Ahh! I’m so sorry Dana, I i thought I’d replied to all the original posts here
I really related to some of the key points in your post re: the struggles w/ substances & meds conflicting, staying on track w/ the recovery plans during mania & it’s wildness, and just the many hundreds of hoops all this makes us jump through to reach stability.
Dbt & talk therapy plus the rest you listed have been so critical to maintain stability for me as well. I’m glad you’re having success and being able to reach that point of finally feeling present bc hard work.
And yess to finally getting the med game figured out, it really does make a difference.
You’re awesome as always! Thanks again & sorry for missing it earlier
Hugs to everyone here (unless you aren’t a hugger in that case a fist bump). I’ve been diagnosed with generalized anxiety and depression. Probably throw in some ADD and executive disfunction. Been on meds and in therapy most of my adult life. (I’m 48.) Was hooked on Xanax years back and became suicidal. Ended up in the hospital and detoxed off the Xanax. Used to be a social drinker but that increased and started to become a problem about 3-4 years ago. I just want to numb myself. Despite the therapy I still can’t deal with my emotions. I hadn’t been honest with my therapist about my drinking until this week. Hard for her to help me when I’m not giving her all the info. I’m also dealing with some childhood trauma/neglect. Very low self esteem. People pleasing. Codependency. It’s a work in progress.
No worries my friend! U had alot of posts to responsed to. Its okay
It makes me feel good that others like urself can relate, altho i wish u didnt have to go thru it too. Weird question… would u happen to know by chance if there are any online DBT refresher courses or anything out there? I feel like it would be good to have that. I left my support group when i left my old province so am wondering if there is anything online for a refresher? Just thot id ask.
Hi all Thanks so making this thread!
I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and OCD.
I am 30 & have been sober for a little over 2 years. Recently I have begun to wonder if I might actually be on the autistic spectrum. I started drinking in my late teens, and it was my way of bypassing my social anxiety and fit in. I was constantly criticized by family, teachers, ect that I came across as “being miserable”, constantly looking angry/mean, being quiet and looking intense. I was thrown by this, because in reality I was very sensitive and it hurt me deeply that even my own family thought this about me when it was just my natural way of being.
So - I felt I had to “mask” to get people to like me and not be off putting.
I doubt I will ever seek out a formal diagnosis, but I think it’s good for me to take into account for recovery and knowing how to take care of myself…
Struggling with my depression today. Everything feels heavy. I’m on day 7 of no alcohol and I’m miserable. Not sleeping well, nightmares, waking with severe headache. Everything is getting me down. Sitting here at my computer trying to work. Fortunately I work from home and my job is flexible enough to allow lots of breaks and time away. Can’t focus on work currently.
I have an appointment with my psychiatrist this afternoon. Hoping we can tweak my meds a bit.
It’s a beautiful sunny day and I just want to cry.
Im 6 months in my soberity off of drugs and im still struggling with the mental and emotional. I take antidepressants. But ive veen diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, BPD, and depression. I dont know what else to do to help the thoughts i get.
Hey Dana, sorry for being a couple days late, but I wanted to follow up with this. I found some different types of resources online and figured I would copy all the links here
I might actually make some sort of pinned post or something on the top if I can, with some resources that can be edited as we get more in this thread
This one next is actually a PDF version of the workbook I’m currently using and it’s been pretty good
I hope any of this can help you let me know if there’s anything else I can do and I’m definitely thinking of you Right now and hope things can get resolved
Thanks @mamador for opening this thread. This is a brilliant idea.
I have ADHD (severe) and depression (mild). The ADHD I treat with a combination of medication, personal management courses (it’s helpful - I’m no master manager by any stretch but the courses tailored to ADHD people have given me some relevant strategies), and proactive communication and action: I seek out workplaces and activities that harmonize with my ADHD, and I try to avoid places that don’t (for example, I left my previous job partly because my boss just couldn’t seem to understand how ADHD affects my relationship with time; it’s not his fault - I don’t think he had any ill intent - but I had to go).
