Drinking.

I'm questioning its worth in my life. I feel like it's finally time to fully commit myself to stability and get on the wagon,as it were. I tend to only drink episodically as it is, but when I do my bipolar turns into an awful tornado. Up spins wilder and faster. Confusion comes quicker. Destruction, inevitable. Down gets more desperate and more isolating.
Do y'all drink? Have you quit?
I know it's the right thing to do but there's a block in my mind that I can't seem to hurtle myself over.

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Drinking while on meds is never a good idea, but the symptoms you're describing are also symptoms of excessive binge drinking. One doesn't have to drink daily to have a drinking problem; rather it's probably best measured by how much one drinks once they get started. I stopped drinking a few years ago & feel more stable -- not because I'm bipolar, but because alcohol in excess leads me to make stupid decisions & fall into dark moods. In any event, I don't really think it matters if the chicken or the egg came first. Drinking to excess while on meds is a bad idea. Just my two cents worth...

Drinkin is bad for bipolar. Unless you were happy before starting. Drinking to forget is the worst.
Months go by and I don't drink. Even if the house if full of booze.
In spite of being an alky for many years. God Bless.

I'm in the same boat with you, while I'm not drinking in excess I'm still drinking every weekend and just had a dr tell me that as long as I'm drinking I'm not going to get better....the choice is mine, now I just need some inner strength to quit. I'm fine sun-thurs but come Friday after work I'm still having some cocktails at this point and again on Saturday I also have a husband who has no intention of quitting so it's up to me. I understand completely where your at right now

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Thanks guys. I drink so often to feel "in control" of symptoms, especially to slow mania. In its own way it works, because I fit in better. I'm zany and extra fun because I'm drinking and not because I'm manic and "out to lunch". Does that make sense? It does until it doesn't and I turn into a monster and people get scared. In depression it makes me feel like I have a personality. When I'm stable I don't drink at all. I have no urge to. I do think it's possible that the drinking makes me cycle faster. Is that a thing?

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I know that when I drink just a little too much my depression gets worse after, sometimes I don't take my meds that night either...I know that doesn't answer your question, sorry. Just throwing that out there though

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Hopeless, I've done the same thing! The withdrawal on lamictal is almost instant too. In about 15 hours after the missed dose I feel like I'm gonna die. It's awful.
I've only done that drunk once. I've done it sober many times. Ouch

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I drink, more during episodes. a lot more during. latuda says explicitly NO ALCOHOL. but I have 0 intentions on giving up the sauce anytime soon.