Posted by Cece on March 21, 2001, at 15:59:40
In reply to alkie, much?, posted by sar on February 28, 2001, at 18:32:11
Hi-
I drank alcoholically- mostly alone and very depressed- for a long time (many years) before I was able to get help. I was in therapy most of that time, but although that helped me admit my problem, it didn't solve it for me.
Finally I dragged myself (literally) to AA. Now I am not an AA evangelist, and I don't go to meetings anymore, but it really worked for me, and to my huge surprise I loved the sense of community. But also, by the time I got there I was desperate to stop drinking- I knew that I was slowly killing myself, and drinking hadn't been fun for a very long time.
I went regularly for about 6 years and toward the end of that time started working with a pdoc for my depressive Bipolar II. As my disorder got more under control, I began to be able to drink alcohol occasionally and very moderately. I now have zero desire to feel loaded, or even tipsy- I just like the taste and a little tingle now and again. When Neurontin was added to my med mix, I noticed that it really reduced my desire for alcohol- my pdoc said that other patients of his had said similar things (no, it's not like that stuff, can't think of the name, that makes you sick if you drink!).
Alcohol and depression make a vicious circle- alcohol makes depression worse, people try and keep their depression at bay by drinking. It can be a very hard cycle to break out of.
Good luck, keep seeking help, and don't discount AA (you don't have to accept the whole package- I myself am an agnostic).
Cece
> Hi. I'm new here but have read through many of the posts and am glad I've found this place.
>
> I'm taking time off from college and living with my parents after a suicidal episode about a month ago. Part of leaving my collegetown also had to do with drinking...I found that I could not be sober around people because of my social phobia and i sometimes could not be sober by myself because of anxiety/depression. Have any of you had a similar experience? How did you deal?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> sar
poster:Cece
thread:4870
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010209/msgs/5203.html