I also have taken time with my wife to attend seminars and conferences about ADHD, and we have marriage counselling with a counsellor who understands ADHD, which have all been super helpful for our relationship. That understanding has transformed our marriage over the past few years.
The depression I treat with Wellbutrin (generic name: bupropion). I have been very pleased with it myself; it seems to be working very well for me.
Thanks again @mamador! And thanks everyone who’s commenting and sharing. It’s helpful to see everyone’s experience.
Hey i want to thank u so much for taking the time to find all this info! Im definitely going to check everything out and see what i can learn! Very much appreciated… hugs!!!
I’m glad I found this thread, although I appear to be a little late to the party. I guess it’s time for me to go into a little more detail. I’m 52, never married, no kids. Diagnosed in 2013 with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Dysthymic disorder. The latter was de-listed in DSM-V, so now considered BP-1 with episodes. I feel like Dysthymia was much more accurate, but I not a professional. Over the years my depression is backing off but the anxiety/irratibility is gettting worse.
More background: in the late 90s I moved from casual drinking to serious alcoholic. Also around that time I had to move back home with my dad, because his emphysema was approaching its inevitable end. I began to feel “caregiver’s burnout” after a few months of living in the boondocks. So, I made the rather regrettable choice to take some time off with a friend of a friend I really didn’t know very well. Long story short, I was stranded in Virginia (about 800 miles from home) with just my clothes and no ID. In our last conversation, mom told me I’d probably never see dad again and that I should try to make a life in VA. And she had the phone company block the entire 757 area code so I couldn’t call the house. I tried several times to get in touch with her or my brother, unsuccessfully (she has since passed away).
My other problem is that I haven’t had a relationship since 1997. That really takes a toll on my already low self esteem. And I can’t talk about it with anyone. Most of my closest “friends” just think it’s funny and gave me shit everytime I see them. Which, since I quit drinking, I don’t see them anymore. And it’s not something you can tell just anyone. In America, for those that don’t live here, we have this creepy and sometimes violent subculture of “incels”, for “involuntary celibate”. So, if I mention anything about my life their first words are, “Oh, you’re one of those disgusting fuckers that thinks rape should be legal”. And I have to tell them, no that is not what I said. So I can’t talk to anyone until I get a therapist. Which I can’t afford unless I get disability. Which I’m not going to get because I’m capable of doing my job.
So except for Neighbor Joe and my MH team (and you guys of course) I’m really pretty lonely. Depression is pretty well contained by my meds (Wellbutrin/Gabapentin) but the anxiety and irritability aren’t responding to the Buspirone. I’m already taking the max, 120mg/day.
Most days though, I really just need a hug more than my meds.
P.S. Thanks @mamador for the links, I’ll check those out.
Catching up on more replies here (i tend to appear then go back underground pretty quickly lately), & wanted to take a second to say thanks so much for sharing your story here, a lot of different parts of it were really relatable, especially re: trying to find ‘normal’ with something out there, prediagnosis.
Quitting weed was like finally cutting off a toxic ex for me, i completely agree w/ not going back on that one. It just sneaks in and takes over otherwise so quickly.
I’m so glad you found your niche in the world w/computers, that’s how i feel about art, it’s just a process, with less than normal human interactions lol.
I hope for sure that you’re able to get the same success w/alcohol this time as well! To me, i think you’ll get it though from the sounds of it with the process you’ve already gone through, plus having a solid support net makes all the difference.
Thanks again for sharing!
Hi Karen! Thanks so much for checking out this thread and sharing your story!
I think in recovery it’s so important to look back at where we’ve been & see what/whose impacts on us led us somewhat to the current circumstances.
It sounds like you’re definitely in a spot of starting to advocate for yourself.
Honestly I had the same huge reluctance to be honest with my Dr’s/psychiatrist and got so close to losing it all, my hand was forced somewhat but I’m glad it happened at this point.
I’m glad you’re here, and this thread is free to post in relating to any issues/ etc mental health related. Keep on truckin, you got this
Can’t you just make a Tinder profile or other dating site profile just to start talking to women to get your confidence up and start dating again? You won’t move forward by only reminding yourself of what is behind you…
Soooo im an alcoholic and i have bipolar 2. I attended a dual recovery meeting tonight for the second time. Dual recovery is a program very similar to alcoholics anonymous but for people with mental health and addiction issues. They needed someone to present a topic for next weeks meeting. Damn impulsiveness but its good for me.
