Do you guys ever drink?

Same, but just closing on 6 months so a little early to say "anymore" yet, but I am committed to not drinking again. Too many failed attempts at starting back after taking a break feeling sure I could be responsible this time. I am finally facing up to the fact that I can't.

I'll have a drink or two here and there, but I don't drink like the way I used to. Before being on a mood stabilizer, I would find myself drinking nearly every day to take the edge off. It wasn't always large amounts, but it got to the point where I would binge quite a bit. If I keep it to maybe a drink or two every week or so (at most), then that's okay for me. I recently had a slip where I drank way too much at a bar and made a lot of bad decisions recently. Needless to say, I felt horrible both physically and emotionally the next day.

I feel good to seemingly be back on track, but I need to moderate myself this holiday season. Luckily, I am not experiencing any cravings or anything like that. I notice Lamictal really made such a difference when it comes to reducing my desire to drink, which my pdoc found interesting. She figures it's because it reduces impulsivity, plus it prevents me from feeling that I need to self-medicate. I had 2 incidents in my life where I nearly died from drinking. The one time, I ended up in the hospital unconscious, and that was while I was taking multiple psych meds. Never again. I really try to avoid alcohol the best I can. Lately I have been hanging out with someone who seems to drink a lot, so when I am with him, I try to only limit myself to 1-2 or not drink at all. I might need to distance myself if it is too triggering.

When my husband was alive I rarely drank. Maybe once a month, if that. Now I drink pretty much every weekend, even though I’m on depakote and I know it’s not good for my liver. And when I drink, I “binge drink”, by technical definitions. Usually a whole bottle of wine or seven - eight malt drinks. I can’t just have a glass or two of wine.

Last weekend I threw up from drinking for the first time in a loooong Time. I drank eight malt drinks and half a bottle of wine. And I had my son’s birthday party the next day. I almost didn’t get everything done bc of the hangover. It’s things like that that make me think maybe I have a little bit of a problem.

Really I drink because I’m bored and lonely. Without my husband it’s just very lonely for me and I drink to take my mind off it.

My treatment team doesn’t know I drink because I’m afraid of being put in dual diagnosis and I don’t want to be around a bunch of addicts bc my husband died of addiction and it would just trigger me.

For a while, I only had a glass of wine for my birthday, my husband's birthday, and our anniversary. With the recent addition of Viibryd, though, I won't be able to do that. My drowsiness level has been reached.

I drink two alcoholic drinks per year. One on Christmas Eve and one on Christmas Day. Both egg nog and Jack Daniels black.

My friends say that I need only a pint but I have been buying one-fifth for so long and that’s what I bought again this year. I always go through the fifth because I offer drinks to everyone - up and down my floor and other floors.

I dated a self-diagnosed alcoholic at one time and she freaked out when she drank a glass of champagne at a New Years party.

From what you describe, I wouldn’t worry... practically every medication that I take say that I should not drink alcohol whilst taking this (or that) medication. All of my docs know of my Christmas tradition and I get a whopping ‘meh’ from all concerning alcohol use. My third PDOC (circa 1992-1997) gave me a fifth of Jack as a Christmas gift.

I’m not advocating a binge or nightly cocktails but a glass of wine or two on occasion isn’t anything to worry about, in my opinion.

I limit my drinking to 2 drinks a night when I do drink and if it's later in the day I skip my meds at night.

Something that should be noted, is that drinking at home is safer than drinking outside the home. I rarely drink at home. So, I have to watch myself when I go out.

I'm on Lamictal and if I drink I don't remember much. It's like chunks of time is missing. I feel normal and totally in control, but the next day or later I get weirded out by the blank memory spots. If I drink it's wine and I really baby it (we're talking hours for a glass or two)

Doesn't help I work in a bar... and I have had my moments.

I have just a glass of wine a couple times a week. If I have too much I can't sleep. I do get buzzed easily on alcohol though.