my drinking, the Bipolar Depressions made worse and the Hypomania/Mania also escalated and of course all the other aspects of Bipolar.

And I wasn't medicated then. But I know that it is terribly dangerous for people to use booze or street drugs as well as psych drugs - people die due to these combinations every day. Being in AA for so long has had me see some shocking stuff and the results of those combinations are awful to see. And they can be fatal from the point of the joint physiological effects, as well as the psychological effects with a greater risk of suicide. So if I were you, I'd look at abstaining from booze. It will become very evident very quickly as to whether you have an addiction to booze if you can't make the choice to stop it and stay stopped.

[Amazonmom]

I have not noticed that Alcohol changes the course of my bipolar. I have always tended to avoid most drinking because there is too much alcoholism in my extended family and I don't want to add to my issues! That being said I do enjoy wine tasting once in a while, or the occasional beer (Guinness).

Your post caught my attention because you had a mood switch after sleeping. My most dramatic mood swing happened after I was severely depressed and finally fell asleep after an entire weekend of suicidal ideation. I woke up feeling AMAZING! (or manic, duh).

[sugahorse1]

Most of my mood switches seem to happen after a nights' sleep. Right now I wouldn't say I'm depressed, manic might also be a bit over the top. but I'm probably finally feeling "normal" -with a bit of extra energy. And this time it has not been alcohol induced :-)