[SunAngel]

How old were you when you starting drinking or doing drugs to self-medicate?

I was 14 years old when I started drinking (rum & coke) and starting smoking weed. I got so sick from drinking that day that, to this day, I cannot taste rum anymore without it making me remember that time and how sick I got.

If you self-medicating, how old were you?

[wing]

I was 14, too. Drinking, taking pills and smoking weed. Sneaking out at night to party, hitchhiking...till my friend and I got picked up by some psycho...a high risk lifestyle in general.

I wonder how many of those partying "friends" are BP, too?

[BNLsMOM]

I am not sure if I self medicated, but I started drinking at 18 when I was in college. Until then, I was completely uninterested in it. It sure was fun while it lasted. Then I scared myself into thinking that I was drinking too much and I stopped. Now I have a drink here and there. I have never done any other drugs other than my prescribed bipolar meds. Of course growing up with a dad who is a cop put a stop to alot of bad behavior before it even started. He had me good and scared.

[popeye]

I had my first drunk and blackout when I was 8. My dad thought it was funny. I did not start dinking regularly till I was 16. When I was of age...I drank(selfmedicated) almost every day. I even drank at work.

[mel80]

I started drinking at 14 got very ill alcohol poisoning at 16 kept on drinking.was'nt untill I ended up in hospital in a coma that I stopped drinking like a fish.Then at 22 I found weed and began self medicating very heavily.Needless to say that really came back to bite me in the ***** I still here and there self medicate when I feel the meds are not helping me by this time I've most likely stopped taking the meds anyway.Sometimes I just never learn !!!!!

I was 12 when I started drinking, 13 smoking pot, 14 abusing prescription meds that were not mine. 15 snorting them. Ugh I was homeless I didn't see a future at all. Worst times in my life.

I no longer drink or do drugs. Have to add that.

I do not self-medicate with anything, I just wanted to post how shocked and sad I am that most people with Bipolar abuse alcohol or drugs. I definitely didn't know this. Sending out hugs to everyone here!

[Ryask]

TRIGGER WARNING *POST CONTAINS DISCUSSION OF CSA (childhood sexual abuse*







Grade 6 (11-12y/o) i started smoking, drinking, smoking weed. By grade 7(12-13y/o) added acid, mushrooms, by grade 9 (14-15y/o) i added speed, crystal meth, cocaine continued to do all of these till I added crack at 18, i became very addicted to crack till about 19-20 i stopped all drugs and had a breakdown while withdrawing from the crack. Mentally i never recovered. I Got married at 21 and have been clean ever since. Accept i still smoke and i do drink on occasion.
The timing of CSA and my starting drinking/smoking/drugs was EXACTLY the same. So i know for a fact that this was my best attempt to "cope" with the sexual abuse.

[missbelle]

My daughter Kelly was 14 when she was diagnosed bipolar, drank and did drugs at 14 and was sexually active. She is 30 now and has been sober 9 months..the longest ever.....its been rough for her but she is trying really hard

[ohlala]

I smoked weed when I was 14, but Woodstock happened when I was 15 and I would have killed to be there! I think this "self-medicating" topic has to be framed in a perspective of when, why, and how much. I would still be smoking weed if it were readily available to me, but as it is I don't want to risk being arrested buying it. I'm only speaking for myself but in relation to being able to make me relax, and kick back weed is a wonder drug. I HATE prescription drugs like benzos and tranqs! I also basically dislike alcohol, but since it's legal I'll have a glass to relax now and then. I look forward to the day when marijuana is legalized but the way this country is going I doubt it will happen in my lifetime...

[zbmom]

I started drinking at 16 but didn't really let lose with it as self medicating until I was raped at 18. Spent a few years partying hard on the weekends. Try not to drink too much now but tend to about 2-4x a month.

[Trippin2.0]

D0n't think I was self-medicating,but started drinking and sm0king weed at age 15. I did however self-medicate with OTC drugs at around the same time. I used to drink anything between 20 and 100 tablets to escape. I stopped doing this at age 19 when I had my daughter. I still take the odd sleeping aid to escape... Can't sm0ke weed anym0re, it makes me lo0py and 2 scared 2 drink with lithium in my blo0dstream...

[venusss]

I started drinking when I was like... 12. Not to self-medicate though (look¨I know it seems too young, but I am year behind the country's average.And it was more of sampling grandmother's cherry liquor and stuff. First I got real drunk was a 14).

I smoked weed first when I was 19. Haven't done it in ages. Not because I decided to quit... but there wasn't any good opportunity lately. And I need a good company for weed.

I admit I drink to unwind. And quite a lot at times, but... I only once got a black out. Times where I drank over my limit I could count on fingers of my hand.

Is it self-medicating? Or is it me being a typical slavic chick? I believe the second variant. Unless all Slavs are self-medicating...

[Martek]

I started drinking around 14 was drinking a lot by the time I was 16. Didn't really stop I have cut back over the past two years but still drink pretty heavily 2 or 3 times a week.

[Trippin2.0]

:-( I want to self-medicate...

[SunAngel]

Originally Posted by Trippin2.0

:-( I want to self-medicate...

NO YOU DO NOT Trippin!!!

[Trippin2.0]

Originally Posted by SunAngel

NO YOU DO NOT Trippin!!!

i actually do. I wanna take a bunch of pills and sleep for a week. But d0n't have any. Can't swallow a stack of lithium,that wud just make me sick, and prozac might just make me manic. I'M STUCK :-(

[Lostime]

Originally Posted by Trippin2.0

i actually do. I wanna take a bunch of pills and sleep for a week. But d0n't have any. Can't swallow a stack of lithium,that wud just make me sick, and prozac might just make me manic. I'M STUCK :-(

Most pills will make you sick.

Please don't!

[Lostime]

I also started at 14 I only stopped at age 24 since then I lost my way a few times.

[widgets]

Started drinking at 14, got bought home by police and ambulance. Then I started taking loads of painkillers all the time as a form of self harm.
Stopped really drinking for a while between 16 and 17.
Then from 18 drank a lot as I was at legal age and haven't really stopped since.
Thing is I don't drink when I'm depressed because I will self harm or try and kill myself and if I ever do that I want to be sober.

[espritlibre]

Started drinking (getting drunk) around 16ish, when I had my big 'episode' aged 20 I was going out every night, drinking as much as I could. I never considered it self-medicating at the time though. Oddly enough, I spent a lot of time around drug dealers/users, but never felt the need to take up their offers.

I don't take any recreational drugs (I worry that I wouldn't be able to stop) but when things get too much I self-medicate with sleeping pills. I get into a real panic if I don't have any, just in case. I think if drugs were available to me now I would definitely be asking/begging for them at times.

[popeye]

I am a psych nurse and never met a BP that did not self medicate.

[Anneinside]

You've met one now. I don't self-medicate. I have a hard time believing that MOST people with bipolar self-medicate although I think a lot of them do.

[Phoenix_1]

IN my 20's, before I had kids, work was a struggle emotionally. I self-medicated with alcohol every night. When I was able to quit that job and stay home, I stopped drinking. Then when my kids were older, I used to drink a lot to deal with my bad marriage. I was never drunk around the kids, just when they were sleeping late at night, I'd drink just enough to take the edge off. I never got stinking drunk, just enough to feel better.
I never took street drugs or too many prescription drugs.

[GreenIvy]

I never turned to alcohol or any drugs. I actually think that the BP was part of the reason. I spent a good part of my teen years in a hypomanic state so I felt good without having to do anything. The only exception is that I smoke cigarettes (nothing else). I only recently figured out that I actually may be doing that to self medicate since I also have add and smoking helps me focus.