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I’m diagnosed with bipolar disorder one and drink frequently. I have been with my psychiatrist for ten years, and he has been helpful when I most have needed it. However, I don’t trust his judgment anymore. He referred me to the emergency room for detox, but I have gone twice and never met the criteria for admission. In other words, I was not clinically intoxicated for detox and was discharged with papers full of instructions but no actual treatment. That means I don’t have a problem with alcohol, but I feel my doctor is pushing me. My therapist at the same clinic made a big deal of my drinking, and I stopped seeing her. I am a very cooperative and committed patient and take my medications as prescribed, but I feel my doctor exaggerates and want to change. How should I start the change? Should I find another doctor and then inform my current doctor, or how should I do it?
Last edited by elnina; 06-11-2022 at 02:28 AM..
Reason: Typo
Alcohol is known to intensify bipolar disorder due to its sedating effects. It acts similarly to some medications, risking feelings of depression with each swig of alcohol. Alcohol also greatly increases the severity of mania, which many who suffer from bipolar find extremely pleasurable.
Bipolar disorder and alcohol use disorder or other types of substance abuse can be a dangerous combination.
You drink frequently. This was his judgement.
You might want to consider AA instead.
Obviously you need to stop drinking to improve your mental health.
Have you seriously considered a rehab facility?
Go walk into one. They are more apt to work with you in modifying your dependency on alcohol.
It's not your doctors problem to resolve. It's yours .
Stay with your psych doc. Discuss alternatives in treatment facilities. You are on the right path.
You cannot mix meds and alcohol. You need to quit drinking and find other means to relieve stress. You are in therapy? Changing your doctor could worsen your situation. They need your history. You can discuss your concerns with your doctor and they should be willing to discuss it.
1. Choose another doctor first, using recommendations from others, online recommendations, etc.
2. Call your present doctor and say : I think we need to part. I am looking for another doctor and when I have a new one, I will be leaving your practice.
3. Continue to see the present doctor until you are admitted to a new practice and have set up an appointment.
4. Consider it done.
OP,
I am bipolar 1, with anxiety Disorder and Cumulative Trauma issues (similar to PTSD).
I am also a "recovering alcoholic '.. but about 5 times a year or so..for celebrations, I have a glass of wine. I put "recovering alcoholic " in quoted because that term would refer to being a tea-totaler.
But instead of drinking vodka (my real downfall) or a box of wine resulting in me getting drunk each time, a glass of wine is nothing by comparison.
Maybe "controlled" is a better word.
YOU need to define "drink frequently", and how much you drink when you do. Only you can do that. If you drink to get drunk 3-4 x a week, yeah you might have a problem.
And, as noted above, alcohol with most any medicine is not advised.
It can intensify, say a depression episode or agravate a manic episode.
It can also prevent the medication from working properly.
Many meds state "do not use grapefruit products while taking this med"...that's because grapefruit products don't allow the med to be metabolized properly because it alters/restricts an enzyme required to metabolize the med properly.
Similar disruption, though not identical to grapefruit can result from alcohol with most prescription meds, hence the warnings.
Sure, if you only have a glass of wine or a beer with dinner once a week, it would be a non starter as a problem.
But if you drink a lot during a drinking episode, and/or drink til drunk or passing out, you're going to have to address that issue.
Smoking and drinking are two things ANY therapist/psychiatrist/psychology are going to rail against. So changing therapist or Dr isn't going to change that.
Lots of alcohol will have an effect on most of not all psychotropic meds.
As someone above said, maybe check out some AA meetings, you can say just your name and say "I'm just going to listen '. Sitting and listening you may hear stories that sound just like you, even if it surprises you.
There are online meetings in some areas, on your computer or smart phone that don't even require you to go out.
No, one meeting isn't enough but that's up to you.
Ultimately, if you do "drink frequently " and it's interfering with your meds, then you might as well stop taking meds and quit therapy.
You are trying to "justify " your drinking...one hint that you might have a problem is your immediate lash-back and defense statute when it's been mentioned.
My therapist had no problem with the few glass per year I do have, because it's no longer a problem for me.
Before I was properly diagnosed, I drank a gallon of vodka a day during my depression lows, and yes, it was a problem. I got stuck in the cycle of "depression causing me to drink, and drinking deepened my depression"...it's a vicious cycle!
Best to you, seriously.
Last edited by galaxyhi; 06-23-2022 at 07:27 AM..
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