Have y'all self-medicated because of bipolar?

I quit drinking in May after a detox at a local hospital. My drinking has gotten me into a lot of trouble. It is embarrassing I agree. And when I was drinking I'd take any drug in front of me. I ODed when I was younger and my family put me in the psych ward for the first time. Of all the crap I've done, I'm lucky to be alive.

Dx: BP2, PTSD, bulimia/anorexia
Seroquel 300mgs
Trileptal 300mgs
Buspar 45mgs
Ativan 1mg PRN
Vyvance 50mg PRN

Oh self medicating and being bipolar go hand in hand.

I drank for years and years consistently. I drank when I was bored. I drank when I was not bored. I drank when I was happy. I drank when I was not happy. I drank for the sake of drinking.

Then "The Gambler" came in to my life. An ex-gambling addict with 5 years under his belt. The conversations we had shook me to my core. "Just get through a minute". he said. Then that turns into an hour, then a day. We cannot be slaves to this. We can't let it conquer us. We are much stronger than all that nonsense.

"Accept the things I cannot change, accept the things I can change and the wisdom to know the difference"

I am an alcoholic. I accept that. Will I be an alcoholic for the rest of my life? That I can change, and I accept that as well. The difference is between the two is that I am making my future a better one by not giving in. And you can too.

111 days sober!

I self-medicated with alcohol for 30 years. Finally got sober 12 years ago-- 5 years after I sought treatment for bipolar.