Soooo… im brainstorming topics and i’d like your feedback.
Topic ideas:
Anxiety: how does it present in your life?
The stigma of mental illness, medication, and addiction
Thanks for all 3 of you who voted! My topic for sunday will be the stigma of mental health and addiction
Rough outline so far…
Definition of stigma: a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person
Different kinds of stigma: public stigma, self. stigma, institutional stigma
Harmful effects of stigma: self isolation, reluctance to seek help, belief you’ll never succeed, lack of understanding from friends family and strangers
Some celebrities who have “come out” about mental health: lady gaga, michael phelps, simone biles, demi lavato, the rock to name a few
My experience and shame
Call to share others personal experience with the stigma around mental health and addiction
I’m a 57 yr old female with anxiety and PTSD from childhood trauma. I’ve been sober for just over a year. I’m feeling great and have managed a few episodes of anxiety in sobriety with medication and rest.
For the past 2 months I have been in constant contact and support of my 53 year old brother. He Has bipolar disorder with some recent issues of dissociative episodes. He has PTSD times two from childhood sexual abuse and combat. He is a recovering alcoholic and opioid addict and lately he is going through great difficulty in his marriage. His difficulties have lead him to reach out to me for support in addition to his psychiatrist and a marriage counselor.
It’s been a lot. He cycles regularly and has obsessive thoughts. He sometimes demonstrates paranoia and of course he is scared and upset and sad. His thought patterns and how he talks and processes his issues remind me and trigger me a bit with memories of our abusive father. And of course it reminds me of my feelings toward our mother. So it gets a bit complicated.
Our father has been dead for over 20 years by suicide, so that is part of our framework too. Our mother is elderly and tries to be supportive but of course there is still a lot of unresolved stuff floating about.
I have a strong support system in my husband and other family members and friends. I have the time and emotional space to do this with him. I hope he can find some decent resolution to the issues at hand.
Being able to talk about him and the addict thoughts and behaviors would be helpful to me. And being supportive to others is always healing to me. Thank you for starting this hard topic and I wish everyone the best.
Love this I’m diagnosed with adhd, bipolar 2, borderline personality disorder, generalized anxiety and major depression it is… a LOT I think I’ve been bipolar since I was a teenager but so much was blocked out with alcohol and drugs. Or I just didn’t realize it yet. I wasn’t diagnosed until 2 months before my 26th birthday. My son is autistic and nonspeaking he’s 6 diagnosed at 2.5 and he requires full time care, which I do completely on my own. Sometimes I wonder with all the overlaps of my diagnosis if autism is a possibility for me since I’ve read they can be confused for it. I’m prescribed lamotrigine and I even picked it up months after, and then it sat in my drawer for another 3 months because I changed my mind… then I opened it, then I changed my mind again…I guess I really am bipolar Kidding lol. That was actually a reason I wanted to get clean at first was because I was scared of drinking on it. But what I’m really afraid of is the side effects or it making me worse.
Let us know how it goes please
I’m diagnosed with adhd, bipolar 2, borderline personality disorder, generalized anxiety and major depression 
it is… a LOT I think I’ve been bipolar since I was a teenager but so much was blocked out with alcohol and drugs. Or I just didn’t realize it yet. I wasn’t diagnosed until 2 months before my 26th birthday. My son is autistic and nonspeaking he’s 6 diagnosed at 2.5 and he requires full time care, which I do completely on my own. Sometimes I wonder with all the overlaps of my diagnosis if autism is a possibility for me since I’ve read they can be confused for it. I’m prescribed lamotrigine and I even picked it up months after, and then it sat in my drawer for another 3 months because I changed my mind… then I opened it, then I changed my mind again…I guess I really am bipolar 
Kidding lol. That was actually a reason I wanted to get clean at first was because I was scared of drinking on it. But what I’m really afraid of is the side effects or it making me worse.